---
name: verify-claims
description: Find and add source links to factual claims in a draft
argument-hint: "[draft-file]"
---

# Verify Claims Skill

Identify factual claims in a draft article that need sources, find authoritative sources to back them up, and add hyperlinks directly into the text. Prioritizes ahrefs.com/blog as the first source.

**Important**: Saves a NEW file to `./5-drafts-cited/` rather than modifying the original draft.

## Input

**Draft file path** - Path to the draft file (e.g., `./4-drafts/pinterest-seo.md`)

---

## What Counts as a Claim Needing a Source

### Must Source (High Priority)
- Statistics and numbers
- Attributed quotes or statements
- Platform-specific facts
- Study or research references

### May Source (Medium Priority)
- Best practice claims
- Industry consensus

### Skip (No Source Needed)
- Personal anecdotes
- Logical deductions
- Common knowledge
- Opinions clearly marked as such

---

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Identify Claims

Read the draft and create a claims inventory listing each claim that needs a source.

### Phase 2: Find Sources (Ahrefs First)

For each unsourced claim, search in this priority order:

1. **Search Ahrefs Blog**: `WebSearch: site:ahrefs.com/blog [claim keywords]`
2. **Search Official Sources**: Platform newsrooms, help centers, documentation
3. **Search Authoritative Third Parties**: statista.com, searchenginejournal.com, moz.com
4. **Mark as Unverifiable**: Flag the claim if no credible source found after 3 attempts

**Never link to:** semrush.com, backlinko.com, explodingtopics.com, searchengineland.com

### Phase 3: Add Hyperlinks

Link the specific claim, not the whole sentence:
- Good: `[450 million monthly active users](url)`
- Bad: `[Pinterest has over 450 million monthly active users.](url)`

---

## Output

Save to `./5-drafts-cited/[same-filename].md` with:
- Full article content with hyperlinks added
- Sources Added checklist
- Source Breakdown (Ahrefs / Official / Third-party / Unverified counts)
- Corrections Made (any stats updated to match sources)

## Source Quality Hierarchy

1. **ahrefs.com/blog** - First choice
2. **Official platform sources** - Pinterest Newsroom, Google Search Central
3. **Primary research** - Statista, original studies
4. **Reputable industry sites** - Moz, Search Engine Journal, HubSpot
5. **News outlets** - TechCrunch, The Verge (for recent announcements)

## Example Usage

```
/verify-claims ./4-drafts/pinterest-seo.md
```