Citation-Only Checker
Verify AI-generated citations without uploading documents. Extract just the citations from ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI output and check them for hallucinations, formatting issues, and suspicious patterns.
The Citation-Only Workflow
Traditional document upload tools require you to share entire files that may contain sensitive client information. CiteClear's citation-only approach is different:
Receive AI Output
Get text from ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI tool that includes citations
Extract Citations Only
Copy just the citation text, not the surrounding analysis or client facts
Smith v. Jones, 123 F.4th 456 (9th Cir. 2023)
Paste into CiteClear
Input the extracted citations into the citation-only checker
Get Triage Report
Receive immediate feedback on format, patterns, and potential issues
Verify and Correct
Use provided search links to manually verify flagged citations, then correct or remove as needed
Benefits of Citation-Only Verification
Privacy Protection
No confidential client information or document content is exposed
Speed
Check citations immediately without uploading large documents
No Account Needed
Start checking citations immediately without sign-up or payment
Browser-Based
All processing happens locally in your browser — no server storage
Any AI Tool
Works with citations from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other AI
Exportable Reports
Copy or download verification results for your records
What CiteClear Checks For
CiteClear's citation-only checker analyzes each citation for structural and pattern-based issues:
Format & Structure
- Proper Bluebook/ALWD formatting
- Complete citation components (parties, reporter, page, year, court)
- Correct punctuation and capitalization
- Proper use of parentheses, brackets, commas
AI Hallucination Patterns
- Impossible reporter numbers (999 F.4th, 1234 U.S.)
- Non-existent courts (13th Circuit, D. Fantasy)
- Future dates (2025, 2026, etc.)
- Generic party names (Fake v. Imaginary)
- Malformed URLs or DOIs
Citation Types Detected
- Legal cases (Brown v. Board, 347 U.S. 483)
- Statutes (18 U.S.C. § 1030)
- Regulations (42 C.F.R. § 483.12)
- DOIs (10.1234/5678-90AB)
- URLs (https://example.com)
- Academic citations
Output Provided
- Status for each citation (valid, suspicious, malformed, needs review)
- Risk level (low, medium, high)
- Reason for flagging
- Suggested action
- Search links for manual verification
- Deduplication of repeated citations
Remember: Triage, Not Verification
CiteClear provides citation triage — it helps you quickly identify which citations need closer attention. You must always manually verify legal authorities through authoritative sources like Westlaw, Lexis, or Bloomberg Law.
Who Should Use Citation-Only Checking
CiteClear's citation-only workflow is ideal for anyone who needs to verify AI-generated citations while protecting confidential information:
Lawyers & Legal Professionals
Verify citations in briefs, memos, and motions without exposing client confidences
Paralegals & Legal Assistants
Quickly triage AI-generated legal research before attorney review
Academic Researchers
Check AI-assisted literature reviews without sharing unpublished work
Students
Verify citations in AI-assisted assignments and research papers
Consultants
Check AI-generated reports and deliverables without exposing client data
Journalists & Writers
Verify AI-assisted research without uploading sensitive notes or sources
Compliance Officers
Audit AI-generated compliance documents for accuracy
Business Professionals
Check AI-generated market research and competitive analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "citation-only" mean?
Citation-only means you paste only the citation text itself (e.g., "Brown v. Board, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)"), not the surrounding document content, client facts, or analysis. This protects confidentiality while still allowing verification of the citation's format and authenticity.
Why is citation-only better for privacy?
Traditional document upload tools require you to send your entire file, which may contain sensitive client information, confidential facts, or privileged communications. Citation-only checking lets you extract just the reference identifiers and verify those, without exposing any other content.
Can I check a full document with citations?
Yes, CiteClear also offers a full document checker for situations where confidentiality is not a concern. However, the citation-only approach provides the same verification for citations while being much more privacy-friendly.
How do I extract citations from AI output?
Simply copy all text that looks like citations. This includes parenthetical references like "(Brown v. Board, 347 U.S. 483 (1954))", footnotes, bracketed citations, URLs, DOIs, or any text that references a source. Paste these into CiteClear, one per line or separated by newlines.
Does citation-only checking work with all citation styles?
Yes. CiteClear recognizes Bluebook (legal), APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, Harvard, and other common citation styles. It analyzes the structure and format regardless of the specific style used.
Is there a limit to how many citations I can check?
No. CiteClear's citation-only checker has no limit on the number of citations you can verify.
Can I save the verification results?
Yes. After verification, you can copy the full report as markdown or download a CSV file for your records.
Does citation-only checking work offline?
Essentially yes. CiteClear runs in your browser, so all the pattern matching and analysis happens locally on your device. The search links provided require an internet connection to access external databases.
Try the citation-only checker now
Protect confidentiality while verifying AI citations. No document upload. No account needed.