Syndicated descriptions of web content are obtained from feeds. For each item of each feed, a link is followed to a content page, and it is determined whether the content page directly or indirectly points back to the feed. If so, the description of the item from the feed is stored as an authorized description with a canonical form of the link to the item. Subsequently, when an item of user-generated content that includes a link to web content is received, the link to the web content is canonicalized. Based on the canonicalized link, any stored authorized syndicated descriptions of the linked content is obtained. If more than one authorized syndicated description of an item of linked content is available, one is selected. Then, the item of user-generated content containing a link can be published with an authorized syndicated description of the linked content.