---
language: en
title: "Sources block"
description: "A sources block gathers references outside the main text. Learn why the displayed list does not prove that each statement in the answer is supported."
canonical: "https://tropk.ai/en/resources/glossary/sources-block"
last_modified: "2026-10-12T16:12:34.809Z"
---

# Sources block

Reviewed on 2026-10-06.

## What it means

A sources block is an area of the interface that gathers references separately from the main text of an answer. It may appear as a list, cards, or a panel opened with a button. In [ChatGPT](/en/resources/glossary/chatgpt), the Sources option, when available, shows cited sources and other relevant links; it is important to distinguish the items in the list from markers in the body of the answer.

## Why it matters for marketing

For marketing, this distinction helps describe where a page appeared without attributing a textual association to it that does not exist. A report can record a presence in the panel and the absence of a marker next to a brand comparison. Before assessing an editorial partner’s content, the team should identify which of these formats was actually observed.

## Example in practice

In a hypothetical test about materials for sound insulation, a manufacturer finds its manual in the sources block. However, the main paragraph states a thickness that does not appear in the manual. The team records the reference’s presence in the panel and leaves that statement without confirmed support, deciding to review the other documents before requesting a correction.

## How to apply or verify

Open the panel and capture the complete list, including titles and URLs, along with the answer and the question. Separate cited sources from additional links when the interface allows you to identify them. Read the documents to check the relevant statements. Also record whether the block was collapsed or expanded; a partial screenshot may omit items that were available.

## Important distinctions

Being in the block does not prove that a source supports every sentence, that it was the only source consulted, or that it received human visits. Nor does it allow you to infer the proportion of readers who opened the panel. The presentation varies by product and device; compare records from the same interface before interpreting changes in format as a loss or gain in citations.

## Sources and references

- [Searching the web with ChatGPT](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search>) — OpenAI
- [Web search](<https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/tools-web-search>) — OpenAI

## Continue a leitura

- [Inline citation](</en/resources/glossary/inline-citation>)
- [Cited domain](</en/resources/glossary/cited-domain>)
- [AI answer source](</en/resources/glossary/ai-answer-source>)

## About the author

[Luiz Gardelin](</en/team/luiz-gardelin>)

Luiz Gardelin is the founder of Tropk.ai and works in GEO/AEO, product vision, strategy, and growth, helping brands understand and improve their presence in AI responses.

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