content.refs
Every citation marker must resolve to a defined reference.
Science officer: Fascinating claim. Source?
Quick reference
| Written as | Fails with | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
content. | unresolved-citation errorunresolved-reference error | document |
Examples
content.
Require every citation in the document to resolve — an inline text with a real URL, a [text][id] reference, or a [^id] footnote whose definition exists. Dangling citations are flagged; lines with no citation are fine. When the caller supplies a resolver capability, every reference is additionally checked against it — one that doesn't confirm as real is flagged, even if it already resolves on syntax alone.
Footnotes and references with definitions pass
<!-- mdv: document content.refs.all=defined -->The probe battery draw dropped after hibernation cycling [^bench].
Full numbers are in the [telemetry export][telemetry].
[^bench]: Hibernation benchmark, 2026 sprint review.
[telemetry]: https://example.com/probe-battery✓ passes
A footnote with no definition is flagged
<!-- mdv: document content.refs.all=defined -->The probe battery draw dropped after hibernation cycling [^bench].
The dock seal held for 400 cycles [^seal].
[^bench]: Hibernation benchmark, 2026 sprint review.✗ unresolved-citation error · line 3
A reference link with no definition is flagged
<!-- mdv: document content.refs.all=defined -->The probe battery draw dropped after hibernation cycling, see the [telemetry export][telemetry].✗ unresolved-citation error · line 1