Perplexity links the sources behind its answers, so you can open them and see what they really support. That makes analysis easier – it doesn't make answers correct or recommendations guaranteed. This guide also doesn't claim a fixed “freshness” bonus or a three-month cutoff; neither is documented.
Understand how Perplexity reaches websites
Perplexity's documentation separates two kinds of access. PerplexityBot is designed to surface and link websites in Perplexity's search results and is not used to train AI foundation models; Perplexity recommends allowing it in robots.txt. Perplexity-User fetches pages when a user asks a question and, because a person triggered it, generally ignores robots.txt. Each setting works independently, and changes can take up to 24 hours. [1]
Go through these rules with whoever runs your site before changing any blocks. Being accessible is not a guarantee of being recommended.
Check sources instead of counting mentions
Open the pages Perplexity links for your business or service. Check three things:
- Identity: is it really your business, or one with a similar name?
- Date: is the information current?
- Content: does the page say what the answer claims?
A brand mentioned in a source isn't necessarily recommended in the answer. A cited source isn't proof of quality.
What you can improve
- Describe your services, service area, customers and contact options clearly and currently, in text.
- Correct contradictory details on your own pages and the profiles you control. Don't buy listings to inflate your source count.
- Make sure crawlers aren't blocked by accident and key pages aren't set to noindex.
- Answer real customer questions and back up claims with suitable sources.
- Update outdated facts – not just the date shown on the page.
These steps overlap with what Google documents for its AI features [2] and what Microsoft recommends for being cited in Copilot: clear headings, tables, FAQ sections, sourced claims and current content. [3]
A measurement you can compare later
- Fix questions, language, location and system in advance.
- Separate questions without your name from questions about your business.
- Record question, date, model where shown, app or API, search mode and location.
- Save the answer and all linked sources; score mention, recommendation, citation and correct details separately.
- Repeat with the same settings.
Not mentioned means: not mentioned in this sample – nothing more.
Frequently asked questions
Is older content automatically pushed down?
A universal three-month cutoff is not documented. Update facts that are actually outdated instead of only changing the visible date.
Is a cited source proof of quality?
No. Both the source and the answer need to be checked for what they actually say.
Should I block Perplexity?
That's a business decision. Perplexity says PerplexityBot is used to surface and link sites in its search results, not to train foundation models. Blocking it reduces your chance of being linked there.
Your next step
Start with the free website audit – a written review of your website and Google Business Profile. The Visibility Analysis goes further, including the rules for search and AI crawlers on your site, and ends with a 30/60/90-day plan. The AI Search Starter Kit explains what Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot need to know about your business. No package guarantees a mention.
General information, not legal advice. Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Perplexity change their products and help pages; the linked sources in their current version take precedence.
Sources
- Perplexity, “Perplexity Crawlers.” https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/resources/perplexity-crawlers — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Google Search Central, “AI features and your website.” https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features — Accessed November 3, 2026.
- Microsoft Bing Webmaster Blog, “Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview,” February 10, 2026. https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/2026/2/Introducing-AI-Performance-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Public-Preview/ — Accessed November 3, 2026.