Free research tool

Free Source Credibility Checker

A source credibility checker is a structured way to evaluate a URL, domain, publisher, or account before trusting it. Review accountability signals, bias clues, citation quality, and lateral-reading prompts in one no-signup worksheet.

Check a Source See Our Methodology

Check a Source

Review publisher signals before citing or sharing.

Source URL, Domain, or Publisher

Source Type

Headline, Claim, or ExcerptSource Notes

Citation Quality Checklist

The article names an author, editor, or accountable publisher.The source links to primary documents, datasets, transcripts, or direct evidence.The page clearly separates news, opinion, sponsored, and user-generated content.The source has a visible corrections policy or update note history.I found independent reporting or records that support the central claim.

Credibility Readiness

Not ready to trust. This is a research readiness score, not a truth rating.

Source Risk Flags

No source identified

high

Add a URL, domain, publication name, or account before judging credibility.

Missing accountability clues

medium

Look for an author, editor, publication date, corrections policy, and ownership information.

Citation trail unclear

high

Strong sources link back to primary evidence or explain exactly where facts came from.

Accountability Signals

Add notes about ownership, authorship, corrections, sponsorship, or citations.

Lateral Reading Prompts

this source about ownership funding corrections policythis source bias credibility fact checkthis source site:wikipedia.org OR site:mediabiasfactcheck.comthis source correction OR retraction OR lawsuit"this source" original source"this source" site:apnews.com OR site:reuters.com OR site:factcheck.orgthis source news or politics primary source documents

Source Review Worksheet

Source credibility worksheet

Source:
[Add URL, domain, publisher, or account]

Parsed domain:
[No domain detected]

Source type:
News or politics

Credibility readiness:
8/100 - Not ready to trust

Risk findings:
- No source identified: Add a URL, domain, publication name, or account before judging credibility.
- Missing accountability clues: Look for an author, editor, publication date, corrections policy, and ownership information.
- Citation trail unclear: Strong sources link back to primary evidence or explain exactly where facts came from.

Accountability signals:
- No accountability signals recorded yet.

Citation checklist:
[ ] The article names an author, editor, or accountable publisher.
[ ] The source links to primary documents, datasets, transcripts, or direct evidence.
[ ] The page clearly separates news, opinion, sponsored, and user-generated content.
[ ] The source has a visible corrections policy or update note history.
[ ] I found independent reporting or records that support the central claim.

Lateral-reading prompts:
- this source about ownership funding corrections policy
- this source bias credibility fact check
- this source site:wikipedia.org OR site:mediabiasfactcheck.com
- this source correction OR retraction OR lawsuit
- "this source" original source
- "this source" site:apnews.com OR site:reuters.com OR site:factcheck.org
- this source news or politics primary source documents

Claim or excerpt reviewed:
[Paste headline, claim, or article excerpt]

Notes:
[Add ownership, corrections, funding, source quality, and independent coverage notes]

Working conclusion:
[Reliable enough to cite / Useful with context / Needs corroboration / Do not rely on this source yet]

Review method

How to check source credibility

01
Enter the source URL, domain, publisher, or account name.
02
Paste the headline, central claim, or article excerpt.
03
Add notes about authorship, ownership, funding, corrections, and citations.
04
Review the risk flags, accountability signals, and citation checklist.
05
Use the lateral-reading prompts to compare the source with independent evidence.
06
Copy the worksheet before citing, saving, or sharing the source.

Source Credibility Checker FAQ

What is a source credibility checker?

A source credibility checker helps you review whether a publisher, domain, article, or account is transparent, well-sourced, accountable, and corroborated before you rely on it.

Does this tool rate political bias automatically?

No. It highlights bias and framing signals to investigate, but you should compare the source with primary records, independent reporting, corrections, and source ownership.

What makes a source credible?

Credible sources usually identify authors and editors, cite original evidence, separate opinion from reporting, correct mistakes, and can be verified through independent records.

How do I check if a website is trustworthy?

Start with the domain, ownership, funding, authorship, publication date, evidence links, corrections policy, and whether reputable independent sources support the same claim.

Can I use this before sharing news on social media?

Yes. Paste the source and claim, then use the risk flags and search prompts to slow down, verify context, and avoid sharing weak or misleading material.

Related Tools

Pair source review with claim review.

Use source credibility checks before you cite a publisher, then verify the specific claim with a source-first fact-check worksheet.

Fact Checker Browse the Archive All Free Tools