Start with the original game
We identify the source game as poople.io and check the puzzle's starting word, number when available, and game date together. Search results, screenshots, third-party guides and generated suggestions can help locate an issue, but they are not substitutes for original-game evidence.
The current implementation resets at 08:00 UTC. We record the game date using that boundary and keep the time of our source check separate from the time a page was published. A local calendar date alone does not identify a daily puzzle reliably.
Check every published route
- Match the beginning and end. The first word must be the sourced starting word, and the last must be POOP.
- Check the word format. Every word has four letters.
- Compare adjacent words. Exactly one position changes at every move. Repeating the same word is not a valid move.
- Check acceptance evidence. We record whether words were checked against a public official-game snapshot or accepted in a game replay. We do not describe a code check as a manual replay.
- Count transitions. The move count is the number of words minus one.
- Review the explanation and clues. They must match the checked path and respect the promised amount of help.
A record's source notes identify the URL, check time and verification method. Publicly accessible game code can help verify behavior; it does not grant us permission to redistribute the game's complete dictionary or future puzzle schedule.
Use “shortest” only with a defined scope
Finding a valid path proves that the puzzle can be solved that way. It does not prove that no shorter path exists. For a shortest-path statement, we need a verified distance or an exhaustive shortest-path search in an identified word graph.
An official snapshot check concerns the official word list at the stated check time. A site dictionary result concerns the independently licensed list used by our solver. A verified route without a shortest-path proof is labeled as a solution, without claiming a minimum.
We do not call a route unique merely because we display one route. We also do not convert a solver result into an official par value or a claim about how many players solved a puzzle.
Protect the choice to avoid spoilers
The full route is kept off the hints page. Its optional clues offer a gentle direction, then more specific help when appropriate. Short puzzles may need fewer clues to avoid revealing the entire solution.
On answer pages, the solution is folded until the reader chooses to open it. Page titles and social descriptions identify the content without listing the full intermediate chain.
Handle missing data and corrections openly
If today's puzzle has not been checked, we show an update status rather than relabel an older answer. If sources disagree, we pause publication of that route while checking the discrepancy. We do not create a historical record just to fill a missing date.
When a published route is found to be wrong, we withdraw the affected answer and clues, explain the issue on the record and publish a corrected revision after verification. A substantive correction carries a date and reason. Routine site updates do not reset an old article's publication date.
Send correction reports to hello@poople.wiki. Include the puzzle date, starting word, source page and exact step or statement in question. The contact guide explains what helps us reproduce a problem. The Poople Wiki site editor is responsible for reviewing these reports and the resulting site changes.