Community Notes
Community Notes is X’s contributor system for adding and evaluating context on posts that may be misleading.
Definition
Community Notes is X’s contributor system for adding and evaluating context on posts that may be misleading. Contributors can propose notes and rate their helpfulness. A displayed note adds context alongside the post so readers can consider supporting information before interpreting or sharing it.
A note is not the same thing as a reply from the original author or a platform removal notice. Its purpose is to supply relevant context, often with sources. Read the actual explanation and underlying references rather than treating the presence or absence of a note as a complete evaluation of every claim.
For thread authors, source checking should happen before publication. Confirm dates, image provenance, and the scope of quoted findings, particularly when a post may circulate apart from its surrounding entries. If a correction is needed, make it clear to readers. Do not rely on the possibility of a later note to repair missing context in advance.
Example
Contributors add context to a post that presents an old photograph as a new event, linking to the original dated image.
How to apply it
Before you post a fact on X, attach 3 sources in your draft notes and keep the claim inside what those sources actually say. Include the date of any photo. If you quote a study, name the sample and year in the same post, not three replies later. A note is not your backup plan. If the post will travel without the rest of the thread, the opener must already be checkable.
If a note is added to your post, read it and the cited links before you reply. A correction in a later reply may never travel with the screenshot. Publish a clear follow-up that states the change. Do not argue with raters in the original thread while leaving the misleading sentence up. For scheduled content, run that source check the night before send, not in the last 5 minutes.
Common mistakes
- Posting a dated photo as if it were a new event, hoping later context will appear.
- Leaving a misleading opener up while arguing in replies that do not travel with screenshots.
- Treating the absence of a note as proof that every claim in the thread is solid.
Related terms
Related reading
- The AI Fact-Check Pass: Write Threads That Don’t Get Clipped
- The Ethics of AI Content: Transparency and Trust in 2026
Frequently asked questions
What is Community Notes?
Community Notes is X’s contributor system for adding and evaluating context on posts that may be misleading.
How do you use Community Notes in a thread?
Before you post a fact on X, attach 3 sources in your draft notes and keep the claim inside what those sources actually say. Include the date of any photo. If you quote a study, name the sample and year in the same post, not three replies later. A note is not your backup plan. If the post will travel without the rest of the thread, the opener must already be checkable.
Example of Community Notes
Contributors add context to a post that presents an old photograph as a new event, linking to the original dated image.