Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the citepath.io web application and website (collectively, the “Service”), operated by the individual trading as citepath.io (“we”, “us”, or “our”). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service.

1. Description of the Service

citepath.io is a Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and AI visibility intelligence tool. The Service allows users to enter a URL and a search query, which is then run in parallel across supported AI engines (currently Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude) to determine whether the submitted URL is cited in each engine’s response. The Service returns a per-engine cited / not-cited verdict and an aggregate citation score.

Where a URL is not cited, the Service’s Fix Engine provides ranked, actionable recommendations across five categories: technical blockers, content structure, missing schema, authority signals, and content freshness.

Additional features available on certain subscription tiers include: Competitor Citation Analysis, Citation Monitoring, Insight Summaries, Money Query Library, Simulation PDF Reports, Monitoring Progress Reports, Client Portal, and an in-app Support Chatbot.

citepath.io is not an SEO tool. The Service is designed for use by SEO freelancers, small digital agencies, and similar professionals for the purpose of conducting GEO audits for their clients.

2. Eligibility and Accounts

You must be at least 18 years of age, legally capable of forming a binding contract, and acting in a professional or business capacity to use the Service. The Service is not intended for use by individuals acting in a personal, domestic, or household capacity. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet all of these requirements.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately at support@citepath.io if you become aware of any unauthorised access to or use of your account. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this obligation.

You must provide accurate and complete information when creating your account and keep that information up to date. We reserve the right to suspend accounts where information provided is found to be inaccurate or misleading.

3. Acceptable Use

You may use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You must not:

• use the Service in any way that violates any applicable Australian federal, state, or local law or regulation, or the laws of any jurisdiction from which you access the Service;
• use the Service to conduct or facilitate any unlawful, harmful, or fraudulent activity;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service, its related systems, or networks;
• reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code of the Service;
• resell, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Service except as expressly permitted under your subscription plan;
• submit URLs or queries that infringe the intellectual property or other rights of any third party;
• use automated means (including bots, scrapers, or crawlers) to access the Service other than through our published API, if any;
• take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionate load on our infrastructure;
• use the Service to submit content that is defamatory, obscene, or otherwise unlawful.

4. Subscription Plans and Billing

4.1 Plans and Fees

The Service is offered on the following subscription tiers:

• Free — limited usage as specified on our pricing page;
• Pro — USD $29 per month (or as otherwise stated on our pricing page);
• Agency — USD $79 per month (or as otherwise stated on our pricing page).

We reserve the right to change subscription fees. We will provide not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of any fee increase to the email address associated with your account. If you do not wish to accept the new fees, you may cancel your subscription before the change takes effect. Continued use of the Service after a fee change takes effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised fees.

4.2 Billing and Payment

Payments are processed through Stripe. By subscribing to a paid plan, you authorise us to charge your nominated payment method on a recurring monthly basis. You are responsible for ensuring your payment details remain current and accurate. Failed payments may result in suspension of your access to paid features.

4.3 Usage Limits and Credits

Usage limits apply to each plan as detailed on our pricing page. For paid plans, limits reset on a rolling 30-day basis from the date of your subscription activation or renewal. For the Free plan, limits reset on the first day of each calendar month. Unused credits or quota do not roll over.

4.4 Refunds

Subscription fees are non-refundable except as required by applicable law, including the Australian Consumer Law. If you believe you are entitled to a refund under the Australian Consumer Law or the consumer protection laws of your jurisdiction, please contact us at the address set out in clause 17.

5. Intellectual Property

The Service and all of its original content, features, functionality, underlying technology, and branding are and will remain the exclusive property of the operator of citepath.io. Nothing in these Terms transfers any intellectual property rights to you.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service solely for your own internal business purposes in accordance with these Terms. This licence does not include any right to copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, or create derivative works from any part of the Service.

By submitting URLs, queries, or other data to the Service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive licence to process that data solely for the purpose of delivering the Service to you. We do not claim ownership of your data.

6. AI-Generated Content and Results

The Service uses artificial intelligence — including third-party AI engines (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) — to generate citation verdicts, fix recommendations, insight summaries, and other outputs.

You acknowledge and agree that:

• AI-generated outputs are probabilistic and may contain errors, inaccuracies, or omissions;
• citation verdicts reflect the state of each AI engine at the time the query is run and may change without notice as those engines are updated by their respective operators;
• fix recommendations are suggestions only and do not guarantee any improvement in citation rates or search performance;
• you are solely responsible for reviewing, validating, and deciding whether to act on any AI-generated output before applying it to any client or third-party context;
• results may vary between repeated queries even for the same URL and query combination.

We make no warranty that the Service will achieve any particular GEO or citation outcome for you or your clients.

7. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with third-party AI engines and platforms (including OpenAI, Google, Perplexity, and Anthropic), Stripe for payment processing, Vercel for hosting, and Supabase for data storage. Your use of the Service is subject to the applicable terms and privacy policies of those third parties.

We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or conduct of any third-party service. Outages or changes to third-party AI engines may affect the availability or accuracy of citation results, and we accept no liability for such occurrences.

Links to third-party websites or services within the Service are provided for convenience only. We do not endorse and are not responsible for the content or practices of any linked third-party site.

8. Data Transmission and Use

When you submit a URL and query through the Service, that URL and query are transmitted to each of the supported third-party AI engines (currently Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude) in order to perform the citation check. This transmission is necessary to provide the core functionality of the Service.

Each third-party AI engine operator has its own terms of service and data handling policies. As of the date of these Terms, the API tiers used by the Service are subject to each provider’s standard API data policies. We encourage you to review the relevant policies of OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Perplexity if you have questions about how those providers handle API inputs.

With respect to our own use of your data:

• we use your submitted URLs, queries, and usage data solely to provide and improve the Service;
• we may use aggregated and anonymised usage data (from which no individual user or URL can be identified) for internal analytics and product development;
• we do not use your individual URL or query data to train AI models;
• we do not sell your data to third parties;
• we do not share your data with third parties except as necessary to provide the Service (including the AI engine providers and infrastructure providers listed in clause 7) or as required by law.

If you are using the Agency tier Client Portal, data you choose to share through that portal is made available to whoever holds the token link. You are solely responsible for managing access to and revoking token links.

9. Client Portal

The Agency tier includes a Client Portal feature that allows you to share a token-based public page displaying live citation status with your clients. You acknowledge and agree that:

• you are solely responsible for the accuracy of the data shared through the Client Portal;
• you must obtain any consents required from your clients before sharing their citation data through the Client Portal;
• you must revoke or disable Client Portal token access when a client relationship ends or when continued access is no longer appropriate;
• you must not share citation data belonging to a client after your engagement with that client has concluded;
• you are responsible for ensuring that token links are not shared with unauthorised third parties.

We are not a party to any arrangement between you and your clients and accept no liability in connection with such arrangements or for any data shared through the Client Portal.

10. Privacy and Data

We collect and handle personal information in connection with the provision of the Service. Our full Privacy Policy is available at citepath.io/privacy and is incorporated into these Terms by reference. The Privacy Policy sets out in detail what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we retain it, and how you can access or correct it.

10.1 What We Collect

In the course of providing the Service, we collect and process the following categories of information:

• account information: your name and email address provided on registration;
• payment information: billing details processed by Stripe (we do not store full card details ourselves);
• usage data: URLs and queries you submit, citation results returned, features used, and usage volumes;
• technical data: IP address, browser type, device type, and session data collected automatically when you use the Service;
• support data: information you provide when you contact us or use the in-app support chatbot.

10.2 Data Storage and Transfers

The Service is operated from Australia and uses infrastructure providers whose servers may be located outside Australia, including in the United States (Vercel for hosting, Supabase for database, Stripe for payments, and the AI engine providers listed in clause 7). By using the Service, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own jurisdiction, including countries that may not provide the same level of data protection as your home jurisdiction.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that any international transfer of personal information is subject to appropriate safeguards.

10.3 Australian Users

Currently, citepath.io is operated as a small business with an annual turnover below AUD $3,000,000. As a result, we may not be formally required to comply with all provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) in respect of the personal information we handle. Notwithstanding this, we are committed to handling all personal information responsibly and in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles as a matter of good practice. We will update our practices and this clause if our formal obligations change.

10.4 Users in the European Union and United Kingdom

If you are located in the European Union or the United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the UK GDPR (as applicable) may apply to our processing of your personal data. Where those laws apply, you have the following rights in respect of your personal data:

• the right to access the personal data we hold about you;
• the right to request correction of inaccurate personal data;
• the right to request deletion of your personal data (subject to our legal obligations to retain certain data);
• the right to restrict or object to our processing of your personal data;
• the right to data portability;
• the right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

The legal basis on which we process your personal data is performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR) — that is, processing is necessary to provide the Service you have subscribed to. We may also rely on legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) for limited purposes such as security, fraud prevention, and aggregated analytics.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@citepath.io. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law (generally 30 days).

10.5 Account Inactivity and Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If your Free tier account has had no activity (including no logins and no query submissions) for a continuous period of 6 months, we reserve the right to delete your account and associated data after providing you with 14 days’ prior email notice. Financial and billing records relating to paid subscriptions are retained in accordance with our legal obligations under applicable Australian law.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components;
• any citation verdict, fix recommendation, or other output will be accurate, complete, or suitable for your particular purpose;
• the Service will achieve any specific GEO, SEO, or citation result for you or your clients;
• third-party AI engines will remain available, unchanged, or produce consistent results.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude, restrict, or modify any right or remedy, or any guarantee, warranty, or other term or condition, implied or imposed by the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable mandatory law that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law (including the Australian Consumer Law), we exclude all liability to you or any third party for:

• any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss or damage;
• any loss of profits, revenue, business, data, goodwill, or anticipated savings;
• any loss arising from your reliance on AI-generated outputs, citation verdicts, or fix recommendations;
• any loss arising from the unavailability, inaccuracy, or changes to third-party AI engines;
• any loss arising from unauthorised access to your account where you have failed to maintain the security of your credentials.

To the extent our liability cannot be excluded, our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service is limited to the total amount you paid us in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

Where the Australian Consumer Law applies and we supply services to a consumer, our liability for a failure to comply with a consumer guarantee is limited (at our option) to re-supplying the services or paying the cost of having the services re-supplied.

13. Termination and Suspension

13.1 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately and without prior notice where:

• you have materially breached any provision of these Terms and (where the breach is capable of remedy) have not remedied it within 14 days of written notice from us;
• we are required to do so by law or regulatory authority;
• we reasonably suspect fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful activity in connection with your account.

Where we wish to terminate your access for any other reason (including ceasing to operate the Service), we will provide not less than 30 days’ prior written notice to the email address associated with your account. In such a case, we will provide a pro-rata refund of any prepaid subscription fees for the unused portion of the notice period.

13.2 Termination by You

You may terminate your use of the Service at any time by cancelling your subscription through your account settings. Upon cancellation, your paid access will continue until the end of the current billing period, after which it will downgrade to Free tier or cease entirely. Prepaid fees for the remainder of the current billing period are non-refundable upon termination by you, except as required by the Australian Consumer Law or other applicable mandatory laws.

13.3 Account Deletion

Account deletion is permanent and irreversible. It is separate from cancelling your subscription. By deleting your account, you acknowledge and agree that:

• your access to the Service will be terminated immediately upon deletion;
• any active paid subscription will be cancelled immediately;
• all your data, including simulation history, monitored queries, and money queries, will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered;
• no refund will be provided for any unused portion of the current billing period.

If you wish to retain access to the Service for the remainder of your current billing period, you should cancel your subscription via your account settings rather than deleting your account. Cancellation preserves your access until the end of the billing period; deletion does not.

13.4 Effect of Termination

Upon termination of your account, your right to access the Service will cease. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will do so, including clauses 5 (Intellectual Property), 6 (AI-Generated Content), 10 (Privacy and Data), 11 (Disclaimer of Warranties), 12 (Limitation of Liability), 15 (Governing Law and Dispute Resolution), and 16 (General).

14. Changes to the Service and These Terms

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any part of it) at any time. Where a modification materially reduces the functionality of a paid tier, we will provide not less than 30 days’ prior written notice.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and by sending notice to the email address associated with your account at least 14 days before the change takes effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not accept the revised Terms, you may terminate your subscription before the effective date.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

15.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. You and we submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales and the federal courts of Australia sitting in Sydney, New South Wales.

15.2 Non-Exclusive Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction clause in clause 15.1 is non-exclusive. This means that while we intend disputes to be resolved in New South Wales, we acknowledge that:

• users located in other jurisdictions may have the right to bring claims before courts or tribunals in their own jurisdiction;
• courts in other jurisdictions may choose to accept jurisdiction over claims brought by their local residents against us;
• nothing in these Terms prevents you from exercising mandatory rights under the consumer protection or data protection laws of your own country.

15.3 International Users

If you are accessing the Service from outside Australia, you are responsible for compliance with local laws to the extent they apply to your use of the Service. Where the mandatory consumer protection, data protection, or other laws of your jurisdiction apply to your use of the Service, those laws apply in addition to these Terms, and to the extent of any inconsistency, those mandatory laws prevail.

15.4 Informal Resolution

Before commencing any formal dispute resolution process, you agree to contact us at support@citepath.io and allow us a reasonable opportunity (not less than 14 days) to resolve the dispute informally. We will make reasonable efforts to resolve any complaint or dispute promptly and in good faith.

15.5 Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in these Terms limits any rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) or other applicable mandatory laws. Our goods and services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.

16. General

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy at citepath.io/privacy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to the Service and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid under applicable law, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

No waiver. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of those rights.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations (for example, in connection with a sale of the business) on 30 days’ written notice to you.

Force majeure. We are not liable for any delay or failure in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, internet outages, third-party AI engine failures, cyberattacks, or government actions. We will notify you as soon as reasonably practicable of any such event and its expected duration.

Language. These Terms are written in English. Where translated versions are made available, the English version prevails in the event of any inconsistency.

Relationship. These Terms do not create any partnership, joint venture, employment, franchise, or agency relationship between you and us.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions, complaints, requests to exercise your data rights, or any other enquiries relating to these Terms or the Service, please contact us at:

We aim to acknowledge all enquiries within 2 business days and to resolve complaints within 14 business days.