# Ask the assistants (`mttr_cite`)

Updated October 24, 2026.

## What does mttr_cite do?

Asks assistants one question with web search on, and says whether each cites the site, where, whether it names it without citing it, and who it cites instead. Paid in mttr credits. A key may make this call on the sites it has claimed.

Who may call it: Your claimed sites.

## When to use it

- You want to know whether a fix changed what assistants say.

## What you ask

You might say: “Ask the assistants “best drain cleaning service” and see if example.com is cited.”

```
mttr_cite({ site: "example.com", question: "Who installs french drains near me?" })
```

| Argument | Type | Needed | What it is |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `site` | Text | Yes | The site, as a domain such as example.com. |
| `question` | Text | Yes | What a buyer would ask an assistant, in their words. Leave the site's name out. |

## What comes back

- For each assistant asked: cited or not, where, and who it cites instead.
- Only the assistants mttr is connected to are asked. While none is, it costs nothing and says so.

A sample, with made-up sites and figures:

| Assistant | Cites the site | Cites instead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First assistant | Yes, second source |  |
| Second assistant | Names it, no link | rival.example |
| Third assistant | No | north.example |

## Over HTTP

```
curl -X POST "https://mttr.si/api/v1/sites/example.com/citations" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MTTR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"question":"Who installs french drains near me?"}'
```

## When it fails

| When | Status | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your assistant has no key yet | 401 over MCP | Sign up with `mttr_signup`, then connect again with the key it gives. |
| The key has not claimed the site | 404 | Claim it with `mttr_claim`, then `mttr_claim_check`. |

## Sources

- [Model Context Protocol: tools](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-06-18/server/tools), Model Context Protocol: How an assistant calls a tool.

The call in full: [mttr_cite in the API reference](https://mttr.si/docs/reference#mttr_cite).

## Goes with

- [Citations so far](https://mttr.si/docs/tools/citations.md)
- [Search by meaning](https://mttr.si/docs/tools/search.md)