How It Works
How citation campaigns work
From discovering publishers to tracking citations — a structured workflow for earning trusted references.
- Define the pages or resources you want referenced
- Set topical focus and campaign priorities
- Track progress at the campaign level
Assets & Campaigns
Start with what you want cited — not a list of domains to chase.
Most campaigns start with a list of domains to target. 404200 starts with your content.
Define the pages, tools, or research that deserve recognition. Set topical priorities. Track outcomes at the campaign level — not one reference at a time.
- Domain and page-level relevance analysis
- Topical match scoring
- Editorial fit signals
- Attribution expectations surfaced early
Publisher Discovery
Find publishers who are a genuine editorial fit.
The platform analyzes publishers for topical relevance and editorial fit — not just authority scores or traffic numbers.
Attribution expectations are surfaced early so both sides know what to expect before anyone writes a pitch.
Choose the contribution type:
Each proposal defines:
Collaboration Proposals
Define the contribution before any outreach begins.
Before any outreach, you define exactly what the collaboration looks like: an expert quote, a resource citation, a sponsored article, or a content contribution.
Publishers see clear intent and context from the first interaction.
- Collaborative drafting tools
- Personalization with human oversight
- Clear attribution from the first message
- No manipulative templates
Drafting & Outreach
Personalized pitches, never templated, always upfront.
Draft outreach collaboratively with AI-assisted tools — but always with human oversight. Emails are personalized, never templated, and explain the nature of the collaboration upfront.
Publishers appreciate the clarity. Response rates reflect it.
- Agree on scope, compensation, and attribution
- Disclosure and attribution options clearly defined
- Terms locked before payment
Negotiation
Transparent terms, locked before payment.
Once both sides agree, terms are locked: scope, compensation, attribution method, and timeline.
Escrow holds payment until the citation is verified live. Both sides are protected.
Citation verified for:
Verification & Monitoring
Escrow released only after verification.
After publication, the platform verifies the citation, disclosure, and live status. Payment is released only when everything checks out.
Monitoring continues over time. If something changes, you know.
Citation Types
What counts as a citation
Not every mention looks the same. Here are the most common ways brands earn trusted references through the platform.
Expert Mention
A publisher references your team or founder as a subject-matter expert in their article.
Resource Reference
Your guide, tool, or dataset is cited as a useful resource within existing content.
Product Mention
A publisher includes your product in a roundup, comparison, or recommendation list.
Sponsored Article
A clearly disclosed, sponsored piece published on a relevant site with full editorial context.
Interview
A Q&A or profile piece where your perspective adds value to the publisher's audience.
Data Citation
A publisher references your original research, survey results, or proprietary data.
Outcomes
What success looks like
A campaign is working when these things are true.
Relevant Mentions
Your brand appears in articles that your audience actually reads — not random directories or unrelated blogs.
Better Visibility
Citations from trusted publishers drive referral traffic and improve how search engines understand your authority.
Stronger Publisher Relationships
Each campaign builds a network of publishers who know your brand and are open to future collaboration.
Citations That Stay Live
Ongoing monitoring ensures your references remain published, properly attributed, and indexed over time.
Average campaign duration
Citation types supported
Payment released before verification
Start earning trusted citations
Whether you're building visibility through citations or earning revenue as a publisher, the workflow is designed to deliver real results for both sides.