Who wrote this "best X" list? A free checker
AI assistants lean on "best X" lists when buyers ask for recommendations, and in our study 60% of the lists Perplexity and Google cited were written by a company selling in the same category. Paste a list below to see whether its publisher is ranking itself, then run the 7-question check.
Step 1: is the publisher in its own list?
Names or websites both work, e.g. "1. Acme HR (acmehr.com)".
Step 2: seven questions
Answer at least five questions to see a verdict.
Why this matters
When buyers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews for the best vendor in a category, the answer leans on list articles. In October 2026 we logged about 1,050 sources behind 120 AI answers to 30 B2B buying questions across six categories.
- For "best X" questions, about half of the cited sources were third-party list articles.
- Of the 119 "best X" and "X vs Y" articles that Perplexity and Google cited, 71 (60%) were published by a company selling in that same category.
- One HR platform's own blog was cited 10 times across 4 HR answers.
So the round-ups AI tools treat as neutral are often a competitor's content marketing. This checker helps buyers read them with the right amount of salt, and helps companies see which lists describe their category.
What a fair vendor-written list looks like
- It says near the top that the publisher is one of the options.
- It explains how companies were chosen and what was compared.
- Every entry links to the company and to evidence you can check.
- It says plainly when a competitor is the better fit.
- It carries a recent "last reviewed" date.
Questions
How can you tell if a "best X" list was written by a vendor?
Check the domain the article is published on against the companies in the list. If the publisher sells in the same category, and especially if it ranks itself first, treat the list as vendor content marketing. Then check whether it discloses that, explains its method, and links to evidence for each entry.
Do AI assistants cite vendor-written lists?
Yes. In Jamco PR's October 2026 study of 120 answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, 71 of the 119 "best X" and "X vs Y" articles Perplexity and Google cited (60%) were published by a company selling in that same category.
Is a vendor-written list always wrong?
No. Vendors often know their category well, and some lists are honest about when a competitor fits better. The problem is undisclosed bias. Use the checklist: disclosure, method, evidence and fairness to competitors are what separate a useful vendor list from an advertisement.
Are Jamco PR's own agency lists vendor-written?
Yes. Jamco PR sells PR services and includes itself in its agency comparisons. We say so on those pages, explain how we chose the agencies, link to each agency, and say when another agency is a better fit. Run any of our lists through this checker too.
Does this tool send the list anywhere?
No. The check runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is stored or sent to Jamco PR.
Cite or share this tool
Free to link to from articles, newsletters and course material. Suggested citation:
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