source-url-check

name	source-url-check
description	Verify cited, embedded, or recommended URLs in blog drafts using local research tools or equivalent web access. Use when a blog article contains source links, outbound links, citations, or recommended URLs that must be checked to confirm the page exists, is not a 404 or soft-404, and matches the expected content before publication.

Source URL Check

Verify source URLs without turning the pass into a sourcing memo.

Read

• the active writer skill's workflow file
• the active writer skill's review-passes file
• the active writer skill's MCP or research-tools reference when available

Workflow

1. List the URLs that appear in the draft, notes, citations, or planned outbound links.
2. Check the exact URL first with the local research tools:
   • fetch_page
   • web_search
3. Treat the URL as verified only if the page resolves and the page content matches what the draft says it is.
4. Watch for failure modes:
   • hard 404s
   • soft 404s or "page not found" content on a 200 page
   • redirects to a homepage, category page, or login wall when the draft expects a specific article or doc page
   • a different article, product page, or domain than the draft implies
5. If the exact URL fails or looks wrong, use web_search to find the likely canonical page.
6. Replace broken or mismatched URLs when a clearly better canonical URL exists.
7. Remove or soften URLs you cannot verify.

Guardrails

• check URL existence and page identity, not claim accuracy
• leave factual verification to the fact-check pass
• prefer canonical docs, company pages, or original publications over tracking links, mirrors, or syndication copies
• if no URLs are present, say so briefly and stop

Output

Return:

• the revised draft if any URLs changed
• a short list of checked URLs and whether they passed
• any URLs replaced or removed
• what still remains uncertain