Research, not results
We counted 1,110 AI answers about 50 HR software companies.
Most didn't name the company.
FwdLink's own count, September 2026. All 50 companies were HR software vendors. We have not yet run the same study in other industries.
- 13.6%
- Recommendation-question answers that named the company
- 7.7%
- Recommendation-question answers that linked its own site
Outlined dot = the answer named the company · Gray dot = it did not. 100 dots, rounded. Links are counted apart.
Named = the answer used the company name or an agreed alias. Linked = it cited the company’s own site. Company-fact and comparison questions are left out. Exploratory research.
What we did
We picked 50 HR software companies. We asked AI, through its APIs, what a buyer asks: what should I use, and what else instead of a named product?
We counted how often each company was named, and how often its site was linked. The rates use 1,110 answers from September 2026. Questions that use a company’s name are left out.
What it is not
It is exploratory research in one industry. It is not market share, quality or a count of buyers.
It used our older method, not today’s check. It is not a customer result.
The numbers
- 50 HR software companies
- 1,110 answers to recommendation questions (the analysis set)
- 13.6% of those answers named the company
- 7.7% linked the company's own site
Method at a glance
What was asked, and what was counted.
| Collected | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Companies | 50 HR software vendors |
| Engines | OpenAI API, Gemini API |
| Questions in the rates | Discovery (what should I use?) and alternatives (what else instead of a named product?) |
| Answers in the rates | 1,110 |
| Left out | Company-fact and head-to-head comparison questions, because they name the company being counted |
For an HR software team
An average says nothing about your brand.
- These are averages over 50 companies. Yours may be far higher or lower.
- Links were rarer than names: 7.7% linked the site, 13.6% named the company.
- Ask your own buyers’ questions, more than once.