--- title: "Wikipedia AI Citations: ChatGPT 2.7% vs Perplexity 23.1%" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/wikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers description: "Wikipedia AI citations vary by engine: ChatGPT cites the encyclopedia in 2.7% of answers, Perplexity in 23.1% and Google AI Overviews 19.4%. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fwikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers&text=ChatGPT%20Cites%20Wikipedia%20in%202.7%25%20of%20Answers%20vs%2023.1%25%20for%20Perplexity Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fwikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fwikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fwikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers&title=ChatGPT%20Cites%20Wikipedia%20in%202.7%25%20of%20Answers%20vs%2023.1%25%20for%20Perplexity ChatGPT links to Wikipedia in **2.7%** of its answers to everyday questions, fewer than three in a hundred. Perplexity cites Wikipedia in 23.1% of answers and Google's AI Overviews in 19.4%, so the encyclopedia's reach in AI depends on the engine. Analysis of 25,940 AI answers, 5,968 of them from ChatGPT · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. ChatGPT cites Wikipedia in **2.7%** of its answers to everyday questions, fewer than three answers in a hundred. Copy stat 2. 2. Perplexity cites Wikipedia in **23.1%** of its answers, more than eight times ChatGPT's rate, and Google AI Overviews in 19.4%. Copy stat 3. 3. ChatGPT and Gemini together supply **12%** of all Wikipedia citations in AI answers; Google's AI features and Perplexity supply the rest. Copy stat 4. 4. ChatGPT cites Wikipedia most for questions about pets, in **8.8%** of answers, followed by food, energy and travel at 7.2% each. Copy stat 5. 5. In **7** of 31 question topics, including taxes, mortgages, credit and insurance, ChatGPT never cites Wikipedia. Copy stat ## Summary Ask Perplexity what a heat pump is and there is a good chance one of the links under the answer goes to Wikipedia. Ask ChatGPT the same question and its links almost never include Wikipedia. Wikipedia is often described as the backbone of AI answers; for ChatGPT's sources, it is not. The sources an AI engine cites are the pages that get the click and the credit. For publishers, businesses and PR teams, knowing which engines lean on Wikipedia shows whether a Wikipedia article is worth the effort for AI visibility, and where to put that effort instead. ChatGPT cites Wikipedia in **2.7%** of answers. Perplexity cites it in 23.1% and Google AI Overviews in 19.4%. Across all five engines Wikipedia is still the second most-cited website after YouTube, but almost all of that comes from Perplexity and Google. ## What we measured On September 23, 2026 we asked 2,984 general questions across 31 topics, from pets and travel to taxes and mortgages, to ChatGPT (twice, with web search on), Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Mode, and recorded Google's AI Overviews (the AI summary above Google's search results) for the same questions. That produced 25,940 answers, 5,968 of them from ChatGPT. A citation is a source link an AI engine shows with its answer. An answer counts as citing Wikipedia when at least one of its links goes to Wikipedia, in any language. Rates are shares of answers, by engine and by topic. We also counted the total number of Wikipedia links each engine produced. ## ChatGPT rarely cites Wikipedia 2.7% of ChatGPT's answers to everyday questions cite Wikipedia. Other engines cite it far more. Perplexity links Wikipedia in 23.1% of its answers, more than eight times ChatGPT's rate. Google AI Overviews follow at 19.4% and Google AI Mode at 13.8%. Gemini, at 3.9%, is the only engine close to ChatGPT. Answers citing Wikipedia by AI engine Perplexity 23.1% Google AI Overviews 19.4% Google AI Mode 13.8% Gemini 3.9% ChatGPT 2.7% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 25,940 AI answers, 5,968 of them from ChatGPT · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features, September 2026 Wikipedia is a well-known source of AI training text, so the gap is a reminder that what an engine learned from and what it links to are different things. ChatGPT may know what Wikipedia says, but when it shows sources it prefers specialist and official pages that answer the exact question. ## Google's AI features and Perplexity supply most Wikipedia citations Across all five engines, Wikipedia receives 3,531 citations and appears in 11.1% of answers, making it the second most-cited website after YouTube. Google AI Overviews supply 1,141 of those citations, Google AI Mode 985 and Perplexity 979. Gemini adds 248 and ChatGPT 178, 426 between them, about 12% of the total. Wikipedia citations by AI engine Google AI Overviews 1,141 Google AI Mode 985 Perplexity 979 Gemini 248 ChatGPT 178 So Wikipedia's place near the top of AI citation rankings rests on Perplexity and Google's AI features, which quote reference sites heavily. For ChatGPT and Gemini, Wikipedia is a minor source. ## Pets and food draw ChatGPT's few Wikipedia citations ChatGPT cites Wikipedia most for pet questions (8.8%), followed by food, energy and travel at 7.2% each and home at 6.2%. These are topics where background facts, such as breeds, dishes, fuels or places, help frame the answer. ChatGPT answers citing Wikipedia by question topic Pets 8.8% Food 7.2% Energy 7.2% Travel 7.2% Home 6.2% Legal 5.7% Parenting 5.7% Nutrition 4.1% Fitness 0% Beauty 0% Credit 0% Insurance 0% Mortgage 0% Real estate 0% Taxes 0% In seven topics ChatGPT never cites Wikipedia: fitness, beauty, credit, insurance, mortgage, real estate and taxes. For money questions it leans on official sources instead, and consumerfinance.gov and irs.gov are among its most-cited websites. When the answer depends on current rules and rates, ChatGPT goes to the authority that sets them. ## What this means for content and PR teams A Wikipedia article is not a shortcut to ChatGPT citations. It matters far more for Perplexity and Google's AI features, which cite Wikipedia in about one answer in five. If those engines matter to your customers, make sure the Wikipedia articles about your field are accurate and cite reliable sources, including your own published research where it qualifies. For ChatGPT, focus on the specialist and official sources it prefers in your topic: industry publications, government pages and detailed guides that answer specific questions. Create pages of your own that answer those questions directly, with facts and figures other sources can cite. Working with an ai seo company (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/ai-seo-services) maps the sources each AI engine cites so you can target the right ones. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: ChatGPT Cites Wikipedia in 2.7% of Answers vs 23.1% for Perplexity - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). ChatGPT Cites Wikipedia in 2.7% of Answers vs 23.1% for Perplexity. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/wikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers Plain link ChatGPT Cites Wikipedia in 2.7% of Answers vs 23.1% for Perplexity - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/wikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers ## Frequently asked questions ### How often does ChatGPT cite Wikipedia? ### Which AI engine cites Wikipedia most? ### For which topics does ChatGPT cite Wikipedia? ### Is Wikipedia one of the most-cited websites in AI answers? ## Related studies - 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 AI Overviews Cite Reddit 176x More Often Than ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/reddit-citations-ai-answers - AI SEO Google AI Overviews Cite User-Generated Content 27.8% of the Time vs 0.2% for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/user-generated-content-ai-sources - AI SEO Perplexity Cites Comparison Sites in 93% of Credit Card and Loan Answers vs 21.4% for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-credit-card-affiliate-sources ## 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/wikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers#article", "headline": "ChatGPT Cites Wikipedia in 2.7% of Answers vs 23.1% for Perplexity", "description": "ChatGPT links to Wikipedia in 2.7% of its answers to everyday questions, fewer than three in a hundred. 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Perplexity cites Wikipedia in 23.1% of answers and Google's AI Overviews in 19.4%, so the encyclopedia's reach in AI depends on the engine.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/wikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers", "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": "Answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/wikipedia-share-chatgpt-answers#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often does ChatGPT cite Wikipedia?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "ChatGPT cites Wikipedia in 2.7% of its answers to everyday questions, fewer than three answers in a hundred (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which AI engine cites Wikipedia most?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Perplexity, which cites Wikipedia in 23.1% of its answers, followed by Google AI Overviews at 19.4% and Google AI Mode at 13.8%." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "For which topics does ChatGPT cite Wikipedia?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Mostly pets, in 8.8% of ChatGPT's answers, and food, energy and travel at 7.2% each. ChatGPT never cites Wikipedia for questions about taxes, mortgages, credit or insurance." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Wikipedia one of the most-cited websites in AI answers?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Wikipedia is the second most-cited website in AI answers after YouTube, with 3,531 citations, but ChatGPT and Gemini together supply only 12% of them." } } ] } ] } ] ```