Free reference checker
Paste a reference list (any style), DOIs, BibTeX or RIS. Each entry is checked against Crossref and OpenAlex and marked Verified, Mismatch or Not found, with a link to the record. Free, no sign-in, up to 30 references at a time.
Questions
How do I know if a reference is real?
Look it up in Crossref or OpenAlex, the open registries publishers use for DOIs. This tool does that for every entry: it resolves the DOI if there is one, otherwise searches by title, and checks that the title and year match.
What does 'Mismatch' mean?
Something real was found, but a detail disagrees: the DOI points to a different paper, the DOI does not resolve although the title exists, or the year is off by more than a year. These are common in AI-written reference lists.
Does 'Not found' mean the reference is fake?
Not always. Books, theses, reports and very new papers may not be in Crossref or OpenAlex. Check those by hand. A journal article with a DOI that is not found is a strong warning sign.
Is my text stored?
No. The references are checked and the results returned; nothing is saved.