AI can link a real source and still make up the fact. The link works. The sentence is fiction.
This is the source check I'd run on anything AI helped write, before it goes on your website, in an ad or in a post. You find the exact sentence the link is supposed to prove. You run four checks. You make the AI show its work. Then you check its work anyway.
Why a working link isn't proof
A link proves a page exists. It doesn't prove the page says what your draft says. The AI companies say so themselves:
- OpenAI lists "fabricated quotes, studies, citations or references to non-existent sources" among the mistakes ChatGPT can make. It tells people to verify quotes, data and references, and to visit the links.
- Anthropic, which makes Claude, says its models can sometimes write things that are wrong. Its own fix is to have Claude quote the source for each claim and drop any claim it can't back with a quote. It also says that doesn't get rid of mistakes completely.
The sneaky version isn't a fake link. It's a real link with a sentence that drifted. "Inquiries" turns into "customers." "Up to" goes missing. Last year turns into last month.
Words you'll see
- Claim: any sentence that states a fact: a number, a name, a date, a "studies show."
- Source: the page or document the claim comes from.
- The original: where the fact first came from. If an article quotes a survey, the survey is the original.
- Passage: the exact sentence or lines in the source.
The source check, step by step
Mark every claim
Go through the draft and highlight every number, name, date and fact. If a sentence could be wrong, it's a claim. Opinions, like "we love this job," aren't.
Open the link yourself
Click it. Does it open? Is it the page the draft means? If it's an article about a survey or a report, go find that survey or report. Check the original, not somebody's summary of it.
Find the exact sentence
Search the page for the number or a key word from the claim.
- Chrome on a computer: press Ctrl + F on Windows, or ⌘ + F on a Mac.
- iPhone, Safari: tap the Page Menu button, then Search Document.
- Android, Chrome: tap More, then Find in page.
No matching sentence? The claim isn't supported. Stop there and go to step 5.
Run the four checks
- The claim: does the source say this at all?
- The original wording: did the draft keep the source's words, or swap one? Inquiries aren't customers. "May" isn't "will." "Up to" isn't "always."
- What the number measures: visits, leads, inquiries, sales or revenue? Whose? Where? A number can be copied right and still mean something else.
- The dates: when was it measured, and when was it published? "Last month" in the draft might be an old survey in the source.
Keep it, fix it, or cut it
If it matches, keep it. If it's close, rewrite the sentence to say what the source says. If it's not there, find better evidence or leave it out. A shorter true sentence beats a longer made-up one.
Save the quote next to the claim
In your draft notes, paste the exact line from the source under each claim, with the link. The next person who checks it, including future you, doesn't have to start over.
Copy this: the one line
This is the line from the video. Paste it under any AI draft that cites sources:
Show me the passage that supports each claim. Mark anything the source doesn't actually say.Then check its work anyway: the numbers, what they measure, and the dates. The fast way is to search for each quote it gives you, the same way as step 3.
The full prompt for Claude or ChatGPT
For a longer draft, use the full version. Paste the source's text itself, not just the link. OpenAI notes the model may not be able to read a website because of technical issues, paywalls or the site's own settings. If it can't read the source, it can't check it.
Check my draft against its source. Don't rewrite anything yet.
THE DRAFT
[paste your draft here]
THE SOURCE (the text itself, not just a link)
[paste the source text here, or attach the file]
For every claim in the draft (each number, name, date and fact):
1. Show me the passage that supports it. Quote it word for word from the source. Don't change a word inside the quote.
2. If you can't find a passage, write NOT FOUND. Don't guess, and don't use anything you know from outside the source.
3. Run four checks:
- The claim: does the source say this at all?
- The wording: did the draft swap the source's words (like "inquiries" into "customers")?
- The number: what does it measure, and is it the same thing in both?
- The dates: when was it measured and published, and does the draft match?
4. Give each claim a verdict: SUPPORTED, CHANGED MEANING, or NOT IN SOURCE.
Show me a table: claim | exact quote | verdict | what to fix.
Then list the claims to fix, worst first. Mark anything the source doesn't actually say.Copy this: the checklist
One per claim. Print a stack, or keep it in your notes app.
SOURCE CHECK
Claim: _________________________
Link: __________________________
[ ] The link opens
[ ] It's the original source
[ ] Found the exact sentence
THE FOUR CHECKS
[ ] The claim: the source says it
[ ] Same words, same meaning
[ ] The number measures the
same thing
[ ] The dates match, still true
DECISION
[ ] Keep it
[ ] Fix it to match the source
[ ] Find better evidence
[ ] Cut it
[ ] Quote saved under the claimExample (made up)
Everything here is invented: the business, the article and the numbers. An AI draft for a marketing post says:
Lakeside Home Services gained 100 new customers last month from its new website.
It links to an article in the Example Town Business Journal. The link works. Search the article for "100" and you land on this sentence:
In March 2026, Lakeside Home Services received 100 inquiries through its new website.
| Check | Source says | Draft says | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| The claim | Received 100 inquiries | Gained 100 new customers | Changed meaning |
| The wording | "inquiries" | "customers" | Swapped |
| What it measures | People who asked a question | People who paid | Not the same thing |
| The dates | March 2026 | "Last month" | Only true in April 2026 |
Hang on. A hundred people asked a question. Nobody's bought anything. The fixed sentence says only what the source says:
In March 2026, Lakeside Home Services received 100 inquiries through its new website, the Example Town Business Journal reported.
Less exciting. Also true.
Mistakes to avoid
Trusting a link because it opens
Checking only the numbers
Letting the AI check itself, then stopping
Citing a summary
Giving the AI only the link
That's the check
AI just turned everybody who asked a question into a paying customer. I'd love that business. Let's check it exists.
Checked on Oct 4, 2026 against
Every claim about a third-party tool in this guide (plans, prices, menu paths, commands, limits) was checked against these official pages on Oct 4, 2026. These screens change often: if something looks different, trust the page over this guide.
- OpenAI Help Center: Does ChatGPT tell the truth?ChatGPT can produce fabricated quotes, studies, citations or references to non-existent sources; it may not be able to get information from a website because of technical issues, paywalls or robots.txt; verify quotes, data and references, and check sources by visiting links directly.
- Claude Docs: Reduce hallucinationsModels like Claude can sometimes generate text that is factually incorrect; use direct quotes for grounding and verify with citations (find a supporting quote for each claim, retract it if there isn't one); these techniques don't eliminate hallucinations entirely.
- Google Chrome Help: Chrome keyboard shortcutsOpen the find bar to search the current page: Ctrl + f or F3 (Windows and Linux), ⌘ + f (Mac).
- Google Chrome Help: Search the web in Chrome (Android)Find a word on a page: at the top right, tap More, then Find in page.
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Search for websites in SafariSearch a webpage: tap the Page Menu button, then the Search Document button, enter the word or phrase, and tap Next Result for other mentions.
