AI answer citations and summaries
Retain the sources behind AI answers and optionally turn their raw content into concise citation cards.
What it is
AI answers can retain references to the material used to produce them. Citation Summary optionally turns that source material into concise cards, which may include a title, content and a link. Summaries supplement the answer's source references.
Who uses it and why
- Operators inspect sources to check the support for an AI suggestion or answer.
- Users with Settings and permission to manage AI, or Developer, configure a reusable summary feature and assign it to the AI features that need it.
- Visitors may receive citations with supported delivered answers, depending on the conversation interface.
Where to find it
Create a feature with Type set to Citation Summary at Settings › AI › Features. Select it through Citation summary feature on Ask AI, Copilot or Autopilot.
Operators can inspect source names associated with an AI suggestion or answer. The source display shows citation details where available.
How it works
- AI tools return evidence with source information.
- INSIDE extracts references from the answer and removes the reference notation from the answer text.
- It keeps the source identity and distinguishes used citations from other retrieved sources.
- If a summary feature is selected, INSIDE asks it to format relevant source content for display.
- A citation may briefly show Summarizing... while its content is prepared. The operator display refreshes pending summaries.
Repeating the same citation does not create duplicate evidence entries. Separate passages from a knowledge source can remain separate citations. Multiple references to the same API result can be combined.
Rich replies and individual alternative suggestions keep their own citations, so choosing a different answer can also change its associated sources.
Configure it
Use Settings with permission to manage AI, or Developer.
- Create and enable a Citation Summary feature.
- Choose its Account and add any Additional instructions, then save.
- Edit the answering Ask AI, Copilot or Autopilot feature.
- Select the saved feature under Citation summary feature and save.
Leave the selection at None to retain ordinary citations without requesting this extra summary step.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation summary feature | Settings › AI › Features | website | None | Settings role, Developer role | Selects a reusable Citation Summary feature for an Ask AI, Copilot or Autopilot feature. |
| Additional instructions | Settings › AI › Features | website | Not set: only the built-in citation safety and output-format instructions apply | Settings role, Developer role | Adds guidance to the built-in citation safety and output-format instructions. |
| Account | Settings › AI › Features | website | Not set: an account must be selected before saving | Settings role, Developer role | Selects the account used to generate citation summaries. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Settings | Configure citation summaries when AI is allowed under Settings Permissions. |
| AI | Allows AI configuration within Settings Permissions. |
| Developer | Configure Citation Summary features and their assignments. |
Limits and good to know
- Summarisation uses up to 4,000 characters of answer text, up to 12,000 characters per source and 48,000 characters of source material in total.
- A summary request has a 20-second timeout.
- If summarisation fails, INSIDE retains the original citations instead.
- Summaries use an additional AI request and can add usage and processing time.
- A source name can fall back to the function name or Unknown when its usual name is unavailable.
- A citation indicates associated evidence; it does not guarantee that every claim in an answer is correct.
- The visitor view need not include all information shown in the operator source display.
Depends on and works with
+1 more · used by
- Knowledge sources behind AI citationsEnhances
Named sources support answer citations and citation summaries.
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- AI feature settings and change historyConfigured by
Citation Summary is a reusable feature selected by the answering feature.
- AI functions and required inputsEnhances
Tool results provide the evidence referenced by answers.
- AI knowledge and web searchEnhances
Knowledge and search tools can supply cited source material.
- Rich content in AI repliesEnhances
Rich replies and alternative options retain their own citations.
- AI accounts and shared defaultsRequires
Summary generation needs an available AI account and model.
- Knowledge sources behind AI citationsConfigured by
Knowledge Source records supply the names shown with answer citations.
Used by
- Copilot reply suggestionsEnhances
Citations can show the information used for a suggestion.
- Ask AI beside a visitor conversationEnhances
Citations show sources used by the assistant.
- AI knowledge and web searchEnhances
Supported answers can show citations from retrieved sources.
- Specialist sub-agents for AI tasksEnhances
Specialist results can include source citations.
- Rich content in AI repliesEnhances
Rich replies and individual alternatives can retain their own citations.
- AI assistance activityEnhances
Citation summaries can add separate AI usage.
- Knowledge Base connections for AIEnhances
Features can use configured citations to identify sources in answers.
- Algolia Search for AI knowledgeEnhances
Answers can include citations to retrieved results where citation handling is configured.
- Knowledge sources behind AI citationsEnhances
Named sources support answer citations and citation summaries.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why are there sources but no summary cards?
The answering feature may have Citation summary feature set to None, or summarisation may have failed. Original citations remain usable.
Why is Summarizing... displayed?
The summary is still being prepared. The operator source display refreshes pending results.
Why does a source show a function name?
INSIDE uses that name when the usual knowledge source name cannot be resolved.
Why did the sources change when I chose another suggestion?
Alternative replies can use different evidence. INSIDE keeps the citations associated with the selected option.