--- title: "AI Citation Freshness: 45% of Answers Cite 2-Year-Old Pages" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages description: "AI citation freshness study: 45% of ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode answers cite a page over two years old, and 57.8% one over a year old. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-answers-cite-old-pages&text=45%25%20of%20AI%20Answers%20From%20ChatGPT%2C%20Gemini%20and%20Google%20Cite%20a%20Page%20Over%20Two%20Years%20Old Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-answers-cite-old-pages Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-answers-cite-old-pages Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fai-answers-cite-old-pages&title=45%25%20of%20AI%20Answers%20From%20ChatGPT%2C%20Gemini%20and%20Google%20Cite%20a%20Page%20Over%20Two%20Years%20Old **45%** of answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode cite at least one web page published more than two years earlier, and 57.8% cite one more than a year old. ChatGPT leans on old pages most, in 46.5% of its answers. Analysis of 8,723 AI answers and 15,221 dated citations · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **45%** of answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode cite at least one web page published more than two years earlier. Copy stat 2. 2. **57.8%** of AI answers cite at least one web page more than a year old. Copy stat 3. 3. **35.4%** of the web pages cited in AI answers are more than two years old, while the median cited page is 0.9 years old. Copy stat 4. 4. ChatGPT cites a page more than two years old in **46.5%** of its answers, against 44.5% for Google AI Mode and 40.8% for Gemini. Copy stat 5. 5. When a question asks about the latest or newest version of something, **24.3%** of AI answers cite a page over two years old, about half the 45% rate for all questions. Copy stat ## Summary Ask an AI engine how much a service costs or what the rules are for a tax deduction and it answers in the present tense, with confidence. Open the sources behind the answer and one of them can predate the last price rise or rule change. The answer looks current; its evidence is sometimes years older. The age of a source matters because AI engines repeat what their sources say. For prices, regulations, product lineups and anything else that changes, a two-year-old page can carry figures that are no longer true. For content owners it cuts both ways: old pages keep earning citations, and outdated ones keep spreading their errors. Almost half of AI answers rely on at least one old page. **45%** cite a page published more than two years earlier, and 57.8% cite one more than a year old, even though the typical cited page is less than a year old. ## What we measured On September 23 and 24, 2026 we collected answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode to a wide range of everyday questions, and recorded the published or last-updated date of each page they cited. We kept the 8,723 answers that cite at least one dated page, 15,221 dated citations in all, and counted how many cite a page older than two years and older than one year. A page's age is the time between its published or last-updated date and September 2026, so a guide refreshed last month counts as new even if it first went live years ago. An answer "cites an old page" when at least one of its dated sources passes the age line. The median page age is the middle value: half of cited pages are newer, half older. ## Almost half of AI answers lean on a page over two years old 45% of AI answers cite at least one page more than two years old. Measured by page rather than by answer, 35.4% of the 15,221 dated pages cited in AI answers are more than two years old. The median cited page is 0.9 years old, so most sources are recent, but an answer can cite several pages and one old source is enough. That is why the share of answers with an old source, 45%, is higher than the share of old pages. Lower the line to one year and the share rises to 57.8%, more than half of all answers. An AI answer is, in effect, a blend of new and old material, presented in a single confident voice with no sign of which parts come from which date. ## ChatGPT cites old pages most often ChatGPT cites a page more than two years old in 46.5% of its answers, the highest rate of the three engines. Google AI Mode follows at 44.5% and Gemini is the freshest at 40.8%. On every engine, at least two answers in five rest partly on an old page. Answers citing a page 2+ years old by engine ChatGPT 46.5% Google AI Mode 44.5% Gemini 40.8% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 8,723 AI answers and 15,221 dated citations · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, September 2026 ChatGPT also gives the most dated answers, 5,151 of the 8,723, against 1,881 for Gemini and 1,691 for Google AI Mode, so its figure carries the most weight in the overall 45%. If your customers use ChatGPT, the pages it quotes about your business or industry are the most likely to be old. ## Questions about the latest get fresher sources When a question asks about the latest, newest or current version of something, or names 2025 or 2026, AI engines reach for newer pages. 24.3% of those answers cite a page more than two years old, against 45% for all questions, and 38% cite one more than a year old, against 57.8%. Cite a page 1+ year old by answer group All questions 57.8% Questions about the latest 38% | Answer group | Cite a page 1+ year old | Cite a page 2+ years old | | --- | --- | --- | | All questions | 57.8% | 45% | | Questions about the latest | 38% | 24.3% | Across 111 answers to 74 such questions, it shows that AI engines respond to the wording: ask for the latest and the sources get younger. Yet even then, more than one in three answers still cites a page over a year old, so a searcher asking for current information is still often given a source that predates it. ## What this means for content teams Old pages keep earning AI citations, so do not delete a well-performing guide because it is old. Update it instead: refresh the figures, dates and examples, and show a clear "last updated" date near the top so AI engines and readers can see the page is current. A refreshed page counts as new, and it keeps the links and history that earned its citations. For fast-changing topics, such as prices, regulations and product lineups, publish dated updates and put the year in the heading when the information is year-specific. AI engines pick newer sources when the question asks for the latest, so a clearly dated page is the one they reach for. Our seo copywriting services (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/seo-content-writing-services) include content refresh programs that keep your most-cited pages current. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: 45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). 45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages Plain link 45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages ## Frequently asked questions ### How old are the pages AI answers cite? ### Which AI engine cites the oldest pages? ### How many AI answers cite a page more than a year old? ### Do AI engines use newer sources for questions about the latest information? ## Related studies - AI SEO Ask AI for the Latest and 38% of Answers Cite a Page Over a Year Old: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-latest-questions-stale-sources - AI SEO ChatGPT Links to Dead Pages More Than 3x as Often as Gemini and Google's AI Mode: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/broken-links-in-ai-answers - AI SEO YouTube Tops AI Citations: Google's AI Cites It 6,894 Times vs 5 for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/top-cited-websites-in-ai - AI SEO Google's Gemini Cites No Source in 61.2% of Its Answers vs 2.2% for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-no-links ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages#article", "headline": "45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old", "description": "45% of answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode cite at least one web page published more than two years earlier, and 57.8% cite one more than a year old. ChatGPT leans on old pages most, in 46.5% of its answers.", "image": [ "https://www.suffdigital.com/images/suff-digital-share-16x9.jpg" ], "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages", "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/who-we-are" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages", "@type": "WebPage" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Resources", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Data Studies", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old" } ] }, { "@type": "Dataset", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages#dataset", "name": "45% of AI Answers From ChatGPT, Gemini and Google Cite a Page Over Two Years Old", "description": "45% of answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode cite at least one web page published more than two years earlier, and 57.8% cite one more than a year old. ChatGPT leans on old pages most, in 46.5% of its answers.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode answers" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-cite-old-pages#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How old are the pages AI answers cite?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The median web page cited by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode is 0.9 years old, but 45% of AI answers cite at least one page more than two years old (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which AI engine cites the oldest pages?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "ChatGPT. 46.5% of ChatGPT answers cite a page more than two years old, against 44.5% for Google AI Mode and 40.8% for Gemini." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many AI answers cite a page more than a year old?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "57.8% of answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode cite at least one web page more than a year old." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do AI engines use newer sources for questions about the latest information?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. When a question asks about the latest or newest version of something, 24.3% of AI answers cite a page over two years old, against 45% for all questions." } } ] } ] } ] ```