AEO for DNS filtering software: AI search visibility ranking
How AI search engines rank DNS filtering software by visibility and citations. 20 brands measured quarterly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. DNS filtering software used to block malicious domains, enforce web policies, reduce phishing risk, and secure users on and off corporate networks. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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AI engines point to DNSFilter as the standout leader in DNS filtering software, frequently mentioned by ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms. Notably, DNSFilter commands a visibility rate of 37.5% among similar services. Other notable brands include Control D and Cloudflare Gateway, but DNSFilter's dominance is clear in its citation percentage of 87.5%.
The rankings are shaped by data pulled from key sources like controld.com and dnsfilter.com. These domains are frequently referenced, along with discussion sites like reddit.com, indicating that user feedback and expert reviews shape AI recommendations. The presence of review aggregators means collective user feedback significantly influences rankings.
For anyone evaluating DNS filtering options, consider that AI engines prioritize both current reviews and validated third-party insights. Topical authority on specific subcategories also matters, so brands often discussed in trusted forums and review sites tend to rank higher. Recent and relevant evaluations enhance visibility in AI-generated lists.
At a glance
What we observed in this category
DNSFilter leads the DNS filtering category with a composite score of 52.5, ahead of Control D at 47.5 and Cloudflare Gateway at 33.8. The gap between first and third is meaningful, but DNSFilter's visibility has dropped from 100% to 37.5% since the previous period, a 62.5-point fall. Despite retaining rank one, that erosion signals the lead is under pressure. Cisco Umbrella shares the same 37.5% visibility as DNSFilter yet scores only 26.2 composite, indicating visibility alone does not determine overall standing.
The most striking divergence between visibility and citation appears at rank four and five. Cisco Umbrella has 37.5% visibility but a 0% citation rate, meaning Google AI Mode mentions it without linking to it. TitanHQ sits at 0% visibility yet achieves a 75% citation rate, placing it fifth overall. This pattern shows the AI is surfacing TitanHQ as a trusted reference source without prominently featuring it in direct answers, a split that matters for brands trying to understand where they actually appear.
Google AI Mode is the top engine for every brand in this dataset, making it the sole anchor point for AI visibility in this category. The top cited sources include controld.com, dnsfilter.com, reddit.com, titanhq.com, youtube.com, cleanbrowsing.org, gartner.com, and safedns.com. The presence of reddit.com and youtube.com alongside vendor domains and gartner.com suggests the AI draws on community discussion and analyst content, not just official product pages, when constructing answers about DNS filtering.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility risers
-
Cloudflare Gateway 0% → 38% · rank #10 → #3+38pp
Biggest visibility fallers
-
DNSFilter 100% → 38% · rank #1 → #1-62pp
-
Control D 62% → 25% · rank #2 → #2-38pp
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WebTitan 50% → 12% · rank #4 → #8-38pp
The AEO ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
dnsfilter.com
|
38% | 88% | Google AI Mode |
DNSFilter leads with a 52.5 composite score and 87.5% citation rate, but its visibility has fallen 62.5 points from the prior period, making its top position less secure than the rank suggests. |
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| 2 |
controld.com
|
25% | 100% | Google AI Mode |
Control D achieves the category's only 100% citation rate despite 25% visibility, down 37.5 points, indicating strong source trust in Google AI Mode even as direct answer appearances have declined. |
||||
| 3 |
cloudflare.com
|
38% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
Cloudflare Gateway is the category's biggest riser, jumping from rank 10 to rank 3 with visibility growing from 0% to 37.5%, though its 25% citation rate remains well below the top two brands. |
||||
| 4 |
cisco.com
|
38% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Cisco Umbrella matches DNSFilter's 37.5% visibility but records a 0% citation rate, the lowest among the top five, producing a composite score of 26.2 versus DNSFilter's 52.5. |
||||
| 5 |
titanhq.com
|
0% | 75% | Google AI Mode |
TitanHQ reaches rank five with zero visibility but a 75% citation rate, appearing as a cited source in three out of four queries without being named directly in AI-generated answers. |
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| 6 |
safedns.com
|
0% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
cleanbrowsing.org
|
0% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
webtitan.com
|
12% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
scoutdns.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
nextdns.io
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
opendns.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
adguard-dns.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
infoblox.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
bluecatnetworks.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
quad9.net
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
paloaltonetworks.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
fortinet.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
akamai.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
heimdalsecurity.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 20 |
cira.ca
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on DNS filtering software, these are the domains Google AI Mode cited most often. If you're not on this list — or if your competitors are — that's a concrete PR / linkbuilding target.
How to read this AEO ranking
Four things worth knowing before you act on the numbers above. These are the same definitions across every industry page — for category-specific observations, see the What we observed section above (where available) and the per-brand insights inline in the ranking.
Visibility = being named
A brand's visibility % is the share of AI answers that mention it by name in the response prose. This is who AI engines actively recommend to the buyer. More on visibility →
Citation rate = being trusted
Citation rate is the share of AI answers that include the brand's domain as a clickable source link. This is what the AI treats as authoritative evidence, different from being named. More on citation rate →
Top engine differs by brand
The "top engine" column shows which AI surface each brand performs best on. Big gaps between a brand's score across engines usually points to specific content or schema gaps. How AI engines pick sources →
AEO rankings move month to month
AI engines re-crawl and re-rank on shorter cycles than classical search. We re-audit every brand on this list at least every 90 days and refresh this page automatically. How AI search ranking works →
Run an AEO audit on your own DNS filtering software brand
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same answer engine optimisation measurement against your own brand — including the queries you appear on, which competitors get named instead, and a prioritised fix list? Run a free preview.
Frequently asked about AEO for DNS filtering software
Who leads AI visibility in DNS filtering software?
DNSFilter leads with a composite score of 52.5 and a 87.5% citation rate, though its visibility has dropped 62.5 points from the previous period to 37.5%.
Which DNS filtering brand has the highest citation rate in Google AI Mode?
Control D has the highest citation rate at 100%, meaning it is cited in every query where it appears, despite a visibility rate of only 25%.
What sources does Google AI Mode anchor on for DNS filtering research?
The top cited sources include controld.com, dnsfilter.com, reddit.com, titanhq.com, youtube.com, cleanbrowsing.org, gartner.com, and safedns.com, combining vendor sites, community forums, and analyst content.
Which brand has gained the most AI visibility in DNS filtering recently?
Cloudflare Gateway is the biggest riser, moving from rank 10 to rank 3 with a visibility jump from 0% to 37.5% in the current period.
Can a DNS filtering brand be cited frequently without appearing visibly in AI answers?
Yes. TitanHQ has 0% visibility but a 75% citation rate, and its domain appears in the top cited sources list, showing the AI uses it as a reference without surfacing it in direct responses.
How does Cisco Umbrella's AI performance compare to smaller DNS filtering brands?
Despite its brand scale, Cisco Umbrella records a 0% citation rate alongside 37.5% visibility, giving it a composite score of 26.2, lower than Control D at 47.5 and close to TitanHQ at 22.5.