Factchecker Plugin Users Guide
📖 Factchecker Plugin – Complete User Guide
Version 1.0.0 | Professional Fact-Checking for WordPress
📑 Table of Contents
🎯 Introduction
What is Factchecker?
Factchecker is a professional WordPress plugin that helps you create accurate, credible, and trustworthy content by:
✓ Verifying Claims
Real-time verification of factual claims using Tavily API
📚 Discovering Sources
Get specific, credible source recommendations automatically
⭐ Assessing Quality
Evaluate content based on professional journalism standards
💡 Providing Guidance
Actionable recommendations to improve accuracy
Who Should Use This Plugin?
- Content Creators – Ensure your articles are accurate and well-sourced
- Editors – Review content quality before publication
- Publishers – Maintain high editorial standards across your site
- Journalists – Apply professional fact-checking to digital content
- Bloggers – Build credibility with your audience
Key Benefits
- ✅ Catch errors before publishing – Identify unsupported claims and missing citations
- ✅ Save research time – Get source recommendations automatically
- ✅ Build trust – Publish well-verified, credible content
- ✅ Improve SEO – Well-sourced content ranks better
- ✅ Learn fact-checking – Educational feedback helps you improve
🚀 Getting Started
Installation
See the Quick Start Guide for detailed setup instructions.
Quick version:
- Upload and activate plugin
- Go to Settings → Factchecker
- Configure basic settings
- Set up Tavily (optional but recommended)
- Test on sample content
First-Time Setup Checklist
- Plugin installed and activated
- Basic settings configured
- Tavily API key added (optional)
- Test connection successful
- First analysis completed
- Results reviewed and understood
- Team trained on usage
💻 Using the Plugin
Where to Find Factchecker
| Editor Type | Location | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Editor | Above content area, next to “Add Media” | Two buttons, Visual & Text mode support |
| Block Editor | Sidebar panel + More Options menu (⋮) | Block selection, multi-block support |
Two Ways to Analyze
1. Factcheck All (Recommended)
What it does: Analyzes your entire post or page content
When to use:
- Before publishing new content
- Reviewing existing posts
- Getting overall content assessment
- Checking comprehensive articles
How to use:
- Write or open your content
- Click green “Factcheck All” button
- Wait for analysis (5-30 seconds)
- Review results
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F
2. Factcheck Selection
What it does: Analyzes only the text you select
When to use:
- Checking specific paragraphs
- Verifying particular claims
- Analyzing quotes or statistics
- Spot-checking sections
How to use:
- Highlight the text you want to check
- Click blue “Factcheck Selection” button
- Wait for analysis
- Review results
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + S
The Analysis Process
What happens during analysis:
| Stage | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Content Extraction | Plugin reads your content, strips HTML, identifies claims | 1-2 sec |
| 2. Claim Verification | Sends claims to Tavily, searches sources, assesses credibility | 3-15 sec |
| 3. Structure Analysis | Checks headings, paragraphs, lists, readability | 1-2 sec |
| 4. Citation Check | Counts links, identifies patterns, flags missing sources | 1-2 sec |
| 5. Recommendations | Calculates score, prioritizes issues, creates action items | 1-2 sec |
Total time: 5-30 seconds depending on content length and Tavily usage
Viewing Results
Results appear in a modal dialog with:
- Header – Overall credibility level, word count, Tavily badge
- Critical Issues – Unsupported claims, missing citations, legal/ethical risks
- Factual Claims – Each claim with verification status and sources
- Recommendations – Priority actions, important improvements, suggested enhancements
- Footer – Copy Results and Close buttons
Copying Results
To save or share your analysis:
- Click “Copy Results” button
- Results copied to clipboard in text format
- Paste into documents, emails, task systems, or editorial notes
Copied format includes: Credibility assessment, word count, analysis time, all issues and recommendations, source citations, timestamp
📊 Understanding Results
Credibility Levels
Your content receives an overall credibility score from 0-100:
| Level | Score | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 80-100 | Well-optimized, ready to publish | Review minor suggestions, then publish |
| Moderate | 60-79 | Solid foundation, room for improvement | Address important recommendations |
| Low | 40-59 | Significant improvements needed | Substantial revision required |
| Critical | 0-39 | Major restructuring needed | Major rewrite; do not publish |
Verification Statuses (Tavily)
When Tavily is enabled, each factual claim receives a status:
Verified
Meaning: Multiple authoritative sources confirm this claim
Criteria:
- 2+ high-credibility sources (Tier 1 or Tier 2)
- Sources are recent and relevant
- Sources are independent (not citing each other)
Action: Great! Keep this claim as-is
Claim: “Electric vehicle sales grew 40% in 2023”
Status: ✅ VERIFIED
Sources:
– International Energy Agency (Tier 1)
– Bloomberg News (Tier 2)
– Reuters (Tier 1)
Partially Verified
Meaning: Some support exists but limited or uncertain
Criteria:
- 1-2 sources support the claim
- Sources may be dated or secondary
- Some contradictory information exists
Action: Consider adding more sources or qualifying the claim
Unverified
Meaning: No credible sources found to support this claim
Criteria:
- Tavily search returned no relevant sources
- Or only unreliable sources found
Action: Add citation or remove/revise the claim
Contradicted
Meaning: Credible sources disagree with or contradict this claim
Criteria:
- Sources found that dispute the claim
- Evidence contradicts the statement
Action: Fact-check carefully, likely needs correction
Source Credibility Tiers
| Tier | Types | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Government (.gov, .mil), Academic (.edu), International orgs, Major news (AP, Reuters), Peer-reviewed journals | Highest – Use whenever possible |
| Tier 2 | Established news (NYT, WSJ), Think tanks, Professional associations, Fact-checkers (Snopes) | High – Reliable for most purposes |
| Tier 3 | Industry publications, Corporate sources, Regional news, Specialized blogs | Moderate – Use with verification |
Recommendation Categories
| Category | Priority | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Actions | Critical | Must address before publishing |
| Important Improvements | High | Significant issues affecting credibility |
| Suggested Enhancements | Medium | Optional improvements for better content |
🔍 Tavily Integration
What is Tavily?
Tavily is an AI-optimized search API designed specifically for fact-checking and research.
🎯 Authoritative Sources
Prioritizes .gov, .edu, major news outlets
⚡ Fast Response
1-3 seconds per query
📊 Structured Data
Clean, parseable results with metadata
🤖 AI Summaries
Intelligent summaries of findings
Why Use Tavily?
| Feature | Without Tavily | With Tavily |
|---|---|---|
| Claim Verification | Manual checking required | ✅ Real-time verification |
| Source Discovery | Generic suggestions | ✅ Specific URLs with excerpts |
| Credibility Assessment | Basic analysis | ✅ 3-tier credibility scoring |
| Analysis Depth | Structure & citations only | ✅ Full fact-checking |
Setting Up Tavily
Step 1: Get API Key
- Visit tavily.com/signup
- Create free account
- Copy your API key
Step 2: Configure Plugin
- Go to Settings → Factchecker → Tavily Integration
- Check “Enable Tavily”
- Paste API key
- Click “Test Connection”
- Configure options
- Save changes
Understanding Tavily Costs
| Tier | API Calls | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000/month | $0 | Small blogs, personal sites |
| Pro | 10,000+/month | ~$29-49 | Professional publishers, agencies |
Built-in Optimizations
The plugin includes automatic optimizations that save 40-60% of API calls:
- Intelligent Caching (30-50% savings) – Caches responses for 24 hours
- Query Prioritization (40-60% savings) – Limits to 10 queries per analysis
- Request Batching (20-30% savings) – Combines similar claims
- Smart Defaults (50% savings) – Uses Basic depth when appropriate
⭐ Best Practices
Content Creation Workflow
Recommended process:
- Draft – Write your content naturally
- First Check – Run Factcheck All to identify issues
- Research – Add citations for flagged claims
- Revise – Improve structure and sources
- Second Check – Verify improvements
- Polish – Final edits
- Final Check – One last verification
- Publish – With confidence!
What Makes Good Content?
| Element | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3+ external links to authoritative sources |
| Structure | Clear headings every 200-300 words |
| Paragraphs | 3-4 sentences each |
| Claims | Every factual assertion has a source |
| Sources | Tier 1 sources for critical claims |
| Recency | Within 12 months for current topics |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Publishing without fact-checking – Always check before publishing
- ❌ Ignoring critical issues – Red flags must be addressed
- ❌ Using only Tier 3 sources – Aim for Tier 1 and 2
- ❌ No citations at all – Even opinions need supporting evidence
- ❌ Copying without attribution – Always cite your sources
- ❌ Outdated sources – Check publication dates
- ❌ Ignoring context – Statistics need context, quotes need attribution
⚙️ Settings & Configuration
General Settings
| Setting | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Factchecker | Checked | Master on/off switch |
| Content Size Limit | 512000 bytes | Prevent memory issues |
| Analysis Timeout | 120 seconds | Maximum analysis time |
| Rate Limit | 50 per hour | Prevent server overload |
Tavily Settings
| Setting | Options | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Search Depth | Basic / Advanced | Advanced for published content |
| Max Results | 1-10 | 5 is optimal balance |
| Trusted Domains | Comma-separated | .gov, .edu, reuters.com |
| Monthly Quota | Based on plan | 1000 (free) or 10000+ (pro) |
🔧 Troubleshooting
Common Issues & Solutions
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| “No content found” | Editor empty or content not detected | Ensure content exists, try switching modes |
| “Content too large” | Exceeds size limit | Select smaller portion or increase limit |
| “Analysis timed out” | Content too large or server slow | Analyze smaller section or increase timeout |
| Buttons don’t appear | Cache or plugin conflict | Clear cache, check for conflicts |
| Tavily connection failed | Invalid API key or quota exceeded | Verify key, check quota, test connection |
❓ FAQ
General Questions
Q: Is the plugin free?
A: Yes, the plugin itself is free. Tavily API has a free tier (1,000 calls/month) and paid tiers for higher volume.
Q: Does it work with Gutenberg?
A: Yes! Full support for both Classic Editor and Block Editor (Gutenberg).
Q: Will it slow down my site?
A: No, it only runs in the admin area when editing posts. Zero impact on public-facing site.
Tavily Questions
Q: Do I need Tavily?
A: No, but it’s highly recommended for real-time verification and source discovery.
Q: Is my content sent to Tavily?
A: Only extracted factual claims (text only), not full content. No personal data sent.
📚 Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Analysis | Process of evaluating content for factual accuracy and quality |
| API Key | Unique identifier for accessing Tavily API |
| Cache | Temporary storage of Tavily results to reduce API calls |
| Claim | A factual statement that can be verified |
| Citation | Reference to a source supporting a claim |
| Credibility | Measure of how trustworthy and well-sourced content is |
| Primary Source | Original source of information (research paper, official statement) |
| Quota | Monthly limit of API calls allowed by your Tavily plan |
| Tier | Credibility level of a source (1=highest, 3=moderate) |
| Verification | Process of confirming accuracy of a claim |
🎉 You’re Ready!
You now have everything you need to use Factchecker effectively.
Need more help? Contact support@it-influentials.com
Thank you for using Factchecker Plugin!
From the team at IT Influentials
