Consensus gate
Definition
A consensus gate is a ranking rule that requires a brand to be named independently by at least two different AI engines before it can be ranked at all. It filters out one-engine flukes so that a published ranking reflects agreement, not a single model’s quirk.
Individual engines routinely name brands no other engine names. Without a gate, one model’s idiosyncratic answer would be indistinguishable from real market standing.
The CiteHawk AI Index applies a two-engine consensus gate to every published ranking: a brand named by only one of the eight tracked engines is recorded in the evidence but not ranked. The trade-off is deliberate and conservative, and it is stated in the methodology.
See the gate in the Index methodology→
Related terms
