This article is not legal advice; it is an editorial guide to policy and page design. When a news site publishes something wrong, two things help: fixing it quickly and telling readers that it was fixed. A short written corrections and updates policy makes both repeatable. Google's News content policies page does not discuss corrections or updates, so what follows is not a Google requirement. It is an editorial practice built on the trust, accuracy and transparency principles that Google's documentation does emphasize.
This guide is for managing editors, desk editors and content leads. Requests that rely on personal rights or other legal grounds are only bounded here, not decided.
Why a standalone policy helps
In many newsrooms the handling of errors lives in habit. A senior editor knows what to do, a new hire does not, and the same mistake gets different treatment depending on who is on shift. Writing the rules down turns habit into a process that anyone can follow and that readers can read.
What Google's documents say about trust
Google's helpful content guidance (Opens in a new tab) says trust is the most important of the qualities it describes, and that informational content should be factually accurate. It also encourages accurate authorship information and disclosure of automation where readers would expect it. None of that mandates a corrections page. It does mean that a site which owns up to mistakes and fixes them visibly is working in the same direction as the guidance.
What Google News asks for
The Google News content policies (Opens in a new tab) ask for clear dates and bylines, information about authors, the publication and the publisher, and contact details. They say nothing about how to handle corrections. A published policy therefore adds to date and byline transparency rather than satisfying a line item. If you are still assembling that visible publisher information, our masthead and contact details check is the place to start.
Benefits you can actually observe
- Editors respond to the same error in the same way.
- Readers can see that a story changed and what changed.
- Complaints are answered by rule, not by who happens to read the inbox.
- New staff learn the standard from a document instead of from gossip.
Freshness of the sources
Wording in Google documents can change. Before you publish a policy that refers to them, reopen the News policies and helpful content pages and compare.
Corrections, updates and editor's notes
The most useful job a policy does is separate three situations that newsrooms often lump together. Each tells the reader something different, so each deserves its own label.
Corrections
A correction replaces published information that turned out to be wrong: a misspelled name that changes who is meant, a wrong amount, a misattributed quote, a mistaken location. Because readers may have acted on the wrong information, the correction should be visible and say what was wrong and what is right.
Updates
An update adds or changes information that was correct when published. A hearing concludes, a figure is finalized, an agency releases a statement. The original was not wrong; the situation moved. A line that gives the time of the update and what was added is enough.
Editor's notes
An editor's note adds context where the text was accurate but could be misread, or records something about how the piece was made, such as a change to a headline or the removal of a photo. Notes are short and do not alter the body of the story.
| Type | Was the first version wrong? | What readers should see |
|---|---|---|
| Correction | Yes | The error, the right information, the time |
| Update | No, circumstances changed | The update time and the new information |
| Editor's note | No, but context was missing | A short explanatory line |
| Typo fix with no change in meaning | Trivial | Usually nothing |
Where to draw the minor-correction line
Labeling every typo adds noise. Your policy should say that fixes which do not affect meaning are made without a note, and list what does count as substantive for your coverage: names, titles, places, dates, amounts, quotations and outcomes are the usual candidates. Adapt the list to your beat.
Example scenario: a transit timetable
Example scenario: A city desk publishes a story saying a bus route will be suspended from Monday. The transport agency then clarifies that only part of the route is affected. The first version was wrong about the scope, so this is a correction: the story gets a note under the headline explaining the original error and the accurate scope. Two days later the agency announces a restart date. That is a different event and gets its own update line. Combining them under one vague "revised" label would leave readers unable to tell the mistake from the news.
Where the note goes and what it says
Does the note belong at the top or the bottom of the story? Google's documents do not answer it, so the following is editorial advice. The principle: the note should appear where the reader would otherwise meet the wrong information.
Top versus bottom
For a substantive correction we suggest a note directly below the headline. Readers see it before the incorrect passage. A note at the foot of a story is read by few, because few scroll that far. Minor, contextual corrections can sit in a change log at the end, provided each entry carries a time and a short description. For updates, the newest information can lead the story with its timestamp.
What a good note contains
Four elements: what was wrong, what is correct, when the change was made, and, where useful, how the error happened. An apology is optional. Keep the tone factual. Notes that argue, deflect or run long distract from the story itself.
Formats and when they fit
| Format | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Box under the headline | Substantive factual error | Keep it short enough not to push the story down |
| Bracketed note inside the text | One corrected sentence or quote | Make clear which sentence changed |
| Change log at the end | Several small updates over time | Each entry needs a time and description |
| Link to a corrections page | Sites with many corrections | The story itself still needs a visible note |
Language editions
If the site runs in more than one language, the correction belongs in every edition. A fix that lands in one language leaves the other edition wrong and uncorrected. Avoid internal jargon in notes: "revised" tells the reader nothing, while "the amount was given as X and is Y" does.
Why silent edits cost trust
Changing a substantive fact without a note hides the difference between what readers saw earlier and what they see now. Copies shared on social media or quoted elsewhere stay wrong, with no trail back to the fix. Silent edits are often well meant, but they weaken trust. That judgment is ours; Google's documents do not rule on it directly.
Checklist before you publish a note
- Does the change affect what a reader understands?
- Is the note near the passage that was wrong?
- Does it say what was wrong, what is right and when?
- Do all language editions carry it?
- Have newsletters, share cards and related links been corrected too?
Dates, markup and the archive
A visible note and the date fields must tell the same story. Google's Article documentation (Opens in a new tab) lists datePublished and dateModified among the recommended properties and asks for ISO 8601 with timezone information. The helpful content guidance cautions against changing page dates to look fresh when content has not substantially changed. A policy should combine the two points.
The date rule
When a substantive correction or update goes live, dateModified should reflect that moment and the page should show a note. For a spelling fix, leave dateModified alone. datePublished never changes. The technical side of those fields belongs to your developers; the policy only settles when they move.
Keeping the archive honest
Once a story is archived it must keep its correction note. Template upgrades and archive migrations should not drop notes. Alternate versions of the page, such as other language editions, short links and mobile views, need the corrected text too. For how archives are laid out, see the archive structure check.
Copies you distribute
If a story went out through a newsletter, a wire partner or social posts, fixing the website page is only part of the job. The policy should describe how corrections reach those channels: a correction line in the next newsletter, an updated social caption, a notice to the partner. You cannot control every copy someone else made, but your own channels are yours to fix.
Decision rule
Ask three questions. Does the edit change a fact the reader already took in? Then add a visible note and move dateModified. Was the story right but the situation changed? Then add an update line and move dateModified. Is it formatting or spelling only? Then neither is needed. When in doubt, a note costs less than the lack of one.
Headlines, images and quotes
Errors live outside the body text too. A wrong headline, a mislabeled photo or a misquoted source each reaches readers through a different route, and the policy should cover them.
Headlines
A headline is often the only part people see in search results, shares and newsletters. If you change one for accuracy, say so in the note and include the old wording. If the headline feeds the page address, decide whether to keep the old URL or redirect it to a new one, and do not leave the old address returning an error.
Photos and captions
A photo of the wrong person or a caption with the wrong name touches individuals directly and should be handled quickly. Note the caption fix, and if the image itself is replaced, mention it. The image description used for accessibility should be corrected as well.
Quotes and sources
A misquote harms the person quoted. Correct it, state that the earlier wording was wrong and credit the accurate version. If the source is confidential, keep identifying details out of the note. When source protection and openness pull in opposite directions, the managing editor decides and writes down why.
Other pages repeating the error
The same wrong fact may sit in related-story boxes, tag pages and older articles. Search the site for it when you correct a story, and fix every place you find. Repairing one page and leaving the others looks inconsistent.
Reader requests and the legal boundary
Some messages report a factual slip. Others ask for removal or change of material about the sender. The second kind can raise personal rights and other legal questions that depend on the facts of each case. For a specific request, consult a qualified lawyer.
Two lanes
Keep an editorial lane and a legal lane. Factual error reports go through the normal correction process quickly. Requests with a stated legal basis are logged, passed to the managing editor and, where needed, answered with legal support. Mixing the lanes risks both an ill-judged legal statement and a plain error report that never gets answered.
Reputation concerns
Many requests come from reputational worry. Take them seriously without giving up editorial independence. Your policy should also say that you do not change or remove stories in exchange for payment or links. For background on how news coverage relates to reputation, see online reputation management with news sites.
Reply template
A reply says that the message arrived, who will review it, on what basis and when the sender will hear back. Promise a review, not an outcome. Keep every reply and its reasoning on file.
A policy page you can adapt
Put the policy on one page that is linked from the masthead or footer. Keep it plain, short and free of legal language. The outline below is a starting point.
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Two or three sentences on accuracy and owning mistakes |
| Definitions | Correction, update, editor's note |
| Note format | Where notes appear and what they contain |
| Minor fixes | Which changes are made without a note |
| Dates | How publication and modification times are shown |
| Reporting an error | An email address or form, and what happens next |
| Responsibility | Who approves and who keeps the record |
Sample wording
We care about accuracy. When we find that something we published is wrong, we correct it and tell readers.
A correction fixes information that was wrong. An update adds or changes information that was right when we published. We do not add notes for spelling or formatting fixes that do not change meaning.
Keep any promise you write achievable. A stated response time that the team cannot meet does more harm than no stated time.
Questions for the first draft
- Who decides on a correction and who signs off?
- Which kinds of change count as substantive?
- Where does the note appear?
- Where is the correction logged?
- What happens when a story must be taken down?
- Which channel do readers use to report errors?
Taking a story down
Some stories cannot be repaired. Decide in advance who may remove one, whether a short explanation replaces it, and where old links point. Where removal may carry legal consequences, the managing editor and legal counsel should decide together.
Different content, different handling
One rule does not fit every format. Breaking news, long features, columns and sponsored items need slightly different treatment.
Fast-moving news
A running story changes many times. Instead of stacking notes, keep a single line below the headline with the time of the latest update, and mark any real factual error as a correction separately.
Long investigations
Corrections to long pieces are rare but weigh heavily. Show the note at the top and next to the affected passage, and keep a change log at the end for the life of the piece.
Opinion
Opinion stays the writer's. Facts inside it can be corrected. State which sentence changed. A writer revising their view is a new piece, not a correction.
Sponsored content
Google News policies require paid promotional material to be clearly disclosed and not presented as independent editorial content. Apply your correction rules to sponsored items as well, and never present a sponsor-requested edit as an editorial correction. If company details in a promotional article change, our guide on updating a corporate promotional article covers the steps.
Roles, records and turnaround
A written rule still needs people. Keep the chain short: one person confirms the error, one prepares the note, one approves publication. On a small team the same person may do all three, but the record should exist regardless.
The correction log
For every correction, log the story address, what was wrong, when it was noticed, who reported it, when it was fixed and which note was added. The log is an internal document and does not need to be public. After a few months it shows where errors cluster, such as a particular beat, a particular source type or a late-evening shift, and that tells you where to add checks.
Turnaround expectations
Decide internally how fast a reported factual error should be reviewed, and state a public promise only if you can keep it. A reader who writes in and hears nothing loses more trust than one who is told honestly that review takes time. Do not copy a response time from another publisher; match it to your staffing.
Training
Walk new editors through two or three past corrections as worked examples: what was wrong, how the note was worded, where it went and what happened to the dates. Real cases from your own site teach the standard better than abstract rules.
Checking that the policy works
A policy that nobody follows is worse than none, because it promises something. A light routine is enough to keep it honest.
Monthly sampling
Each month take a few corrected stories and check four things: the note is visible, its wording is adequate, dateModified moved, and other language editions match. Use findings to coach, not to blame.
Common failures
- The policy exists but nothing links to it.
- Only one language edition receives the note.
- Corrections and updates share the same label.
- The archived copy keeps the old information.
- A sponsor-requested change looks like an editorial fix.
- A story disappears with no explanation.
Annual review
Review the policy once a year and whenever you add a language edition, a content format or a publishing tool. Date the page so readers can see when the rules last changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a corrections policy required by Google?
No. Google's News content policies page does not mention corrections or updates. A policy is an editorial practice that supports the trust and accuracy principles in Google's guidance.
Should a correction note go at the top or the bottom of the story?
The documents do not say. For a substantive factual error we suggest a note directly under the headline, so readers see it before the wrong passage. Minor or contextual changes can be logged at the end.
What is the difference between a correction and an update?
A correction fixes information that was wrong when published. An update adds or changes information that was right when published but later changed or expanded. Labeling them differently helps readers understand why the page changed.
Do I need a note for every typo?
No. State in your policy that fixes with no effect on meaning are made without a note, and define what counts as substantive. Names, dates, amounts, quotes, places and outcomes are the usual examples.
Someone asks me to remove a story about them. What should I do?
Such requests may involve personal rights or other legal questions that vary with the facts. This article does not decide them and is not legal advice. Log the request, pass it to the managing editor and consult a qualified lawyer where needed.
Should dateModified change when I add a correction?
For a substantive correction or update, yes, together with a visible note. For a spelling fix, no. Google's guidance warns against changing page dates to look fresh when the content has not substantially changed.
Related guides: News Site SEO Checklist, AI and Scaled Content on News Sites: Where Spam Policies Draw the Line, Article Markup for News Sites: Date and Author Fields.
Conclusion
A corrections and updates policy is not something Google asks for, but it supports the trust and accuracy that its guidance values. Three distinctions build a solid frame: corrections, updates and editor's notes are different situations; substantive changes get a visible note; and date fields move only with such changes. The documents do not say whether a note belongs at the top or the bottom, so for substantive errors we suggest the spot where readers would meet the wrong information first. Requests built on personal rights or other legal grounds are outside this guide, which is not legal advice, so ask a qualified lawyer about a specific request. One sentence to keep: if an edit changes a fact the reader already took in, put a visible note where they will see it.
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