An answer arrives with neat paragraphs and three citations. It feels finished. The useful question is whether the linked pages establish the particular claim you are about to rely on.
Pick the claim that matters
Do not begin by checking every sentence equally. Identify the statement that would change your decision: compatibility with your device, a product limitation or a deadline.
NIST describes the risk of generative systems producing confidently incorrect content, including citations. A polished explanation is therefore a starting point for verification, not a substitute for it.
Open the source yourself
Check that the page exists, belongs to the stated publisher and contains the relevant information. Then read the surrounding paragraph. A source about an earlier product version may be accurate while failing to support a claim about the current one.
A link to a company’s home page is not evidence for a detailed feature claim. Look for the specific documentation, announcement or underlying study.
Separate evidence from interpretation
Imagine an answer saying a device “works offline”. The source might describe only viewing previously downloaded files. That difference matters if you wanted to edit new documents on a flight.
Write the claim and the supporting passage in your own notes. If there is a gap, narrow the claim instead of quietly filling it with an assumption.
Check the date and the exception
Look for publication or update dates, supported regions, subscription tiers and version requirements. Where the result matters, compare with another independent or primary source.
Asking the same system to repeat its answer is not independent confirmation. If evidence is unavailable, leave the point unresolved. “Not verified” is a more useful label than a confident sentence you cannot substantiate.