> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://citdhq.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Core Concepts

> The key ideas behind how Citd measures and improves your AI shopping visibility.

Citd is built around a small set of ideas. Once these are clear, the rest of the product — the Overview, Analysis, and Actions pages — becomes much easier to read.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Visibility metrics" icon="eye" href="/concepts/visibility">
    How Visibility, Share of Voice, Rank, and Sentiment fit together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prompts" icon="message-question" href="/concepts/prompts">
    The actual buyer queries Citd tracks on your behalf.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Topics" icon="tag" href="/concepts/topics">
    The product categories that organize your tracking coverage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Shopping Modes" icon="shop" href="/concepts/shopping-modes">
    How AI assistants respond differently to different types of buyer intent.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The core loop

Citd works by continuously running real buyer queries through tracked AI shopping results, then turning the responses into measurements and recommendations.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    A[Topics<br/>Product areas you compete in] --> B[Prompts<br/>Real buyer queries per topic]
    B --> C[Tracked AI responses<br/>What ChatGPT and Gemini say]
    C --> D[Overview metrics + cited sources<br/>Visibility · SoV · Rank · Sentiment]
    D --> E[Analysis scores<br/>Why you rank where you do]
    E --> F[Prioritized actions<br/>What to do next]
```

Each layer builds on the previous one. [Topics](/concepts/topics) define the space you care about. [Prompts](/concepts/prompts) make that space measurable. Responses create metrics and source evidence. [Analysis](/features/analysis) explains the gaps. [Actions](/features/actions) tell you what to do next.

<Info>
  You don't need to understand every layer on day one. Start with Topics and Prompts during onboarding, then explore your Overview metrics once data comes in.
</Info>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Set up your project" icon="rocket" href="/setup/onboarding">
    Walk through onboarding to configure topics and prompts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Read your Overview" icon="chart-bar" href="/features/overview">
    See how your visibility metrics come together in the main workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand visibility scores" icon="eye" href="/concepts/visibility">
    Learn what Visibility, SoV, Rank, and Sentiment mean in practice.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore the glossary" icon="book-open" href="/glossary">
    Quick definitions for every term Citd uses.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>