How To Track Reddit Citations in AI Search Results

When users ask AI engines for opinions, recommendations, or real-world experiences, one source keeps appearing: Reddit.

An analysis by Semrush confirms that Reddit is one of the most cited domains across LLMs, outpacing well-established reference sites like Wikipedia and LinkedIn. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini are frequently surfacing Reddit threads when answering questions like "Is this product worth it?" or "How do I solve this problem?"

Your brand is likely being discussed on Reddit, and AI engines are citing those discussions as authoritative sources, whether you know it or not.

The problem? Reddit is vast. And most teams have no visibility into which threads are being cited, where they appear, or what they say about your brand. Tracking and optimizing every mention manually is also impossible, especially if you don’t know whether the AI citations exist.

Lantern solves this by tracking Reddit citations in AI search, showing exactly which Reddit threads are shaping how AI engines talk about your brand or industry.

What Reddit Tracking Does

Lantern’s Reddit tracking is simple and built specifically for AI search visibility. When it monitors your brand, it captures Reddit as a source whenever it’s cited. From the Lantern AEO dashboard, you can see:

• The specific Reddit thread cited with a direct link
• The AI platform cited whether its ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, or Gemini
• The query that triggered the citation
• The context of the mention. Is it positive, negative, or neutral?
• Subreddit where the discussion occurred

Why Reddit Tracking Matters

You should monitor your Reddit insights for:

• Brand reputation insights: See what real users are saying about your brand on Reddit and understand which discussions AI engines consider authoritative. It also shows you if there are negative sentiments or inaccurate information that you need to address.
• Competitive intelligence: Identify Reddit discussions and subreddits that mention competitors or talk about your industry. This data provides topics and questions that drive citations across your category.
• Content opportunities: User queries and discussions on Reddit are ideal for finding content gaps. Use these pain points to create targeted content.
• Early warning system: Catch negative threads before they become widely cited across AI platforms. Track how discussions evolve over time and respond strategically.

How Reddit Tracking Works in Lantern

Reddit tracking is fully integrated into Lantern’s existing AI search monitoring. You don’t have to manually search Reddit or AI engines, since all citations, patterns, and actionable data are managed in a single dashboard. No extra configuration required.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Automatic Detection

As Lantern tracks your brand across AI engines, it automatically detects when Reddit is cited as a source. You don’t need to add keywords or manual rules.

Step 2: Thread Capture

When a Reddit citation appears, Lantern captures:

• The full thread URL
• Subreddit name
• Post title
• Relevant comments

Step 3: Context Analysis

An in-depth analysis follows, showing which query triggered the citation and how the brand was mentioned. It also classifies sentiment as positive, negative, neutral, or mixed.

Step 4: Dashboard View

All Reddit citations appear in the "Top Sub-Reddit " section. To get the specific thread, you can:

• Filter results by subreddit, AI platform, sentiment, or date
• Track citation frequency
• Monitor new citations

Why Reddit Shows Up in AI Search

As of October 2025, Semrush found that Reddit had a 13% domain citation rate on ChatGPT and a 9% citation rate on Google AI Mode, a clear sign that this platform occupies a unique position in AI search ecosystems.

Here’s why:

Authentic User Voices

AI engines value Reddit because it reflects real user experiences. It doesn’t provide information from marketing copy or polished brand messaging. It offers detailed discussions and opinions that are grounded in lived experience. AI engines trust this.

Question-and-Answer Format

To optimize your content for answer engine optimization (AEO), add conversational-style answers that are easy to extract. Most Reddit threads pass this test. They are structured as Q&A, which is the perfect format for AI engines looking for answer-bearing content.

The detailed responses to specific questions make Reddit threads highly citable.

Domain Authority

Reddit has an authority score of nearly 100, indicating exceptionally high domain authority based on backlink quality, organic traffic, and trust signals. It has long maintained a high domain authority thanks to its extensive content library. AI engines look for such trusted sources when citing brands.

Reddit is usually cited in these cases:

• Queries seeking opinions: "What do people think about..."
• Recommendation queries: "What's the best..."
• Problem-solving: "How do I..."
• Comparison queries: "X vs Y.."
• Real user experience: "Is [product] worth it?"

Getting Started With Reddit Tracking

For existing Lantern customers:

Reddit tracking is already live. No setup required. Open your dashboard and navigate to Reddit Sources to see which threads have been cited.

For new users:

Reddit tracking is included in all Lantern plans. Once you sign up and add your brand, Reddit citations appear automatically alongside your other AI search data.

Once you sign up, here’s what to do first:

• Review currently cited Reddit threads
• Identify subreddits where your brand appears most
• Check the sentiment of surfaced discussions
• Monitor new citations as they emerge

Reddit as Part of Your AI Search Strategy

Reddit is one piece of the AI search puzzle, but a powerful one. To monitor those brand mentions, Lantern tracks Reddit alongside web pages, news articles, company sites, and other sources to give you complete visibility into what shapes your AI search presence.

You can’t control every Reddit conversation. But with Lantern, you can finally see which ones influence how AI engines talk about your brand and respond strategically. Start tracking Reddit citations today with Lantern