Powered by KwikChexCompany-provided vs authenticated: what each fact status means
By About This Business editorial team · Published · Updated
Short answer
A company-provided fact is what the business says about itself, published as their statement and not yet independently checked. A fact marked "Authenticated by KwikChex" has been checked by KwikChex staff against a named independent source, and its last-authenticated date is shown. Both statuses apply to a single fact, never to the business as a whole.
Key takeaways
- Company-provided means the business told us. It's attributable and owner-approved, but not independently checked.
- Authenticated by KwikChex means one fact was checked against a named independent source on the date shown.
- Statuses apply to single facts. None means the business is authenticated, approved or safe.
- Owner approval never upgrades a fact to authenticated.
What does "Company-provided — unauthenticated" mean?
It means the business provided this fact, and KwikChex hasn't yet authenticated it. The owner has told us something, such as when they were founded, what they do or who leads the team, and we publish it in their words, clearly labelled as company-supplied. We never present it as established fact.
A company-provided fact is still useful. It's attributable, approved by the owner and usually linked to a source such as the company's own website. Most facts in most records are company-provided, and that's expected: a mission, a founding story or a description of services are things a business says about itself.
What does "Authenticated by KwikChex" mean?
It means KwikChex staff checked this one fact against a named independent source, and the last-authenticated date is shown beside it. Good candidates are facts with an external primary source: a company number on the official register, an insurance policy confirmed by its document, or an accreditation confirmed by the accrediting body.
The date is part of the claim. Authentication describes what the evidence showed on that day. See Why every business fact needs a source and an "as of" date.
How do the two statuses compare?
| Company-provided | Authenticated by KwikChex | |
|---|---|---|
| Who says so | The business | KwikChex staff, after checking evidence |
| What it's checked against | Nothing independent yet | A named independent source |
| Date shown | Source consulted date | Last-authenticated date |
| Typical facts | Mission, story, services, team | Registration, insurance, accreditations |
| Covers the whole business? | No | No |
What does neither status mean?
No status describes the whole business, judges quality or predicts the future.
- A record with ten authenticated facts doesn't mean the business is authenticated, approved, safe or recommended.
- We don't rate service, value or workmanship.
- A fact checked in March says nothing about what happens in October.
You won't find ticks, colour grades, scores or "authenticated business" badges in Business DNA. A single badge or score hides more than it reveals.
Why doesn't owner approval authenticate a fact?
Because approval is the business agreeing with its own wording, not an independent check. Owner approval matters: it confirms the business stands behind what's published. But an approved company statement keeps the status its evidence deserves.
Domain control works the same way. Proving you control a website shows exactly that. It doesn't independently authenticate the claims on the site. See Proving you control your domain.
What other statuses might you see?
Four more labels describe where a fact stands when it's neither company-provided nor authenticated:
- Awaiting KwikChex authentication: a claim exists but hasn't been independently authenticated yet. This is not evidence the claim is false.
- Information pending: not yet assessed. See "Information pending" isn't a red flag.
- Not applicable: the category doesn't apply to this kind of business.
- Expired: a record existed, but its stated validity date has passed.
How should a reader use fact statuses?
Start from what matters for your decision, then check that fact's status, date and source. Hiring a builder? Look for insurance and its date. Checking a supplier? Look at registration and accreditations. Then follow the source link: the status tells you how far a fact has been checked, and the source lets you check it yourself. For what makes a source strong, see What counts as evidence for a business fact?
FAQ
Is a company-provided fact less trustworthy than an authenticated one?
Not necessarily. Most true facts about most businesses are company-provided, because things like a mission or founding story can't be independently checked. The status tells you how far a fact has been checked, not whether it's true.
Who carries out authentication?
KwikChex staff carry out all independent authentication, checking each individual fact against appropriate evidence. Owners can't authenticate their own facts.
Can an authenticated fact go out of date?
Yes. Every authenticated fact shows its last-authenticated date. Insurance, licences and memberships can lapse, so the date is part of the fact.
Does paying for a profile change a fact's status?
No. Our standards state that payment will never change an authentication status.