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Judge the specific claim, not the website’s design or name. Check who wrote and published it, when it was published, what evidence supports it, what the publisher wants readers to do, and whether independent sources confirm the claim. A website may be reliable on one subject and weak on another, so no single visual cue or domain ending can certify everything it publishes.
Who wrote and published the page?
Look for a named author, relevant qualifications, and a publisher or organization that takes responsibility for the material. An about page and legitimate contact details can help you understand who is behind the site. CISA recommends checking the author and qualifications, as well as the site’s about and contact information (CISA, “Question the Source”; CISA, “Investigate the Issue”).
Also ask what the publisher is trying to do: report, persuade, sell, entertain, or satirize. A polished layout, official-sounding name, or confident tone is not proof of expertise or accuracy. The FTC’s advice is to consider who created a message, why they created it, and whether incentives might affect its claims (FTC, “Go Ahead — Be Critical”).
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When was it published, and does the headline match?
Find the publication or update date, then decide whether freshness matters for the claim. Advice about changing software, current events, policies, or prices can become outdated; a historical explanation may remain useful for much longer. Read the page rather than relying on a headline or social-media preview, and check that the headline fairly describes what the article actually says. CISA includes date and headline-content fit among its source checks (CISA, “Question the Source”).
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What evidence supports the claim?
Separate verifiable statements from opinion, interpretation, and prediction. Follow the citations: do they work, lead to relevant material, and actually support the statement being made? When a claim matters, trace it as far as practical to original evidence, such as a document, dataset, or direct statement, rather than relying only on another page’s summary. CISA advises readers to click citations and check that they work; the presence of a link alone does not establish that it backs the claim (CISA, “Question the Source”).
It also matters whether the page makes clear who is responsible for accuracy and attributes factual information in a way that can be independently checked. Provo Library recommends looking for attribution and independent verifiability (Provo Library, “Evaluating Online Sources”).
Can independent sources confirm it?
Search for other reliable outlets or primary sources addressing the same claim. Compare what they say, the evidence they point to, and whether they are genuinely independent. Several pages repeating the same original report are not necessarily several separate confirmations. CISA’s advice is direct: “Search for other reliable sources before sharing” (CISA, “Investigate the Issue”).
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When sources disagree, identify what is actually disputed and which source provides the strongest traceable evidence. Do not treat a majority of search results as a vote that settles the facts.
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What is the page trying to make you do or feel?
Urgency, outrage, fear, or an extraordinary claim can be a reason to pause and verify before clicking, paying, or sharing. Emotional framing is not by itself proof that a claim is false; it is a signal to check the author, evidence, and corroboration carefully. CISA recommends pausing when content pushes emotional buttons and checking linked sources and author information (CISA, “Investigate the Issue”). The CIA’s guidance similarly recommends checking the URL, outlet, author credentials, citations, and whether a page may be satire (CIA, “Ask Molly: Identifying Trustworthy Information,” August 14, 2020).
How should you evaluate online reviews?
Reviews need extra caution because a rating or convincing-sounding account is not enough to establish that a reviewer is genuine. The FTC recommends considering the review’s recency, the reviewer’s history, and a variety of sources. Look for incentive disclosures where available, but do not assume appearance alone can reliably reveal whether a review is fake (FTC, “How To Evaluate Online Reviews”).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical check before relying on or sharing a claim
- Identify the source: Find the author, publisher, relevant qualifications, and about or contact information.
- Check context: Note the date, consider whether it is current enough for the topic, and read beyond the headline.
- Inspect the support: Separate fact from opinion and follow citations to see whether they substantiate the claim.
- Compare independently: Look for confirmation from reliable sources that do not merely repeat one another.
- Consider purpose and pressure: Notice sales incentives, persuasion, satire, or language designed to provoke urgency or emotion.
- Decide based on the claim: If important evidence remains unverified or sources conflict, do not present the claim as established fact.
A missing byline or citation calls for closer scrutiny, but one warning sign does not prove a claim false. Likewise, a credible publisher can still publish an outdated or weakly supported page. The useful judgment is about this claim, on this page, in this context.
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