Content creation
Review AI content before publishing
You will have a short review routine you can run on any draft in under ten minutes.
Before you start
- A draft you want to publish, whether or not an AI assistant helped write it
- The source material the draft is based on
- No paid tool or account is needed
Why a review step matters
AI-assisted drafts read smoothly, which makes mistakes easy to miss. A wrong date or an invented claim looks just as confident as a correct one. You are the publisher, so the check is yours.
The five checks
- Facts: is every number, date, name and claim in your source or something you know first-hand?
- Permissions: do you have the right to use every quote, image, name and story in it?
- Voice: does it sound like you, in the words your audience uses?
- Links: does every link open, and does it go where the text says?
- Next action: does the reader know the one thing to do next?
Work through them in order. Stop and fix as you go.
Checking facts quickly
Highlight every checkable detail in the draft. Next to each, write where it came from: “my notes”, “price list”, “website page”. Anything without a source goes, or you find a real one.
Be wary of claims about laws, health, money or other people’s products. If you cannot verify them yourself, leave them out.
Worked example
Aroha runs a small bakery. This is a made-up example. An assistant drafted this caption.
Our famous sourdough is baked fresh every day and has won three local awards. Order by Friday for free delivery. Link in bio.
- Facts: “three local awards” is not in Aroha’s notes. Removed.
- Permissions: no photos or quotes, so nothing to clear.
- Voice: Aroha never says “famous”. Changed to “our sourdough”.
- Links: the link in bio goes to last month’s menu. Updated.
- Next action: “Order by Friday” is clear. Kept. “Free delivery” was not offered. Removed.
Keep a short record
Note what you fixed. After a few drafts you will see patterns, such as invented numbers, and you can add a line to your prompt to prevent them next time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming smooth writing means correct writing
- Checking the grammar but not the facts
- Leaving promises in a draft that your business does not offer
- Publishing links without opening them
- Skipping the review when you are in a hurry
Final checklist
- Every fact traces to my source or first-hand knowledge
- I have permission for every quote, image and name
- The draft sounds like me
- Every link opens and goes to the right place
- The reader knows the one next action