Runtime application self-protection software: AI search visibility ranking (2026)
How AI search engines rank runtime application self-protection software by visibility and citations. 20 brands measured monthly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. Application security tools used to detect and block attacks inside live applications at runtime. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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When buyers ask AI engines about Runtime application self-protection software, Contrast Security emerges as the leader, followed by Imperva and Appdome. Contrast Security dominates the discussion, being cited 87.5% of the time. This suggests a strong reputation and presence within AI-generated content, making it a significant contender for those considering their options.
The rankings are influenced heavily by sources such as contrastsecurity.com and aggregator sites like g2.com. These sources are key references used by AI engines to generate responses. Aggregator and review sites often consolidate user feedback, providing a broad view of consumer opinion. High citation rates from these trusted domains indicate solid brand performance and user satisfaction.
For a buyer exploring this list, considering brands with high visibility in AI-assisted responses can be insightful. These brands often have more recent reviews and greater third-party validation, attributing to their recognition as topical authorities in this subcategory. Prioritizing brands recognized by both AI engines and trusted sources can guide more informed decision-making.
At a glance
What we observed in this category
Contrast Security holds rank 1 with a composite score of 26.2, more than double Imperva's score of 12.5 at rank 2. That gap is driven almost entirely by citation rate: Contrast Security is cited in 87.5% of responses against a category average of 8.1%. The brand's own domain, contrastsecurity.com, is listed as the top cited source in the category, reinforcing how concentrated authority is at the top. Only one brand, Imperva, registers any visibility at all beyond zero.
Contrast Security illustrates a stark divergence between being named and being trusted as a source. Its visibility score has dropped to 0.0% from a prior 12.5%, yet its citation rate climbed 50 percentage points in the same period. It is being pulled as a reference without being surfaced in direct brand mentions. Appdome sits at rank 3 with a 25.0% citation rate but zero visibility, repeating this same pattern of citation without naming.
Google AI Mode is the top engine for every single brand in this dataset, and the cited sources list is anchored heavily on vendor-owned domains such as contrastsecurity.com, appdome.com, and preemptive.com. Third-party sources including g2.com and esecurityplanet.com also appear, suggesting the AI blends peer review platforms with vendor content. Brands ranked 7 through 10, including Veracode and Checkmarx, record 0.0% on both visibility and citation, meaning they are entirely absent from Google AI Mode responses in this category.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility fallers
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Contrast Security 12% → 0% · rank #1 → #1-12pp
The ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
contrastsecurity.com
|
0% | 88% | Google AI Mode |
Contrast Security leads with an 87.5% citation rate, more than 10 times the 8.1% category average, despite falling to 0.0% visibility from 12.5% previously. |
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| 2 |
imperva.com
|
12% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Imperva is the only brand besides Contrast Security to record any visibility at all, with matching 12.5% scores on both visibility and citation giving a composite of 12.5. |
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| 3 |
appdome.com
|
0% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
Appdome earns a 25.0% citation rate, second only to Contrast Security, yet records zero visibility, confirming it is referenced as a source but not named directly in AI responses. |
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| 4 |
promon.io
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Promon shares a composite score of 3.8 with rank 5 Jscrambler, both holding a 12.5% citation rate and zero visibility, placing them well below the top three. |
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| 5 |
jscrambler.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
Jscrambler matches Promon and Wallarm with a 12.5% citation rate and 0.0% visibility, tied at a composite of 3.8 and indistinguishable from peers at this tier. |
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| 6 |
wallarm.com
|
0% | 12% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
veracode.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
hdivsecurity.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
checkmarx.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
opentext.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
guardsquare.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
digital.ai
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
pradeo.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
nowsecure.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
sqreen.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
f5.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
akamai.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
snyk.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
fastly.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 20 |
appsealing.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on runtime application self-protection 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 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 →
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 30 days and refresh this page automatically. How AI search ranking works →
Get your own runtime application self-protection software brand audited
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same 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 runtime application self-protection software AI visibility
Who leads AI visibility in runtime application self-protection software?
Contrast Security leads with a composite score of 26.2 and an 87.5% citation rate, far ahead of second-ranked Imperva at 12.5. Only these two brands register any meaningful presence in Google AI Mode responses.
What sources does Google AI Mode cite most for RASP research?
The top cited sources are contrastsecurity.com, accuknox.com, preemptive.com, aikido.dev, and g2.com, blending vendor-owned domains with third-party review and editorial sites.
Which major RASP brands are completely absent from AI responses?
Veracode, Checkmarx, Fortify, and Hdiv all record 0.0% on both visibility and citation, meaning Google AI Mode does not name or cite them in this category.
Can a brand be cited by AI without being named in its responses?
Yes, Contrast Security has 0.0% visibility but 87.5% citation, and Appdome has 0.0% visibility but 25.0% citation, showing AI pulls their content as sources without directly surfacing the brand name.
What is the average citation rate for RASP brands in this audit?
The category average citation rate is 8.1%, with average visibility at just 0.6%, indicating that most of the 20 audited brands have negligible presence in Google AI Mode.
Is Google AI Mode the dominant engine for RASP category queries?
Every brand in the dataset lists Google AI Mode as its top engine, with no other engine recorded, making it the sole driver of AI visibility in this category.