The 5W AI Visibility Index is a research series published by 5W, ranking how the world's leading brands are cited across five major AI answer engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. The Index covers over 60 categories and tracks more than 500 brands, providing monthly research updates. Note: The Index focuses on citation share and does not measure traditional search rankings or paid media presence. See the Indexes.
The Index tracks five AI answer engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. These platforms represent the dominant generative answer surfaces shaping consumer and B2B discovery as of 2026. Note: The Index does not currently include other AI engines outside these five. Source.
5W runs a standardized set of prompts across the five tracked AI engines, captures every brand mentioned in generated answers, and calculates each brand's share of total citations within the category. Each Index publishes its methodology and version date for transparency. Note: Citation share reflects AI-generated answers, not organic search or paid placements. Read the methodology.
The Index covers over 60 categories, including Pickleball, Crypto & Digital Assets, Beauty, Banking, Venture Capital, Defense & Aerospace, AI Companies, Cannabis, Wedding Industry, HVAC & Plumbing, Pool & Spa, Funeral Services, Supplements, Online Universities, Restaurants & Chains, Pet Industry, Cybersecurity, Health Insurance, and Veterinary. A new category Index is published monthly. Note: Not all industries are covered; check the latest list for updates. See all categories.
5W publishes a new category Index monthly. Existing Indexes are refreshed on a published cadence, as AI engine citation behavior can shift month to month. The version date on each report reflects the most recent measurement. Note: Some categories may be updated less frequently depending on market changes. Source.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of earning citation authority inside AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. GEO combines schema, structured content, earned media, and source-mix engineering to make a brand readable, trustable, and citable by large language models. 5W operates a dedicated GEO practice for both B2C and B2B clients. Note: GEO is distinct from traditional SEO and requires different strategies. Learn more.
SEO optimizes for ranked links inside a Google search results page, while GEO optimizes for brand inclusion inside the AI-generated answer itself. GEO uses different ranking signals, citation surfaces, and competitive sets. Over a third of consumers now begin product research with AI, not Google, making citation share inside AI answers a separate channel from organic search. Note: GEO does not replace SEO but complements it for AI-driven discovery. Source.
Yes. 5W builds custom, branded, or co-branded AI Visibility Indexes for clients across consumer and B2B categories. The same methodology used in the published Index Series is applied to a client-defined competitive set, geography, or product line. Note: Custom Indexes are subject to project scope and timing. Start a custom Index.
A 5W GEO audit benchmarks a brand's current citation share across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews against a defined competitive set, identifies citation gaps and source-mix weaknesses, and delivers a prioritized GEO roadmap. Audits are delivered in 10 business days. Note: The audit does not guarantee immediate citation increases; implementation is required. Request audit.
Yes. 5W licenses Index data, charts, and findings for use in client reports, investor decks, earned media, and analyst briefings. Licensing terms vary by use case and distribution scope. Note: Licensing does not grant rights to methodology or proprietary scoring algorithms. License terms.
The Index and GEO services are designed for brands, marketing teams, PR professionals, and executives seeking to understand and improve their brand's presence in AI-generated answers. Sectors served include B2C (Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Nonprofit) and B2B (Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, Digital Marketing). Note: Organizations not focused on AI-driven discovery may see limited benefit. Learn more.
Brands cited inside AI-generated answers enter the buyer's consideration set earlier, while brands invisible to AI engines are excluded from consideration—regardless of paid media, search rank, or category leadership. Citation share is becoming the new market share in categories where AI answers shape consumer research. Note: Citation share does not guarantee purchase intent; it reflects discoverability. Source.
The methodology for the AI Visibility Index, including prompt architecture, scoring, platform variance, and retrieval mapping, is published for each Index. You can read the canonical methodology at this link. Note: Methodology may evolve as AI engines change.
You can access all published AI Visibility Index reports and research studies at the Index page. For broader research resources, visit the 5WPR research page. Note: Some reports may require a subscription or licensing for full access.
Subscribers receive new Index reports 48 hours before public release, along with underlying citation data. You can subscribe via the 5W AI Visibility Index page. Note: Subscription terms and data access may vary. Subscribe here.
To engage 5W for GEO services, AI Visibility Index licensing, or custom category research, you can use the contact forms on the 5WPR website or email info@5wpr.com. Note: Project scope, timing, and pricing are determined on a case-by-case basis. Contact 5WPR.
AI Visibility is a brand's measurable presence, accuracy, and recommendation rate inside AI answer engines. It reflects how a brand is found, cited, described, and recommended when buyers use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. Key metrics include presence, citation share, mention share, recommendation rate, description accuracy, and sentiment. Note: AI Visibility is distinct from traditional brand awareness or search rankings. Read the glossary.
You can find detailed definitions and explanations of AI Visibility, GEO, and related concepts in the 5WPR glossary at this link. Note: The glossary is updated as new terms and practices emerge.
5W AI Visibility Index
2026 Consumer Brand Series
Read the nine-volume 5W AI Visibility Index series covering pet, video games, longevity, menopause, mental health, cannabis, EV, pickleball, and watches.
Monthly Research Drop
New category drops monthly. Subscribers get the report 48 hours before public release, plus the underlying citation data.
Disney 58%. Universal 23%. Six Flags 13%. Three companies hold 94% of every AI theme-park answer.
25 destination parks · 5 engines · 50 traveler-intent prompts · Volume 65 · May 2026
Read the index →The first national study of regional authority inside AI answer systems.
Five volumes across grocery, restaurants, banking, hotels, and healthcare
Explore the series →Prompt architecture, scoring, platform variance, and retrieval mapping.
Canonical methodology for the recurring series
Read the methodology →Five new category indexes show how brands surface across AI answer engines.
Pharma, home services, health insurance, airlines and hotels, and fitness apps
Read the release →25 recent and pending U.S. IPO candidates ranked by AI Readiness Score — who controls the answer before the bell.
CoreWeave leads · Klarna and Figma are famous and defenseless · Directional modeled index · May 2026
Read the index →
The branch network built the bank. The AI answer belongs to Ally.
Edition 01 — Q1 2026
Read the report →Jira bills the enterprise. Linear owns the recommendation.
Edition 02 — Q2 2026
Read the report →Estee Lauder owns the counter. The Ordinary owns the chatbox.
Edition 03 — Q3 2026
Read the report →Wyndham owns the most properties. Aman owns the AI answer.
Edition 04 — Q4 2026
Read the report →American flies the most passengers. Delta is the only AI answer.
Edition 05 — Annual Flagship 2026
Read the report →Ally wins. Wells Fargo whiffs. The top 25 U.S. banks ranked by AI citation share.
Top cited: Ally Bank leads Week 01
Read the report →$4 billion in TV spend. AI still answers with molecules, not brands.
15 DTC brands · 5 engines · 75 patient-intent prompts · June 2026
Read the index →AI answer engines are reshaping drugstore and pharmacy brand discovery.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index release
Read the report →National retailers, marketplaces, and service brands compete for AI citations.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index release
Read the report →Insurers face a high-stakes AI discovery environment built on trust signals.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index release
Read the report →Travel brands compete for visibility where AI assistants plan trips.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index release
Read the report →Subscription wellness brands fight for citations across app-led recommendations.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index release
Read the report →Benefit-led beverage brands compete for AI citations across wellness, energy, hydration, and gut-health prompts.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index study
Read the report →Performance nutrition answers split by qualifier: protein, clean-label, ready-to-drink, certification, and transparency.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index study
Read the report →Rolex owns the default answer, while Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Tudor, and Grand Seiko own the qualifiers.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index study
Read the report →The largest legacy home-security brand loses AI citation share to DIY brands built in the review economy.
May 2026 AI Visibility Index study
Read the report →Samsonite sells the most luggage, but AI recommendations favor DTC challengers.
Top cited: Away, Samsonite, Tumi
Read the report →One brand owns NA beer while the rest of the alcohol-alternative answer fragments.
Top cited: Athletic Brewing and category-specific alternatives
Read the report →AI does not name one best tool; it names the best tool for the team and use case.
Top cited: Asana and use-case leaders
Read the report →WordPress powers the web, but AI shopping and builder queries recommend Shopify.
Top cited: Shopify, Squarespace, Wix
Read the report →5W scores the publications most likely to turn media coverage into AI citation value.
Top cited: Forbes — AI Citation Value 98
Read the report →The flagship Index. Live now.
Top cited: category leaders ranked by citation share
Read the report →AI citations are reshaping how consumers compare grocery brands.
Top cited: national grocery and retail leaders
Read the report →Streaming brands compete for AI answer visibility.
Top cited: entertainment and streaming leaders
Read the report →The duopoly's hold on citations is tighter than its hold on market share.
Top cited: FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM
Read the report →Medical authority and brand trust shape AI recommendations.
Top cited: weight loss and metabolic health brands
Read the report →AI answers favor a small set of trusted dating platforms.
Top cited: dating app category leaders
Read the report →Education technology brands compete for citation authority.
Top cited: edtech platforms and learning brands
Read the report →Legal brands are being sorted by AI answer engines.
Top cited: legal technology and services leaders
Read the report →Dentists use AI to read X-rays, but directories own the patient discovery layer.
Top cited: Google Business Profile, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, Yelp, WebMD
Read the report →Citation consolidation reshaping U.S. crypto.
Top cited: Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini
Read the report →JPMorgan dominates AI banking visibility while most regional banks are barely there.
Top cited: JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Chime
Read the report →Debt relief, lending, and credit brands compete for AI answer visibility.
Top cited: SoFi, National Debt Relief, Freedom Debt Relief
Read the report →Andreessen Horowitz dominates the VC answer layer.
Top cited: a16z, Sequoia Capital, Y Combinator
Read the report →Every major AI assistant shows self-citation lift except one.
Top cited: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind
Read the report →Defense-tech challengers outperform the legacy primes in AI citation share.
Top cited: Anduril, Palantir, SpaceX
Read the report →How AI engines price, rank, and cite cannabis brands across 10 U.S. markets.
Top cited: Cookies, STIIIZY, Jungle Boys
Read the report →The ingredient-transparency moat.
Top cited: The Ordinary, CeraVe, Sephora
Read the report →78% of local-services brands are invisible to AI.
Top cited: national chains and platform aggregators
Read the report →73% citation duopoly post-ChatGPT app launch.
Top cited: The Knot, Zola, WeddingWire
Read the report →87% contractor invisibility gap.
Top cited: ServiceTitan, Roto-Rooter
Read the report →The family-controlled premium cigar moat.
Top cited: Padron, Arturo Fuente, Davidoff
Read the report →The $21B backyard category.
Top cited: Leslie's, Pinch A Penny, Pentair
Read the report →Publisher domains dominate the AI answer surface for cards and issuers.
Top cited: cards, issuers, and publisher recommendation surfaces
Read the report →Mister Car Wash, Tommy's Express, Quick Quack — and the Zips bankruptcy fallout.
Top cited: Mister Car Wash, Tommy's Express, Quick Quack
Read the report →88% independent funeral home invisibility.
Top cited: SCI / Dignity Memorial, Trust & Will, Eterneva
Read the report →The AI answer surface where scientific authority beats revenue rank.
Top cited: Thorne, Nature Made, Optimum Nutrition
Read the report →Hermès 98.6. Rolex: the only perfect score. Aman is the fastest-rising modern house.
In partnership with Haute Living · 25 houses · 5 engines
Read the report →How AI engines recommend prestigious island destinations to affluent travelers.
Joint Haute Living Black and 5W AI Visibility Intelligence report
Read the report →WGU leads at 14%; seven schools are functionally invisible.
Top cited: WGU, SNHU, ASU Online
Read the report →Corporate veterinary groups dominate AI citation surfaces.
Top cited: Mars Petcare, Banfield, VCA
Read the report →Chicken, coffee, and Mediterranean brands reshape AI citations.
Top cited: McDonald's, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A
Read the report →Premium and retail pet brands lead AI-mediated consumer research.
Top cited: Chewy, The Farmer's Dog, Purina
Read the report →A Q2 2026 pilot study across high-intent buyer queries.
Top cited: category vendors ranked by citation share
Read the report →AI engines sort stablecoins into regulated, hedged, and warned after the GENIUS Act.
Top scored: USDC and compliance-first stablecoins
Read the report →5W scores which crypto exchanges and brands AI engines recommend, hedge on, or warn against.
Top cited: Coinbase leads the AI Trust Score
Read the report →5W scores how AI engines describe online banks and neobanks when consumers ask whether their money is safe.
Top cited: Ally Bank leads the AI Trust Score
Read the report →Why AI casts athletes and actors, not influencers — and the two creators who beat the reach trap by building the record.
21 names scored · 5W × Talent Resources · June 2026
Read the report →How AI engines cite the creator economy.
Audit: 15 buyer-intent queries, five verticals, 109 citations coded
Read the audit →The public figures most visible in the AI era.
Top cited: celebrities, athletes, founders, and creators
Read the report →Startup Nation visibility across AI answer engines.
Top cited: Israeli technology and innovation leaders
Read the report →What AI remembers when direct-to-consumer brands disappear.
Focus: defunct, distressed, and forgotten DTC brands
Read the report →Long-form, transcript-anchored video is the new institutional citation asset.
Top cited: YouTube, long-form explainers, structured transcripts
Read the report →Recommendation share is becoming the new market share.
Top cited: PING, TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist
Read the study →A standardized framework for measuring brand-risk errors in AI answers.
Fashion pilot: accuracy, drift, and brand hallucination risk
Read the report →A joint 5W and Haute Wealth audit of UHNW wealth answers in AI engines.
Focus: premium financing, PPLI, ILITs, estate liquidity
Read the audit →Find out where your brand sits on the citation surface across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. Delivered in 10 business days.
Request auditQuote, cite, and distribute 5W's proprietary AI Visibility Index data inside your reports, decks, and earned media.
License terms5W will build an AI Visibility Index for your category, your competitive set, or your geography. Branded or co-branded.
Start a custom IndexGeneral inquiries — [email protected]
The 5W AI Visibility Index Series is a research franchise published by 5W, the AI Communications Firm. Each Index ranks the top brands in a single consumer or B2B category by citation share across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. The series is the most extensive body of multi-engine Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) research produced by a U.S. communications firm.
5W runs a standardized prompt set across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, captures every brand mentioned in generated answers, and calculates each brand's share of total citations within the category. Each Index publishes its methodology and version date.
The 5W AI Visibility Index tracks five engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. These represent the dominant generative answer surfaces shaping consumer and B2B discovery in 2026.
The Series covers 39+ categories including Pickleball, Crypto & Digital Assets, Beauty, Banking, Venture Capital, Defense & Aerospace, AI Companies, Cannabis, Wedding Industry, HVAC & Plumbing, Pool & Spa, Funeral Services, Supplements, Online Universities, Restaurants & Chains, Pet Industry, Cybersecurity, Health Insurance, and Veterinary. A new category Index publishes monthly.
A new category Index publishes monthly. Existing Indexes are refreshed on a published cadence — AI engine citation behavior can shift month to month, and the version date on each report reflects the most recent measurement.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of earning citation authority inside AI answer engines — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. GEO combines schema, structured content, earned media, and source-mix engineering to make a brand readable, trustable, and citable by large language models. 5W operates a dedicated GEO practice for B2C and B2B clients.
SEO optimizes for ranked links inside a Google search results page. GEO optimizes for brand inclusion inside the AI-generated answer itself. Different ranking signals, different citation surfaces, different competitive sets. More than a third of consumers now begin product research with AI, not Google — making citation share inside AI answers a separate channel from organic search.
Yes. 5W builds custom, branded, or co-branded AI Visibility Indexes for clients across consumer and B2B categories. The same methodology used in the published Index Series is applied to a client-defined competitive set, geography, or product line.
A 5W GEO audit benchmarks a brand's current citation share across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews against a defined competitive set, identifies citation gaps and source-mix weaknesses, and delivers a prioritized GEO roadmap. Audits deliver in 10 business days.
Brands cited inside AI-generated answers enter the buyer's consideration set earlier. Brands invisible to AI engines are excluded from the consideration set entirely — regardless of paid media, search rank, or category leadership. Citation share is becoming the new market share in categories where AI answers shape consumer research.
Yes. 5W licenses Index data, charts, and findings for use in client reports, investor decks, earned media, and analyst briefings. Licensing terms vary by use case and distribution scope.
For GEO engagements, AI Visibility Index licensing, custom category research, or category-specific PR and communi