Etoolio

AI Citation Verifier

Free AI citation verifier. Paste a ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude answer plus its sources, and it fetches each cited link and checks whether the source actually supports the claim. Catches hallucinated citations.

Catch AI citations that don't say what the AI claims

AI assistants sound authoritative, and they now attach sources to back themselves up. The problem is that those citations often don't support the claim: the page doesn't contain the fact, it says something slightly different, it's about another topic, or the link simply doesn't exist. This free AI citation verifier reads the actual source for each claim and tells you whether it holds up, so you can catch a hallucinated citation before you trust it or publish it.

How it works

  • Paste the AI answer with its citation markers, the [1] [2] style that ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Gemini produce, or with inline links.
  • Paste the source list, one URL per line, numbered to match the markers.
  • We fetch each cited page, find the passage most relevant to the claim, and a language model judges whether that source supports the claim, using only the source text.
  • You get a verdict per citation: supported, partly supported, not supported, not found in the source, or source unreachable, each with a short quote and reason, plus an overall trust score.

What the verdicts mean

  • Supported: the source clearly states or directly backs the claim.
  • Partly supported: the source is related and partly backs it, but overstates, omits a key qualifier, or only implies it.
  • Not supported: the source is on-topic but does not back the claim, or contradicts it. This is the classic hallucinated-citation signature.
  • Not found in source: the page doesn't mention the claim's subject at all.
  • Source unreachable: the page blocks automated requests, needs a login, or renders only in JavaScript, so it couldn't be read automatically. Check these by hand.

Who it's for

Anyone who publishes or acts on AI-written content: writers and editors fact-checking a draft, students checking an AI research summary, analysts validating a report, and SEO and GEO teams making sure their own cited claims stand up. It's also a quick way to see how reliable a given assistant's citations really are.

Good to know

  • It checks up to eight citations per run so it stays fast and within the free AI model's limits. Verify longer answers in batches.
  • Only sentences that actually cite a source are checked. Sentences that make a claim but cite nothing are listed separately, so you know exactly what couldn't be verified.
  • It reads a slice of each source and runs on free models, so treat it as a strong first pass rather than a final ruling, and confirm anything important against the source yourself.
  • Your source URLs are fetched on our server to get past cross-origin limits; the answer text is sent to a free AI model to judge each claim, so avoid pasting confidential content.

Good to know

AI Citation Verifier, frequently asked questions

What does the AI citation verifier do?

It checks whether the sources an AI cited actually back up what it said. You paste an AI answer (with its [1] [2] citation markers or inline links) and the list of source URLs; the tool fetches each source, then a language model reads it and judges, claim by claim, whether the source supports the claim, partly supports it, doesn't support it, or doesn't mention it. You get a per-citation verdict and an overall trust score.

Why do I need to check AI citations?

AI assistants routinely produce confident answers with citations that don't say what the AI claims, or don't exist at all. A link looks authoritative, but the page may not contain the fact, may state the opposite, or may be about something else. Verifying the citations is the fastest way to catch these hallucinations before you rely on or publish an answer.

Which AI tools does it work with?

Any that give citations: ChatGPT (with search), Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and others. Paste the answer with its [1]-style markers and paste the matching numbered source list, or paste text that has inline links. The verifier pairs each claim with the source it cites.

How does it decide if a source supports a claim?

For each claim it fetches the cited page, finds the most relevant passage, and asks a language model to judge support using only that source text, not outside knowledge. The verdict is one of: supported, partly supported, not supported, not found in source, or source unreachable, with a short quote and reason.

Why are some sources marked 'unreachable'?

Some pages block automated requests, sit behind a paywall or login, or are rendered entirely in JavaScript, so a server can't read their text. Those are marked unreachable rather than guessed, and you should open and check them yourself. It works best with normal article and documentation pages.

How many citations can I check at once?

Up to eight citations per run, so the check stays fast and within the free AI model's limits. If your answer has more, verify them in batches. Only sentences that actually cite a source are checked; uncited claims are listed separately so you know what couldn't be verified.

Is it accurate enough to trust blindly?

Treat it as a strong first pass, not a final ruling. It runs on free models and reads a slice of each source, so it can occasionally misjudge nuanced claims. Use it to catch the obvious hallucinated or mismatched citations, then confirm anything important against the source yourself.

Is it free?

Yes, free with no signup. It fetches your source URLs on the server to get past cross-origin limits, then uses a free AI model to judge each claim.

Keep going

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