Crossmark

CrossMark is a multi-publisher initiative run by Crossref that provides a standard, recognisable button placed on scholarly content (web pages, PDFs, etc) to let readers instantly check the current status of a published work — for example whether it has been corrected, updated, withdrawn or retracted — and to access additional editorial metadata. Easily helps readers to locate the authoritative version of a document

Who it serves & how

• Readers (researchers, students, librarians): The CrossMark logo on a journal article, a click gives you a pop-up indicating if that version is the “Version of Record”, whether any updates exist, and extra details such as peer review status, funding information, license terms. 
• Publishers / Journals: By implementing CrossMark, the publishers make a commitment to maintaining the scholarly record — enabling updates to metadata, linking corrections, demonstrating transparency. 
• Institutions and libraries: Benefit by being able to verify which documents in their collections have been updated or flagged, helping with accurate referencing and curation.

Key features & value

• One-click status check: The button allows quick verification of a document’s status—whether it’s current, has a correction, has been withdrawn etc. 
• Extended metadata: Beyond status, the pop-up can include metadata about the article’s history, licensing, clinical trial links, peer-review details, funding etc. 
• Work across formats: Publishers implement CrossMark on HTML pages, and importantly also embed it in PDFs (so even downloaded versions can be checked). 
• Open access via API: Metadata associated with CrossMark is accessible via Crossref’s public REST API, allowing integration into institutional systems or analytics.

  Considerations

• The presence of a CrossMark button does not guarantee that all updates have been captured — it indicates the publisher is committed to notifying about major updates, but readers must still exercise judgement. 
• Implementation requires technical work (adding metadata, embedding button in PDFs/HTML) so some publishers may lag behind or only apply it partially.