Subcategory · AI Citation Index
Who AI is citing in Marketing Automation
Marketing automation AI citations spread across 231 brands with no clear shortlist winner; Salesforce Blockchain scores 85 in comparison queries despite minimal discovery presence.
Brands tracked
231
Avg AEO score
61/100
Citation coverage
0%
of brands cited at least once
Dominant brands
0
cited > 50% of queries
Discovery stage
The shortlist
When buyers ask AI for the best Marketing Automation software
No discovery-stage prompts have been scored against this category yet — once the shortlist cron runs, this section will surface which brands AI cites most.
Evaluation stage
The battleground
How brands fare on comparison queries · category median 36/100
Salesforce Blockchain leads evaluation queries with an 85 average score across 3 comparison prompts, followed by HubSpot Commerce Hub at 76 across 4 queries. Upland Adestra scores 71, Braze 66, and Adobe Substance 3D Painter 61. The median evaluation score sits at 36, well below the category average, indicating most brands underperform in head-to-head matchups.
Each brand's evaluation score averages how AI responds to head-to-head comparison queries that mention them. Above-median brands win their comparisons more often than they lose.
Trends
Over the last 12 months
Two months of audit data show average scores rising from 57 in March 2026 to 60 in April 2026 across 66 and 145 prompts respectively. Dotdigital surged 22 points month-over-month, the largest gain tracked. Signpost dropped 7 points. Insufficient history prevents trend analysis beyond these two-month snapshots.
Editorial picks
Brands worth watching
Salesforce Blockchain
Salesforce Blockchain scores 85 in evaluation queries and 86 in featured rankings despite apparent category misalignment. The blockchain product outperforms traditional automation platforms in AI citation contexts, suggesting models conflate Salesforce ecosystem products.
Read brand profile →HubSpot Commerce Hub
HubSpot Commerce Hub scores 76 in evaluation queries and 78 in featured rankings across 4 comparison prompts. The commerce-focused SKU earns citations distinct from HubSpot's core marketing automation platform, indicating AI models distinguish between HubSpot product lines.
Read brand profile →Mailchimp
Mailchimp scores 78 in featured rankings despite zero shortlist dominance. The email-marketing incumbent receives AI citations in automation contexts even as models fail to consistently recommend it in discovery queries, revealing a gap between brand recognition and shortlist placement.
Read brand profile →Dotdigital
Dotdigital posted a 22-point month-over-month gain from March to April 2026, the sharpest rise in the category. The UK-based platform now scores 66 in featured rankings, suggesting recent product updates or documentation changes improved AI model awareness.
Read brand profile →Activecampaign
Activecampaign scores 74 in featured rankings but appears absent from top evaluation and shortlist data. The SMB-focused platform maintains mid-tier AI citation visibility without breaking into head-to-head comparison queries or discovery shortlists.
Read brand profile →FAQ
Marketing Automation questions, answered
Which marketing automation platforms do AI models cite most often?+
How do marketing automation brands perform in comparison queries?+
What is the best marketing automation software for small businesses?+
Are marketing automation citation scores rising or falling?+
Why does Salesforce Blockchain rank highly in marketing automation?+
How fragmented is AI citation data for marketing automation?+
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