Coined Term • 2025
Entity Authority Score Tiers
Where your score falls determines what stage you're at and what to do next
Status
Coined by Joseph Byrum
Year Introduced
2025
Domain
Entity Engineering
Term Type
Measurement Framework
Corroboration
Understanding Entity Authority Score Tiers
The Entity Authority Score Tiers map EAS scores to LLM Ladder stages: Absent (0–40), Emerging/Doubt (41–70), Cited (71–85), Defended (86–100). Most organizations, when audited for the first time, score between 35 and 55 — firmly in the Doubt or Absent range.
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Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four EAS tiers?
Absent (0–40, insufficient information for AI to cite you), Emerging/Doubt (41–70, cited with hedging language or inconsistently), Cited (71–85, cited confidently as a primary authority), and Defended (86–100, actively monitoring and repelling competitive attacks).
What is the most important threshold within the tier system?
The Cited threshold at 71 — crossing it represents passing the CPQ Citation Threshold, where AI citation behavior shifts categorically from hedged to confident. This step-change effect is documented in the Confidence Threshold Dynamics framework.
Is the Defended tier a final destination?
No. Byrum's Law of Ontological Dominance requires ongoing investment to maintain position. The Defended tier represents having the monitoring and response infrastructure to sustain position — not a permanent state requiring no further attention.
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