# Mentions

“Mentions” shows how the channel lives among other MAX channels: who reposts it and links to it, how many people see that, which posts spread, which channels it exchanges mentions with and whom it mentions itself. The citation index is covered here in detail too.

## Where to find it

Open the channel page and click the **“Mentions”** tab (the tab address is `…/channels/<channel name>/#mentions`). Inside, the tab is titled “Mentions and citation index”; it is calculated when you open it. All blocks with made-up data are on the demo page <https://max.datool.ru/demo/#mentions>.

At the top is the period row **7 days · 30 days · 90 days · Year · All time · Custom dates**; the tab opens on 7 days. A guest can use “7 days”, after free sign-up “30 days” is added, the channel owner and subscribers get all periods; “Custom dates” requires a “Premium” or “Business” subscription. “All time” starts with the channel's first mention. Chart steps: up to 31 days — days, up to half a year — weeks, longer — months. More in [How the channel page works](/en/channel/overview/#choosing-a-period).

## What counts as a mention

A **mention** is a post by another MAX channel that contains a **repost** of this channel's post or a **link** to the channel (in the text, behind a word, in a button or in a link preview). In all numbers of the tab:

- **ads are not counted**: a mention in another channel's ad post means the channel itself bought advertising; such mentions are shown separately;
- a channel's links to itself are not counted;
- private channels are included in the numbers but not in the lists (they have no open page) — their count is noted separately.

Details: [Citation index](/en/metrics/citation-index/).

## Key mention numbers

![The Key mention numbers block: four tiles with mini charts](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-tiles.webp)

Four tiles for the period. Each has the change versus the same previous period (more — green, less — red, under 1% — “≈ as before”), a mini chart by point and a line saying the most in a day and when.

| Tile | What it shows | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Mentions | How many times other channels mentioned the channel | everyone |
| Channels mentioned it | How many different channels mentioned it | everyone |
| Views of posts with mentions | Total views of other channels' posts that mention this channel | after signing in (free) |
| Reposts | How many of the mentions are reposts of the channel's posts | after signing in (free) |

**Example.** 109 mentions from 16 channels and 2.7 million views for a channel with 48,000 subscribers — posts with mentions were seen by 57 times more people than follow the channel: other channels noticeably widen its audience.

## The period in brief

![The The period in brief block: the key numbers in words](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-story.webp)

**What it shows.** The same key numbers in words: how many times and how many channels mentioned the channel, how many of them for the first time, reposts and links, how many times more views than subscribers, and how many mentions were in ad posts (purchases by the channel itself). Numbers of tiles locked for you do not appear in the text.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## Citation index

![The Citation index block: the number, the level among similar channels and the rank in MAX](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-index.webp)

**What it shows.** The CI number and the level in words, a five-level scale by rank among similar channels, “The channel's index is higher than N% of similar channels”, how many channels of the group must be overtaken to reach “high”, the comparison group, the rank across all of MAX and the calculation date.

**How it is calculated.** The CI shows how influential the channel is: how often other MAX channels repost and mention it over 30 days and how weighty they are themselves. A repost by a large channel weighs more than a link from a small one; mutual mentions weigh half as much. Levels: “low” — below 25% of the group, “below average” — 25–50%, “average” — 50–75%, “above average” — 75–90%, “high” — above 90%. The index is calculated every night and **does not depend on the tab's period**. Details: [Citation index](/en/metrics/citation-index/).

**Who can see it:** everyone.

## Mentions and index by day

![The Mentions and index by day block: mention bars at the top and the index line at the bottom](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-daily.webp)

**What it shows.** Two charts with a shared time axis: at the top — mentions per day (week, month), at the bottom — the citation index (for a week or month — the average). The three loudest stretches are highlighted with a band across both charts, so you can see whether the index rose after a burst of mentions. Hover over a bar or point to see the numbers.

**Example.** After a burst of mentions the index rose and stays up — the channel consolidated its influence. If the index fell back, the burst was a one-off.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## How many views one mention brings

![The block with the average views of a mention, repost versus link and by source size](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-reach.webp)

**What it shows.** How many views another channel's post with a mention gets on average: overall (with the change versus the previous period), separately for reposts and links, and by the source channel's size (up to 1K, 1–10K, 10–50K, 50–100K, over 100K subscribers). After the dot is how many mentions were counted.

**How it is calculated.** A source channel's views are split between its reposts and links by their number. For very large channels views sometimes cannot be counted in time — then the block is missing until the next recalculation.

**Example.** A mention in a channel with over 100,000 subscribers brings 58,000 views on average, and in a channel with 10–50,000 — 2,000: for promotion it pays to work with large channels.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## Who gave and received how much

![The Who gave and received how much block: a “butterfly” of mentions in both directions](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-exchange.webp)

**What it shows.** A “butterfly” of up to 10 rows: on the left — how many times the channel in the row mentioned this channel, on the right — how many times this channel mentioned it. “⇄” means mentions go both ways. Marks: the owner's own channel, “ad in the channel” (this channel advertised it), “the channel bought ads” (a mention in the source's ad post). At the bottom is a summary: how many channels the exchange is mutual with, how many mentions the channel received and how many it gave.

**Who can see it:** “Premium” and “Business” subscribers.

## Who came, who stayed, who left

![The Who came, who stayed, who left block: new, regular and departed sources](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-churn.webp)

**What it shows.** Three columns compared with the same previous period: **new** — channels that mention the channel now but did not then; **regular** — mentioned it in both periods; **departed** — mentioned it then but not now (silent for N days). The number on the right is mentions in the period (for departed ones — how many there were then). Each column lists up to eight channels, followed by “and N more”. All time has no previous period — the block says so.

**Who can see it:** “Premium” and “Business” subscribers.

## Which posts spread to other channels

![The block with the channel's posts, their reposts and views in other channels](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-posts.webp)

**What it shows.** Up to eight of this channel's posts that other channels reposted during the period, by total repost views. Columns: the post (a link to its page), views in the channel, how many channels picked it up, reposts, views elsewhere. Below — how many posts were reposted in total and how many links point to the channel as a whole.

**How it is calculated.** The original post is taken from the repost itself. Links almost always point to the whole channel rather than a post, so reposts are counted here. For a large channel — based on the last 20,000 reposts of the period.

**Example.** A post with 50,000 views in the channel got 280,000 elsewhere — the topic took off; similar posts are worth making more often.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## How fast posts are picked up

![The How fast posts are picked up block: the median time to a repost and time buckets](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-speed.webp)

**What it shows.** The median time from a post's publication to someone else's repost, the median time to a post's first citation, and the shares of reposts by time: under 1 hour, 1–6 hours, 6–24 hours, later than a day.

**Example.** If half of the posts are cited within 25 minutes, the channel is a primary news source for others.

**Who can see it:** “Premium” and “Business” subscribers.

## What the mentioning channels write about

![The block with the topic shares of the source channels](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-topics.webp)

**What it shows.** Shares by the main category of the source channels. Tabs: “By mentions”, “By views”, “By channels”. If some sources have no category yet, they are shown as a gray “Topic not labelled” share.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## Whom the channel mentions — in brief

![The block with phrases about outgoing mentions](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-out-story.webp)

**What it shows.** A few rule-based phrases, without AI: how many channels the channel mentions itself and which ones most often, what share of mentions goes to government channels, who the exchange is mutual with, whom the channel advertises and how many mentions are the owner's own channels.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## Channels this channel mentions

![The Channels this channel mentions table with filter tabs](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-outgoing.webp)

**What it shows.** A table of public channels this channel mentioned during the period (up to 100 rows): name, category, subscribers, mentions, of which ads, marks — “⇄ mutually”, “own channel”, “N in ads”, “government”. Above the table are filters “All / Mutual / Own / Ads / Government” with the number of channels in each. The table shows 10 rows at a time; the rest load with the “Load more” button.

**Who can see it:** “Premium” and “Business” subscribers.

## Channels that mentioned this channel

![The Channels that mentioned this channel table with filter tabs](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-incoming.webp)

**What it shows.** The same table for incoming mentions: public channels that mentioned this channel during the period, by number of mentions (including ads). Columns: category, subscribers, mentions, “Of which ads” — how many mentions were in the source's ad posts (that is, purchases by the channel itself). Marks: **“new”** — did not mention it in the same previous period, **“⇄ mutually”** — this channel mentioned it too, **“own channel”** — a channel of the same owner organization, **“government”** — a government channel. Filters above the table: **All / New / Mutual / Own / Government / Ads**. The table shows 10 rows at a time; the rest load with “Load more”.

**How many rows are visible.** A guest and a free account see the first 5 channels; the remaining rows are blurred under a badge saying how many more channels are available with a subscription. The channel owner and subscribers see up to 100 rows. Filters count only visible rows.

![The incoming table as a guest sees it: 5 channels and a badge for the rest](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-incoming-guest.webp)

**Marks follow access rules too.** The “new” and “mutually” marks are available with a subscription; the “Of which ads” column and the “N in ads” mark — to the channel owner and subscribers. If they are locked for you, they appear neither in the rows nor in the filters, and there is a line with a lock under the table. “Own channel” and “government” are visible to everyone.

**Who can see it:** everyone (5 rows for a guest and a free account, 100 rows for the channel owner and “Premium” and “Business” subscribers).

## Mention exchange by channel

![The Mention exchange by channel table: received, gave, balance, repost share and index contribution](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-mutual.webp)

**What it shows.** Channels with which mentions go both ways during the period: how many the channel received and gave, the balance, the share of reposts among those received, the partner channel's contribution to the citation index (by the latest calculation, for the top ten sources; a dash for the rest), the date of the last mention and a “Total” row.

**How to read it.** Mutual mentions weigh half as much in the citation index: this is what post exchange looks like. If almost all mentions are mutual, a high index rests on arrangements rather than organic interest.

**Who can see it:** “Premium” and “Business” subscribers.

## Channel vs the median of similar channels

![The block with five tiles comparing the channel with the median of similar channels](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-similar.webp)

**What it shows.** Five tiles: the citation index, CI per 10K subscribers, mentions, sources and mention reach. A tile shows the channel's number, the median of similar channels (the middle of the row: half above, half below) and the difference (from twofold — “N times”). The chart shows the channel (line) and the median of similar channels (dashed) by period point. At the bottom — on how many measures the channel is not worse than the median.

**How it is calculated.** Similar channels are up to ten channels from the [Similar channels](/en/channel/similar/) tab. Reach is not counted for very large channels.

**Who can see it:** “Premium” and “Business” subscribers.

## Strengths and caveats

![The Strengths and caveats block: two columns of conclusions](https://media.datool.ru/docs/guide/en/channel-mentions-words.webp)

**What it shows.** Two columns — “Strengths” and “Pay attention”, up to five conclusions each: for example, that mentions do not depend on a single channel, or that 72% of mentions are mutual. The phrases are built by rules from the tab's numbers, without AI, and only from blocks open to you.

**Who can see it:** after signing in (free).

## Who sees what

| Block | What it shows | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Key numbers: mentions, channels mentioned it | How many and who mentioned | everyone |
| Key numbers: views, reposts | Mention reach and reposts | after signing in (free) |
| The period in brief | Key numbers in words | after signing in (free) |
| Citation index | CI and level among similar channels | everyone |
| Mentions and index by day | Mention bursts and the index | after signing in (free) |
| How many views one mention brings | Average reach of a mention | after signing in (free) |
| Who gave and received how much | Mentions in both directions | “Premium” and “Business” subscribers |
| Who came, who stayed, who left | New and departed sources | “Premium” and “Business” subscribers |
| Which posts spread | Posts that were reposted | after signing in (free) |
| How fast posts are picked up | Time to repost | “Premium” and “Business” subscribers |
| What the mentioning channels write about | Source categories | after signing in (free) |
| Whom the channel mentions — in brief | Outgoing mentions in words | after signing in (free) |
| Channels this channel mentions | Outgoing table | “Premium” and “Business” subscribers |
| Channels that mentioned this channel | Incoming table | everyone: 5 rows for a guest and a free account, 100 for the channel owner and subscribers |
| Mention exchange by channel | Mutual pairs | “Premium” and “Business” subscribers |
| Channel vs the median of similar channels | Comparison with similar channels | “Premium” and “Business” subscribers |
| Strengths and caveats | Conclusions in words | after signing in (free) |

Locked blocks are shown as a blurred example on made-up data — more in [How the channel page works](/en/channel/overview/#locked-blocks).

!!! note "Mention history"
    We are still collecting the history of MAX posts, so older periods may show fewer mentions than there actually were. Source categories come from channel labeling, which is still in progress.

## What's next

- [Citation index](/en/metrics/citation-index/) — how the index is calculated.
- [Audience analysis](/en/channel/audience/) — how many subscribers mentions bring.
- [Similar channels](/en/channel/similar/) — who the channel is compared with.
- [Ad statistics](/en/channel/ads/) — where the channel itself was advertised.