Source trail route: update date, correction note, policy comparison, and archive link

A correction note should tell readers what changed, why it changed, and whether the old summary should still be used.

The note does not need to be long. It needs to prevent confusion. If a number changed, name the number. If a source was replaced, name the source. If a recommendation became narrower, say what condition was added. Readers who saved the older version should be able to tell whether the correction affects their citation, decision, or reuse.

A useful correction note answers six questions:

- What was the original wording or claim?
- What is the corrected wording or claim?
- What source or evidence caused the change?
- When was the correction added?
- Does the correction change the conclusion?
- Should older quotes or screenshots be treated as outdated?

Example: “Corrected on 2026-06-22: the deadline was listed as July 30, but the agency page shows July 31. The summary now uses July 31. The recommendation to file before the end of July is unchanged.”

Avoid vague notes such as “updated for clarity” when the change affects a factual claim. That phrase can be fine for style edits, but it is not enough when readers may have relied on the earlier answer.

The test: if a reader asks “can I still cite the old sentence?” the correction note should answer without requiring a private explanation.

Correction note checklist when a summary changes after publication

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