> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.courtaid.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.courtaid.ai/legal-research-and-search/citation-map.md).

# Citation map & precedent relationships

CourtAid's citation map shows how cases relate to each other — what a judgment cites, and what later cases cite it. This helps you find related authorities and understand precedent networks quickly.

## Three ways to open the map

### 1. Search — Map view

On the [Search](/legal-research-and-search/semantic-search.md) page, switch the view toggle from **List** to **Map**.

CourtAid runs a search and displays the **top results** as an interactive network:

* Each node is a case or piece of legislation
* Lines show citation relationships between documents
* Click a node to see its summary and open Chat PDF, Save, or related actions

Use Map view when you want a visual overview of how authorities in your result set connect.

### 2. Search — Cites / Cited by tags

On individual search results, look for **Cites** and **Cited by** tags (when citation data is available):

* **Cites** — documents this judgment references
* **Cited by** — later cases that reference this judgment

Click a tag to open a popover listing the related documents. From there you can open summaries, chat with a document, or jump to the original source.

### 3. Chat — Map button

In [Chat mode](/chat-and-documents/chat-mode.md) responses, click **Map** on any citation in the **Documents referenced** section.

This opens a **single-document citation map** centred on that authority, showing its cites and cited-by relationships. Useful when a chat answer points you to one key case and you want to explore what it relies on and what has followed it.

See [Sources & citations](/legal-research-and-search/sources-and-citations.md) for how citations work in chat.

## Reading the map

| Element           | Meaning                                                            |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Node**          | A judgement or piece of legislation                                |
| **Edge / line**   | A citation link between two documents                              |
| **Selected node** | The case you're inspecting — shows date, jurisdiction, and summary |
| **Expand**        | Open the map full-screen for easier navigation                     |

Click any node to:

* Read a short summary
* Open **Chat PDF** to ask questions about that document
* **Save** it to a project
* View the **Original** published source

## Cites vs Cited by — which matters?

| Tag          | Research use                                                                                                 |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Cites**    | Find the authorities *this* case relied on — useful for tracing the legal basis                              |
| **Cited by** | Find *later* cases that applied or distinguished this authority — useful for checking if it's still good law |

CourtAid shows citation counts where data is available. A heavily **cited by** case is often (but not always) more influential — always read the citing cases to understand how the principle was applied.

{% hint style="info" %}
CourtAid does not currently display a separate "authority score" in the UI. Use citation relationships, your own reading, and jurisdiction-specific research to assess precedential weight.
{% endhint %}

## Tips

* Start with **Map view** after a broad Smart search to spot clusters of related cases
* Use **Cited by** on a key authority to find recent applications
* **Save** important nodes to a [project](/matter-workspaces/projects.md) as you map out the precedent network
* Combine with [filters](/legal-research-and-search/using-filters.md) to keep the underlying search jurisdiction-specific

## Related

* [Semantic search](/legal-research-and-search/semantic-search.md) — List and Map views
* [Sources & citations](/legal-research-and-search/sources-and-citations.md)
* [Your first search](/getting-started/your-first-search.md)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.courtaid.ai/legal-research-and-search/citation-map.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.