A Practical Guide to Proofreading and Quality Checks
The final check for errors in spelling, grammar, links, facts and formatting before publishing.
Dana Whitfield
What is at stake
Errors undermine credibility, and most are caught by a structured check rather than more reading.
The playbook
- Use a publishing checklist
- Have someone other than the author check
- Automate spelling and link checking
- Verify facts and figures against sources
- Check formatting on mobile before publishing
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Authors as the only checker
- Checks skipped under deadline
- Links never verified
- Formatting checked only on desktop
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fresh eyes | authors miss their own errors |
| Checklists | make checks repeatable |
| Links | broken links are a common publishing error |
| Automation | spelling and link checks can be automated |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when published errors keep appearing.
Where this comes from
- Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Writing Style Guide
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative — Easy Checks
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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