> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://atlas.rebuildingus.org/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use evidence and corrections

> Keep Atlas records tied to sources and handle correction reports without losing context.

## Overview

Trust in Atlas comes from the connection between an actor, the claim being made,
and the public source that supports it. Sources show where a record came from.
Flags let users report stale, broken, or incorrect evidence.

Use this guide when you are building an integration that displays, exports, or
reviews Atlas data.

For exact source and flag schemas, use the
[API reference](/docs/api/reference).

## Treat sources as part of the result

When an API response points to an actor, the useful unit is not just the actor's
name. It is:

* Actor.
* Place.
* Issue or claim.
* Source URL.
* Source title or publication context.
* Excerpt or extraction context.
* Retrieved or published date when available.

Keep those fields together in exports, briefs, queues, and CRM records. A source
shown later without the actor and claim it supports is easy to misread.

## Inspect sources for one actor

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://atlas.rebuildingus.org/api/entities/{entity_id}/sources"
```

Use entity sources before:

* Publishing a public list.
* Sending outreach.
* Importing actors into a team system.
* Summarizing a local civic network.
* Making a high-stakes decision from a single record.

## Inspect sources for a place

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://atlas.rebuildingus.org/api/places/kansas-city,missouri/sources"
```

Place sources are useful for local review, coverage analysis, and detecting when
one source family dominates a result set.

## Know what a source can and cannot prove

A source can support a specific claim such as:

* An organization exists.
* A person is publicly associated with an organization.
* A campaign happened in a place.
* A source described an issue connection.

A source does not automatically prove:

* Current activity.
* Quality or impact.
* Endorsement by Atlas.
* That every issue tag is equally strong.
* That private workspace notes should become public evidence.

## Use flags as correction signals

Flags are correction reports. They should prompt review; they are not final
judgments by themselves.

Report an actor problem:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://atlas.rebuildingus.org/api/entity-flags \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "entity_id": "entity-abc123",
    "reason": "Organization closed in 2025",
    "flag_type": "stale"
  }'
```

Report a source problem:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://atlas.rebuildingus.org/api/source-flags \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "source_id": "src-abc123",
    "reason": "Link is broken",
    "flag_type": "broken_link"
  }'
```

When you display flags in an internal workflow, include the original source
context so reviewers can decide whether to update, remove, or keep the record.

## Correction workflow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Keep the original source">
    Do not drop the source URL or extraction context just because someone filed a
    flag.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the claim">
    Decide which specific claim is stale, incorrect, duplicated, or unsupported.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find stronger evidence">
    Add or prefer newer public evidence when it changes the record.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Record the review result">
    Preserve the review state in the workspace or moderation workflow.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Find source-backed actors" icon="users" href="/docs/api/guides/entities">
    Keep actor records connected to evidence.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Trust and provenance" icon="shield-check" href="/docs/resources/trust">
    Understand how Atlas presents source-backed claims.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workspace visibility" icon="lock" href="/docs/api/guides/workspace">
    Keep correction review state separate from public evidence.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API reference" icon="code" href="/docs/api/reference">
    Check exact source and flag schemas.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>