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Fact-check AI content with Perplexity

Fact-check the stats, dates and quotes in an AI-written draft with Perplexity: open the cited sources, then fix or cut each claim in under 20 minutes.

By Recaply EditorsBeginner17 min5 stepsUpdated

A hand holds a magnifying glass over a blank paper card, tied by a short thread to a second card held by a pushpin

What you need

  1. Step 1: List the claims to check

    3 min

    A claim you never list is a claim you never check.

    1. Read the draft once and copy every checkable fact into a new note, one per line.
    2. Look for numbers, dates, prices, product names, quotes and news events.
    3. Skip opinions and advice. Only facts can be right or wrong.

    You should see a numbered list of claims, each one a single sentence.

    The list is too long to check?

    Start with the claims a reader would act on or repeat, such as prices, numbers and quotes. Then cut any claim the draft doesn't need.

  2. Step 2: Ask Perplexity about one claim

    4 min

    One claim per question keeps the answer and its citations focused.

    1. Go to perplexity.ai and sign in.
    2. In the question box, make sure Search is picked. Pro Search runs on its own when your plan includes it.
    3. Paste the prompt below, put your claim in place of [CLAIM], and send it.
    Your prompt
    Fact-check this claim: "[CLAIM]"

Is it accurate as written? Find the original source, such as the company, the study or the official record. Give the source's date. Quote the line that supports or contradicts the claim. Say if any reliable source disagrees.

    You should see a short verdict with numbered citations after each statement.

    The answer just repeats the claim back?

    Ask a follow-up: "Which source said this first, and on what date?" If no source turns up, treat the claim as unproven.

    Every answer cites its sources, on every plan. Pro Search is the deeper search, and Free gets 3 a day.

  3. Step 3: Open the sources yourself

    4 min

    A citation shows where Perplexity looked. It doesn't prove the page says what the answer says.

    1. Hover over a citation number to preview the source, then click it to open the full page.
    2. On the source page, find the exact sentence or number behind the claim.
    3. Highlight a line in the answer to see which sources it draws on.
    4. Check for a shield label on the source: Government, Academic or Trusted.

    You should see the original page, with the fact in its own words and with its own date.

    The source says something different from the answer?

    Go with the source. Use its wording and its numbers in your draft, and mark the claim as fixed.

    A label rates the whole website, not one article. A source with no label simply hasn't been rated yet.

  4. Step 4: Fix or cut each claim

    3 min

    Every claim ends up confirmed, fixed or cut, so nothing slips through half-checked.

    1. Mark each claim in your list as confirmed, fixed or cut.
    2. For a fixed claim, copy the number or date from the source, not from Perplexity's answer.
    3. Add a link to the source next to each confirmed claim.
    4. Cut any claim with no source, or rewrite it as an open question.

    You should see a list where every claim has a mark and a source link.

    Two good sources disagree?

    Use the primary source, such as the company's own page or the original study. For a hard case, pick Deep Research from the Search menu to pull in more sources.

  5. Step 5: Save the check as a Project

    3 min

    A Project keeps your fact-check instructions, so you and your team run the same check every time.

    1. In the left sidebar, select Projects, then New project, and name it Fact-check.
    2. Open the project's Settings and paste the text below as its instructions.
    3. Ask about each new claim inside this Project. Its instructions apply to every question there.
    Your instructions
    You are a fact-checker. For each claim I paste, find the original source and give its date. Quote the line that supports or contradicts the claim. Start your answer with one word: Confirmed, Wrong or Unproven. Then explain in 2 sentences. Never guess. If you find no source, answer Unproven.

    You should see a Fact-check project in your sidebar, with its instructions saved.

    No Projects in the sidebar?

    Perplexity says Projects are for Computer users, and the Free plan doesn't include Computer. On Free, keep the instructions in a note and paste them above each claim.

    Projects are private by default. You can invite people with Can view or Can edit access.

You get

An AI-written draft where every fact links to a source you opened yourself

Try next

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