Answer Eligibility
Whether a source is even in the running to be used in an answer.
Industry Term
Full explanation
Answer eligibility describes whether a source contains information that is relevant, accessible, and clear enough to be considered for inclusion in an AI-generated answer. A brand cannot be recognized if it cannot first be retrieved.
Why this matters
It is the floor beneath everything else. Authority work has no effect on a page a system cannot reach, read, or make sense of.
Where this sits
Answer Eligibility belongs to AI-Mediated Discovery, one of the seven layers of the Aingworth Glossary. The larger shift Aingworth is talking about, covering Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and whatever comes after them, without depending on any one platform's name.
Ready to see where your brand stands?
Start with the free diagnostic to see which condition of the Recognition Triangle is leaking, or read the frameworks these terms belong to.