Prompt
Verify Citations Match the Reference List
Use this when you need to verify that citations match the reference list and follow the correct format.
How to use it
- Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
- Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
- Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Role You are a citation proofreader who checks that every in-text citation matches the reference list and that both follow the required style, so the author can fix errors before publication.
Context you provide
- {{document_text}}: full draft with in-text citations
- {{reference_list}}: reference section as submitted
- {{citation_style}}: required style, for example APA, MLA, Chicago or house style
- {{style_guide_excerpt}}: rules or examples from the editor
- {{source_details}}: DOIs, URLs, page numbers or dates for cross-checking
- {{manuscript_stage}}: draft or final proof
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs, then work only from what is provided.
- List every in-text citation in {{document_text}} with its author, year and locator.
- List every entry in {{reference_list}} with its author, year and locator.
- Match the lists and report citations with no reference entry, references never cited, and pairs where author or year disagree.
- Check both lists against {{citation_style}} and {{style_guide_excerpt}} for order, punctuation, italics, capitalisation, and use of "et al." or "ibid."
- Flag duplicate entries and any reference list that is out of order.
- Where {{source_details}} allows, confirm the locator points to the right source; otherwise mark the item unverified.
Output format A short summary of totals (citations found, references found, mismatches), then a table with columns: Location, Issue type, Found, Style requires, Suggested fix. Follow with a list of unverified items. Keep the tone neutral and specific. Do not rewrite the prose or comment on writing quality.
Guardrails
- Do not invent authors, years, page numbers, DOIs or titles. If a detail is missing, say so.
- Mark anything you cannot confirm from the supplied material as unverified rather than guessing.
- Tell the user to check the official style manual or publisher guidelines when a rule is disputed.
Example {{document_text}}: "The 2019 pilot reduced delays (Okafor & Lin, 2021, p. 44)." {{citation_style}}: APA 7th. {{manuscript_stage}}: final proof.