---
title: "Editorial standards"
url: "https://aivisibilitycensus.com/editorial-standards/"
description: "How the AI Visibility Census decides what to publish, stays independent, uses AI tools, cites sources and handles changes."
publisher: "AI Visibility Census"
date_published: "2026-10-29"
date_modified: "2026-10-29"
---

# Editorial standards

These standards cover everything the AI Visibility Census publishes: editions, the methodology, articles and data.

## What we publish

- **Editions:** which firms AI answers name for a fixed set of buyer questions, and which sources those answers cite.
- **Methodology:** how editions are made, in enough detail for anyone to repeat the work.
- **Articles:** analysis of edition results, notes on method, and findings from how AI crawlers treat this site.

## Independence

No firm pays to be included in the Census, to be left out of it, or to change how it appears in a result. We do not sell placements, rankings or badges. The site carries no advertising and no sponsored content.

## How results are recorded

Results are the answers the engines returned on the dates tested, recorded under the [published method](https://aivisibilitycensus.com/methodology/). Recorded answers are not edited, reworded or filtered to favor or disfavor any firm. When an answer cannot be classified with confidence, we say so rather than guess.

## Use of AI tools

We use AI tools to help with research, drafting, editing and code. A person reviews and approves everything before it is published, and takes responsibility for it.

- AI tools are never used to generate, alter or fill in results data.
- When an article quotes or summarizes an AI answer, we show the question asked, the engine and the date.
- When AI tools help classify answers, for example to spot firm names, a person checks the classification before it is published.

## Sources and evidence

Statements of fact link to their source where one exists. Our own data is published with the date it was collected. When something is an estimate or an inference, we say so.

## Dates and changes

Every page shows when it was last updated. Changes to the methodology are recorded in the [methodology changelog](https://aivisibilitycensus.com/changelog/), with the date and what changed.

## Reusing our data

Edition data, question sets and published figures are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0, with credit. Article text is not. The [data license](https://aivisibilitycensus.com/data-license/) page explains what is covered and how to credit us.

## Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it in the open. See the [corrections policy](https://aivisibilitycensus.com/corrections/) for how to report an error and what happens next.

## Contact

Questions about these standards: [hello@aivisibilitycensus.com](mailto:hello@aivisibilitycensus.com).