Observatory · Source type
Wikipedia: almost absent from AI answers to buying questions
Wikipedia makes up only 0.1% of the sources AI engines cite on buying questions, with a peak of 1.9% in coaching and advisory. Data: 406,626 answers from six engines, July 12 to October 11, 2026.
Updated
0%
of all cited sources
0%
for ChatGPT
2%
in coaching and advisory
Wikipedia is a major training source for language models, but it is rarely cited when a buyer asks which provider to choose. Across the Observatory, it weighs 0.1% of cited sources: 0.2% for ChatGPT and Perplexity, 0.1% for Google AI Overviews, 0.0% for Claude, Gemini and Copilot.
One sector stands out: coaching and advisory, where Wikipedia reaches 1.9% of cited sources and 3.4% of Perplexity sources, likely because buyers ask about methods and certifications. Health, beauty and fitness follows at 0.3%.
On buying questions, engines want lists, comparisons and provider pages, not encyclopedic entries. Rankings (29.9%) and reviews and directories (4.0%) are where third-party effort pays.
Method
406,626 AI answers collected every day from July 12, 2026 to October 11, 2026 on over 1,700 purchase-intent questions tracked by Archipel (mostly in French, plus the United States and the Netherlands). ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Copilot: Profound data. Claude and Gemini: Peec AI data. Sources are classified automatically from their address and title. Figures are aggregated: no brand or client is published. Free to reuse with a link to this page.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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