Every ZeroTwo response generated with Web Search enabled is linked back to the pages it drew from. Citations appear inline in the response text and in a dedicated Sources panel — so you always know where the information came from and can verify it directly.
Inline citations
When ZeroTwo writes a response with Search active, it embeds numbered citation markers directly in the text:
“The company raised a 500millionSeriesDinJanuary2025[1],bringingitstotalfundingto1.2 billion [2]. The round was led by Sequoia Capital [1].”
Each number corresponds to a source entry in the Sources panel on the right side of the chat. The same source may appear multiple times in the text if multiple claims came from the same page.
What the numbers mean
- [1], [2], [3] — sequential numbers assigned in the order sources were first cited
- A single response may reference anywhere from 1 to 10+ sources depending on query complexity
- If ZeroTwo draws on training data for a portion of the response (not from a live source), that section will have no citation number
The Sources panel
The Sources panel opens automatically in the right sidebar whenever a Search-grounded response is generated. Each entry includes:
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Number | Matches the inline citation number in the response text |
| Title | The page title as it appears on the source website |
| Domain | The root domain (e.g., reuters.com, arxiv.org) |
| URL | The full link to the source page |
| Excerpt | A short passage from the page content that is relevant to the response |
Navigating citations
- Click a citation number in the response text to highlight the corresponding source in the Sources panel
- Click the source URL in the panel to open the original page in a new browser tab
- Hover over a citation number to see a quick preview of the source title and domain without scrolling to the panel
Verifying sources
ZeroTwo synthesizes and summarizes content from source pages — it does not copy text verbatim (unless directly quoting). This means the response is ZeroTwo’s interpretation, not a guaranteed reproduction of the source.
Always verify sources directly when:
- The information will be used in a high-stakes context (legal, medical, financial, academic)
- The claim seems surprising, precise, or difficult to corroborate
- The source is a news article that may have been updated or corrected
- You need exact wording, statistics, or data — not a summary
ZeroTwo may occasionally misattribute a detail or summarize a source imprecisely. The citation number tells you which page to check — clicking through to the source is the only way to confirm accuracy for critical information.
Source quality
ZeroTwo does not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of every web source it retrieves. Here is what to keep in mind:
How sources are prioritized
ZeroTwo generally favors well-known, frequently cited domains. Authoritative sources — major news organizations, official government sites, academic institutions, established company websites — tend to appear more often. However, any public web page can appear in results.
Limitations to be aware of
- Web content can contain errors, biases, or outdated information regardless of domain
- ZeroTwo cannot distinguish between a reliable study and a low-quality blog post that cites it
- Sponsored content, press releases, and promotional pages can appear in results
- Very new pages may rank lower even if they are the most accurate and current
Reading the domain field
The Domain shown in the Sources panel gives you a quick signal about the source type:
| Domain type | Examples |
|---|
| Academic | arxiv.org, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, jstor.org |
| News | reuters.com, apnews.com, bbc.com |
| Government | Domains ending in .gov, .edu, .int |
| Company official | apple.com, openai.com, stripe.com |
Tips for academic and professional use
For academic writing, treat ZeroTwo’s citations as a starting point — not a finished reference list. Always:
- Click through to the original source
- Verify the claim appears in the source as described
- Check the publication date and author credentials
- Format the citation using the required style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
- Use Research focus mode to prioritize academic databases over general web results
- Ask ZeroTwo to “include DOI links where available” for academic paper citations
- For legal or regulatory documents, use PDF focus mode to surface official filings and government publications
- Cross-reference key facts across multiple sources listed in the panel before relying on them
When no sources appear
If the Sources panel is empty after a response, one of the following occurred:
- Search was not active — the Search pill was not enabled, and ZeroTwo answered from training data
- Auto-search was not triggered — ZeroTwo determined the question did not require live data
- No relevant results were found — uncommon, but possible for very obscure or highly specific queries
To force a grounded response:
- Explicitly write “search the web for…” in your message
- Confirm the Search pill is highlighted (active, not grayed out) before sending
- Check that you have not reached your daily search limit
Source URLs are provided for reference. Some sources may require a login or subscription to access the full content — ZeroTwo reads the publicly accessible version, which may be a preview or truncated version of a paywalled article.
