How to fact-check a YouTube video before you believe it

Why YouTube videos want to convince you

A YouTube creator earns money when you click their affiliate links, buy their course, sign up for a platform they promote, or subscribe to a sponsor they mention. This creates a structural incentive to be persuasive — not necessarily accurate.

This does not mean every video is dishonest. It means that every video that gives you advice has a business model behind it, and it is worth understanding what that model is before you act on the advice.

What to look for

1. Unsourced claims

A claim without a source is not necessarily false — but it cannot be verified. Watch for phrases like "studies show", "experts say" or "everyone knows" without a link, a name or a citation. The more specific the claim ("this supplement increases testosterone by 40%"), the more a source matters.

2. Disclosed sponsors

In most countries, creators are legally required to disclose paid partnerships. Look for mentions at the start of the video ("this video is sponsored by…") or in the description ("#ad", "#sponsored", "#partnership"). A disclosure does not disqualify the content — it just tells you who paid for it.

3. Affiliate links

Affiliate links earn the creator a commission when you buy through them. They appear as:

• Amazon links with a tag parameter (tag=... or tag=channelname-20)
• Shortened links (bit.ly, amzn.to, etc.) that hide the destination
• Promo codes ("use code CHANNEL for 10% off") — the code is how the creator tracks the sale
• Referral links ("sign up through my link") for apps, platforms or brokers

4. Creator's own products

A creator recommending their own course, membership, newsletter or app has a direct financial interest in your decision. This is not wrong, but it is useful to know whether the product being promoted belongs to the creator.

How to check manually (the slow way)

For a thorough manual check of a single video, you would need to:

1. Read the full description — search for "sponsored", "affiliate", promo codes, and scan all links.
2. Open the transcript — on YouTube, click the three-dot menu under the video, then "Show transcript". Search for "sponsor", "partner", "use code", "link in description".
3. Note every specific claim — write down what the creator actually says, then search each claim with a second source.
4. Look up the creator's income model — check their other videos, Patreon, courses page or social profiles.

A thorough check takes 15 to 30 minutes per video. Most people do not have time for that on every video they watch.

How to check in one click (the fast way)

Unsaid is a free browser extension that reads the video you are watching and gives you a structured breakdown in seconds:

• Every key claim, timestamped — sourced, unsourced or disputed — with the strongest counter-argument
• All detected sponsors, affiliate links, promo codes and creator products, with exact counts from fixed rules (not guesswork)
• Three neutral questions to ask yourself before you act

It works on any YouTube video, in English and French. Nothing is sent until you click "Check before you believe".

What Unsaid does not do

Unsaid does not render verdicts. It does not label a video as "fake" or a creator as dishonest. It maps what is claimed, flags what goes unsourced or against known evidence, and surfaces the financial interests at play. The judgment is yours.

It is also not a replacement for checking important decisions with primary sources — a doctor, a financial adviser, or peer-reviewed research. Unsaid is a first filter, not a final answer.

FAQ