SIFT Fact-Checker
The SIFT method is a four-move way to verify a claim or a news story: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims to their original context. It was designed for exactly the situation where you have just been forwarded something that feels urgent.
This tool does not tell you whether something is true. It walks you through the four steps and records what you found, so you have something concrete to show someone else. A tool that printed a verdict would be guessing.
Stays in this browser tab. We do not send it anywhere. Avoid pasting confidential information — even though it stays on your device, it ends up in the report you save.
Your progress
0 / 19 · 0%Recognise that you are reacting, not thinking. An emotional reaction is the most common reason a false claim gets shared.
What you have not checked yet
These steps have nothing recorded. Anything unchecked is unknown, not passed.
- SStop
- IInvestigate the source
- FFind better coverage
- TTrace claims, quotes and media to their original context
Your report
Copy or download what you recorded so you can keep it, send it to someone, or attach it to a report.
What SIFT actually is
SIFT was developed by Mike Caulfield at Haverford College. It is short on purpose, because a verification method that takes twenty minutes will not survive contact with a group chat. The four moves are deliberately ordered: you investigate the source before you invest time reading the content, and you trace claims only once you have found coverage worth reading.
The method is not new and it does not belong to TruthLens AI. What this page does is give you a place to actually work through it, and a record of what you found.
Limitations
- No verdict. This tool never says a claim is true or false. Only you and your sources can settle that.
- Nothing is stored. Your claim and notes stay in this browser tab. Closing it clears them.
- No AI analysis. There is no model scoring your claim. Every judgement here is yours.
- Links are suggestions. We point at fact-checking organisations, not at a verdict for your specific claim.
- For videos specifically, use for transcript-grounded credibility signals.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official SIFT tool?
No. SIFT was created by Mike Caulfield at Haverford College. This is an independent, free, ad-supported checklist that implements it.
Will it tell me if a claim is true?
No. Deciding whether a claim is true requires reading sources and judging them, which is your work. Anything that printed a verdict without evidence would be misleading.
Do you store what I type?
No. The claim and your notes live in your browser tab and are never sent to a server. Clearing the page removes them.
How long should a SIFT check take?
Five minutes is usually enough to decide whether to trust a claim that merely looks odd. For something you plan to act on or share, read at least two independent sources.
What if the article has no author?
That is a meaningful signal, not a disqualifier. Anonymity means you need more corroboration before you rely on the source.
How does this compare with TruthLens video analysis?
Different jobs. SIFT is for text claims and links and runs entirely in your browser. TruthLens analyses a specific video's transcript. Both are free.
TruthLens AI does not verify claims on your behalf. See the for the limits of what this site as a whole can do.