Historical Rules · 18 February 2022
Rule 605.1a
Official source text from the 18 February 2022 Rules release
An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets all of the following criteria: it doesn’t require a target (see rule 115.6), it could add mana to a player’s mana pool when it resolves, and it’s not a loyalty ability. (See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”)