Large models write with confidence, even when they’re wrong. That’s a trust problem, not just a model problem. The fix is a light, repeatable human‑in‑the‑loop quality check that catches bad facts before they ever hit “Post.”
Below is a practical six‑check workflow you can paste into any content pipeline: blog posts, product pages, ad copy, emails, internal docs. It keeps velocity high and hallucinations low.
1) Ground‑Truth Source Pack
Give the model and the reviewer the same truth set. Create a short “source pack” before drafting: the approved data sheet, the internal doc, the canonical URL, the spreadsheet, or the expert note. If a claim isn’t supported by this pack (or a clearly cited authoritative source), it doesn’t ship. This one step prevents most inventions.
2) Claim Trace Map
Every non‑obvious sentence should trace back to a source. Do a quick pass and annotate paragraphs with their evidence: “From product spec,” “From customer FAQ,” “From analyst report.” Use inline links or a bracketed note. If you can’t point to a source in under 10 seconds, the claim is either out or rewritten to something you can prove.
3) Entity & Math Verification
Names, dates, model numbers, prices, units, and counts are where AI fakes it most. Scan for proper nouns and numerics. Confirm spellings, SKUs, dimensions, offsets, capacities, percentages, currency, and unit conversions. Do simple cross‑checks: do totals add up, does the date match the announcement, do the units make sense. If numbers disagree across the piece, the most convenient one is usually wrong.
4) Quote & Link Integrity
Quotes must be exact; links must prove the thing you say they prove. Open every link. Does the linked page actually support the sentence it follows? Are quotes verbatim and in context? If you’re summarizing, say so. If a link 404s or points to a homepage instead of the specific evidence, fix it or drop the claim.
5) Freshness & Contradiction Check
Yesterday’s truth can be today’s mistake. For anything time‑sensitive (prices, availability, leadership titles, regulations, software versions) do a quick “what changed since <month/year>?” scan. Look for contradictions: competitors, official docs, or recent updates. If reality moved, update the copy or add a date (“as of March 2025”) so readers know what window the claim covers.
6) SME Micro‑Review & Ownership
A five‑minute subject‑matter pass beats a thousand vibes checks. Ask one domain person (product, legal, compliance, ops) to skim for wrong‑direction statements, unsafe advice, or off‑brand claims. Use a simple yes/no gate: “Safe to publish?” If it’s a no, require either a corrected source or a rewrite. Record who signed off so accountability lives somewhere real.
The 5‑Minute Pre‑Publish Flow
Open the draft and run this sequence, in order:
- Confirm the Source Pack exists and matches the brief.
- Trace each paragraph to a source.
- Validate entities and numbers.
- Click every link and spot‑check quotes.
- Run a quick freshness search for anything that ages fast.
- Get SME sign‑off and log it.
If you can’t finish a step, don’t skip it; flag the section and remove the risky line until proof exists.
What “Good” Looks Like (examples you can reuse)
- “All specs in this guide are pulled from the official product sheet; last refreshed April 2025.”
- “Pricing is accurate as of Q3 2025 and may change.”
- “Feature comparison links point to the vendor’s release notes, not a blog summary.”
- “Named the exact model and trim, not the family.”
- “Numbers reconcile across intro, body, and summary.”
Minimal QC Footer (paste into your team template)
- Source Pack attached
- All claims traced to evidence
- Entities & numbers verified
- Quotes & links audited
- Freshness / contradiction check done
- SME sign‑off: ____ Date: ____
Where teams usually slip—and how to fix it fast
- Spec creep: The draft adds “helpful” details not in the pack. Solution: delete or source it.
- Link laziness: Linking a homepage or a blog, not the origin. Solution: link the primary doc.
- Rotted dates: “New” features from last year. Solution: add “as of” and re‑verify.
- Math drift: Updated numbers in one section, not others. Solution: global replace after final tally.
- Ownership vacuum: No one signs. Solution: require a name on the QC footer.
Make it stick
- Add the six checks as a required step in your CMS or task board.
- Store approved Source Packs in a shared folder with clear names.
- Keep a short “hallucination log” with patterns you catch; tune prompts and guardrails from it. I can’t emphasize enough how critical this is.
- Train the model to cite: ask for inline sources and refuse unsourced claims; your human QC then verifies, not hunts.
Copy‑Paste Version for Your SOP
Human‑in‑the‑Loop QC (Pre‑Publish)
- Ground‑Truth Source Pack ready.
- Claim Trace Map across the draft.
- Entity & Math Verification complete.
- Quote & Link Integrity checked.
- Freshness & Contradiction Check done.
- SME Micro‑Review & Ownership recorded.