Source priority
Primary sources come first whenever practical. Examples include federal and state agencies, official manufacturer documentation, original program rules, standards bodies, and first-party service documentation.
Corroboration
When a claim is disputed, unusually consequential, or unclear in a primary source, editors seek additional reliable evidence rather than smoothing over uncertainty.
Dates and versions
Editors check when guidance was published or updated and whether the user's likely device, jurisdiction, program, or service version could differ.
Numbers and calculations
Important arithmetic, unit conversions, counts, and structured datasets should be checked independently or programmatically when practical.
Quotations
Quotes must preserve the source's meaning and remain within reasonable quotation limits. We prefer paraphrase for routine factual reporting.
Visual claims
Charts, diagrams, screenshots, tables, infographics, and image annotations must not introduce claims absent from the underlying article.
Before publication
Editors review title, Short Answer, body, tables, FAQs, schema, citations, internal links, and any tool output instructions for consistency.
After publication
Substantive reader reports trigger a re-check. If an error is confirmed, we correct it promptly and follow our Corrections Policy.