How It Works

Authority Network America operates as a structured publishing infrastructure that connects domain-specific reference content across a coordinated set of web properties. This page explains the mechanisms behind that structure — how editorial decisions flow, where quality controls engage, how individual properties relate to the broader network, and what determines whether content reaches deployment. Understanding the system requires tracing inputs through each stage rather than treating the published result as a standalone artifact.

What drives the outcome

The core driver of every published page is the contract between topic scope and structural depth. A page covering a narrow regulatory sub-topic requires different treatment than a root-level explainer covering an entire vertical — not just in word count, but in the type of evidence required, the sourcing standard applied, and the internal link density expected.

Three primary forces shape every outcome:

1. Vertical alignment — Each property operates within a defined subject domain. Content that drifts outside that domain triggers a reassignment or rejection rather than publication.
2. Depth tier — Pages are assigned a depth profile (standard, extended, or reference-grade) based on where they sit within a topic family. A standard page targets approximately 950 words with one comparison and structured breakdown; a reference-grade page carries full citation requirements, statutory references, and cross-property linking obligations.
3. Sourcing threshold — Specific quantified claims (dollar figures, penalty ceilings, breach costs, statute citations) require inline attribution at point of use, not in a buried references block. The Authority Network America Standards Reference defines the sourcing floor for each content class.

These three forces interact continuously. Raising depth without raising sourcing quality produces a page that fails structural review regardless of length. Sourcing correctly but misaligning vertical produces content that ranks for the wrong audience.

Points where things deviate

Deviation occurs at predictable junctions. The most common failure modes are:

• Scope creep at the family level — A page within a how-it-works family begins explaining provider selection criteria that belong to a separate provider framework page. The editorial system flags this as a structural boundary violation. The Authority Network America Provider Framework carries those decisions; a how-it-works page should reference that framework, not replicate it.
• Quantification without attribution — Vague quantifiers ("many states", "several jurisdictions") are prohibited. Substituting a specific named count or a named subset of jurisdictions is mandatory. When no verifiable count exists, the sentence structure changes to remove the claim entirely.
• Temporal anchoring without a year — Phrases like "recently" or "in recent years" introduce unverifiable drift. The enforcement rule requires a specific year citation or restructuring to a timeless structural fact.
• First-person intrusion — Content drafted from an institutional voice occasionally collapses into first-person address. Any instance of "we" or "our" triggers a rewrite cycle. The system publishes no first-person content.

A key contrast exists between topic_overview pages and core_explanation pages. A topic_overview establishes scope, defines the problem space, and routes readers to deeper content. A core_explanation demonstrates mechanism — it walks through how something operates, not just what it is. Both page types appear within this network, but applying the wrong template to a subject produces a page that fails to satisfy either goal.

How components interact

The network functions as an interconnected reference graph rather than a collection of isolated articles. Each page carries outbound links to confirming or expanding pages, and those links must resolve to real published slugs — not invented destinations.

When a page references a mechanism that belongs to another property, the correct behavior is an inline contextual link, not a summary of the other property's content. This preserves topical authority at the property level while making the connection traversable.

The index of any property serves as the primary routing node. From the index, readers and crawlers can reach vertical-specific explainers, framework documents, and standards references. A well-structured index reduces depth-to-discovery — the number of clicks required to reach a specific reference fact — to 2 or fewer hops for the majority of topics within that vertical.

Standards enforcement crosses property lines. A sourcing rule that applies on one property applies uniformly across the network. The Authority Network America Standards Reference acts as the canonical source for those rules; individual properties implement them but do not modify them.

Inputs, handoffs, and outputs

A completed page requires five confirmed inputs before moving to the publication queue:

1. Page contract — Title, family, depth, geographic scope, and required section order.
2. Slug confirmation — All internal links verified against the live slug list. No link targets an unconfirmed destination.
3. Quantification audit — Every specific figure, percentage, or named count traced to a named public source with inline attribution.
4. Structural lint pass — Section order, intro paragraph format, prohibited phrase check (no CTAs, no transition filler, no hollow temporal anchors), and first-person scan.
5. Vertical alignment check — Subject matter confirmed within the assigned domain; boundary-crossing content flagged for reassignment.

The handoff from drafting to publication is not a linear pass — it is a gate system. Any failed gate returns the page to the prior stage rather than advancing it. A page that passes quantification but fails structural lint does not proceed until the lint issue is resolved.

The output is a deployed page that satisfies three independent conditions: it contains accurate, specifically attributed factual content; it fits correctly within the topic family and property structure; and it connects outward to confirming reference pages through valid inline links. A page meeting all three conditions contributes to the reference graph. A page meeting only two conditions creates a gap that downstream linking eventually exposes.

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