Glossary
Key terms and concepts used in Yuba and AI discovery.
A
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Optimizing your business content and structured data so you appear in answer engines — AI assistants that directly answer user questions (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews). Yuba helps businesses optimize for AEO through structured, entity-rich profiles.
AI Discovery
The process by which AI assistants (like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) find and recommend businesses to users through natural language conversations.
AIDP
AI Discovery Platform — The original name for the Yuba open standard and platform. Now branded as Yuba. The NPM package @aidp-protocol/core and the public GitHub repo retain the AIDP name for backwards compatibility.
Answer Engine
A system that responds to user queries with direct answers (e.g. AI summaries, recommendations) rather than only links. Examples: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews. See also: AEO.
API Key
A unique identifier used to authenticate requests to the Yuba API. Found in your account settings.
Attribution
Tracking which AI platform or source led to a user discovering your business.
B
Business Profile
A structured representation of your business in Yuba, including basic information, services, media, and AI-exclusive content.
Benchmark
Comparison of your business's AI discovery performance against category averages or competitors.
C
Citation
When an AI assistant specifically mentions or recommends your business by name in a response to a user query.
Citation Rate
The percentage of impressions that result in citations. Formula: (Citations / Impressions) × 100
Consumer API
The Yuba API endpoint used by AI platforms to search for and retrieve business information.
D
Discovery Journey
See Intent Journey
Downstream Analytics
Traditional analytics that track user behavior after they visit your website or location (e.g., Google Analytics).
E
Embedding
A vector representation of your business profile used by AI systems for semantic search and matching.
Entity
A distinct, identifiable thing (e.g. your business) that search and AI systems recognize by a set of attributes and relationships. Yuba profiles are structured so your business is a clear entity for entity-based search.
Entity-Based Search
Search and discovery that relies on structured entities (e.g. businesses with clear identity, attributes, and relationships) rather than only keywords. Optimizing for entity-based search means having consistent, structured data. Yuba profiles are designed for entity-based discovery.
G
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Optimizing content and structured data for generative AI systems (e.g. LLMs) so your business is more likely to be cited or summarized in AI-generated answers. Often used alongside AEO for LLM-powered search. Yuba supports both AEO and GEO.
Generative Engine
An AI system that generates answers (e.g. summaries, recommendations) from multiple sources. Optimizing for generative engines (GEO) helps your business appear in those answers. Examples: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google Gemini.
I
Impression
When your business appears in an AI assistant's response, whether or not it's specifically cited.
Insider Tips
AI-exclusive content that provides unique insights about your business, only visible to AI assistants (not on your website).
Intent Journey
The progression of a user through awareness, consideration, and decision stages as they discover and choose your business through AI.
Intent Stage
A specific phase in the user's decision-making process:
Awareness: Learning about options
Consideration: Comparing specific businesses
Decision: Ready to visit/book
J
JSON-LD
JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data — A structured data format used to embed Schema.org markup on web pages. Yuba profiles can be exported as JSON-LD so businesses can add structured data to their own websites for both search engines and AI crawlers.
L
LLM-Powered Search
Search experiences driven by large language models that understand context and generate answers rather than returning ranked links. AEO and GEO both target LLM-powered search. See also: AEO, GEO.
Local Secrets
Hidden gems or insider knowledge about your business that AI assistants can share with users.
M
MCP
Model Context Protocol — An open standard for connecting AI assistants to external data sources. Yuba implements MCP for seamless AI integration.
MCP Server
A server that implements the Model Context Protocol, providing tools and resources to AI assistants.
MCP Tool
A specific function that AI assistants can call through MCP (e.g., search_businesses, get_business_details).
O
Organic Discovery
When users find your business through natural AI conversations, without paid promotion.
P
Standard
A standardized set of rules for data exchange. Yuba is both a standard (specification) and a platform (implementation).
Q
Query
A user's question or request to an AI assistant (e.g., "Find coffee shops near me").
Query Intent
The underlying goal or purpose behind a user's query (e.g., informational, navigational, transactional).
R
Rate Limit
The maximum number of API requests allowed within a specific time period (e.g., 10 requests per minute).
RLS
Row Level Security — Database security that ensures users can only access their own organization's data.
S
Schema
A structured format for organizing data. The Yuba Schema defines how business information should be formatted for AI discovery.
Schema.org
A collaborative vocabulary for structured data on the web, maintained by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex. Yuba profiles can be exported as Schema.org-compatible JSON-LD. See also: JSON-LD.
SDK
Software Development Kit — A library that simplifies integration with Yuba. Available for TypeScript, Python, and JavaScript.
Semantic Search
Search that understands meaning and context, not just keywords. Used by AI assistants to find relevant businesses.
Snippet Readiness
A score (0–100) indicating how well your business profile is optimized for AI Overviews and featured snippets. Based on profile completeness, description quality, and structured content.
U
Upstream Analytics
Metrics that track how AI platforms discover and recommend your business before users visit your website or location.
Upstream Metrics
Data points captured during the AI discovery process:
Impressions
Citations
Query patterns
AI platform sources
V
Verification
The process of confirming business ownership and authenticity. Verified businesses get a badge and higher trust scores.
Visibility Score
A 0-100 score indicating how discoverable your business is across AI platforms.
W
Webhook
An automated notification sent to your server when specific events occur (e.g., new impression, citation).
Y
Yuba
The open standard and platform for AI-native business discovery. Formerly known as AIDP (AI Discovery Platform). Yuba provides structured business data optimized for AI platforms, with upstream analytics and attribution.
Z
Zero-Click Exposure
When your business is mentioned in an AI response but the user doesn't click through to your website. Still valuable for brand awareness.
Common Acronyms
AEO: Answer Engine Optimization
AI: Artificial Intelligence
AIDP: AI Discovery Platform (now Yuba)
API: Application Programming Interface
CCPA: California Consumer Privacy Act
GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation
GEO: Generative Engine Optimization
JSON: JavaScript Object Notation
JSON-LD: JSON for Linked Data
LLM: Large Language Model
MCP: Model Context Protocol
REST: Representational State Transfer
RLS: Row Level Security
SDK: Software Development Kit
SLA: Service Level Agreement
SQL: Structured Query Language
UUID: Universally Unique Identifier
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Last Updated: February 22, 2026
Last updated