{
  "kind": "fact",
  "studySlug": "citation-decay",
  "slug": "the-average-citation-lifespan-is-only-six-point-eight-days",
  "title": "The average citation lifespan is only 6.8 days",
  "description": "The Half-Life of AI Citations study evaluated the longevity of source links by measuring the average URL lifespan across a sample dataset.",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-03-30",
  "lastTested": "2026-03-30",
  "sourceStudyUrl": "/trakkr-research/citation-decay",
  "sourceStudyTitle": "The Half-Life of AI Citations",
  "claimIds": [
    "citation-decay:mean-life"
  ],
  "relatedSlugs": [
    "answer:are-most-ai-citations-one-and-done",
    "answer:how-many-brands-have-truly-stable-ai-visibility",
    "tracker:citation-persistence-tracker"
  ],
  "methodologySummary": "Built from 857,138 reports, 108,650 citations, 10,991 brands, and 8 tracked models across a 10-month observation window.",
  "limitations": [
    "Decay describes observed persistence, not the full causal mechanism behind why a citation disappears.",
    "Brand- and domain-level averages can hide very different retention patterns by query class or model.",
    "Some of the stickiest or most volatile domains come from niche query pockets and should be read as examples, not universal leaders."
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "citation decay",
    "AI half life",
    "AI citation persistence",
    "AI visibility churn"
  ],
  "schemaHints": {
    "pageType": "Article",
    "includeDataset": true
  },
  "claim": "The mean citation lifespan for URLs in the decay study is 6.8 days.",
  "supportingMetrics": [
    {
      "label": "Mean citation lifespan",
      "value": "6.8 days",
      "detail": "Average URL lifespan across the sample."
    }
  ],
  "whyItMatters": "Strategists and operators must adapt to accelerated decay rates by implementing faster operating loops for citation driven traffic, as classic evergreen content assumptions do not apply to AI citation lifespans.",
  "citationBlock": {
    "quote": "Average citation lifespan in the decay study is 6.8 days.",
    "attribution": "The Half-Life of AI Citations - Trakkr Research",
    "url": "https://trakkr.ai/trakkr-research/citation-decay/facts/the-average-citation-lifespan-is-only-six-point-eight-days"
  }
}