---
title: In AI search, authority decides who reaches the first page
description: In DeepSeek’s results, relevance got a page considered. Authority decided whether it made the top 10.
url: https://tanujsharma.xyz/notes/authority-is-a-gate-in-ai-search
author: Tanuj Sharma
published: 2026-10-22
---

# In AI search, authority decides who reaches the first page

DeepSeek’s search API returns an authority tier, from 0 to 4, for every result it retrieves. So for once you can see how much authority matters instead of guessing.

Across 53 real queries, tier 3 and 4 sources took 83% of first-page positions and 50 of the 53 number-one spots. A second run on 22 October gave almost the same answer: 82%, and 49 of 53.

Most of those sources weren’t company websites describing their own products. They were developer platforms, app stores, documentation hubs, news sites and communities.

The practical takeaway: on-page work gets a page into the candidate set. Reaching the first page usually means showing up on the sites the engine already trusts.

This is one engine and one niche (CAD and 3D printing), so treat it as a place to look, not a rule.

## Related

- Research: [What DeepSeek’s search API reveals about authority in AI search.](https://tanujsharma.xyz/research/deepseek-search-api-authority)
- Research: [How AI referral traffic behaves differently from traditional search.](https://tanujsharma.xyz/research/ai-referral-traffic-vs-search)
- Note: [Give every page a date machines can read](https://tanujsharma.xyz/notes/put-a-date-on-every-page)
- Note: [If your page crashes in the browser, an AI fetcher only sees the error](https://tanujsharma.xyz/notes/ai-fetchers-see-what-your-server-sends)