Powered by KwikChexWhat counts as evidence for a business fact?
By About This Business editorial team · Published · Updated
Short answer
Strong evidence for a business fact comes from the body that issued it: the official register for a company number, the insurer's document for a policy, the accrediting body's public listing for an accreditation. Business DNA groups evidence into six categories. Marketing copy, logos, reviews and AI-written summaries are claims, not evidence.
Key takeaways
- Six evidence categories: registration, insurance, licences, accreditations, professional memberships and customer protections.
- The strongest evidence comes from the issuer, not from the business's own marketing.
- Evidence has a date, and some of it, such as insurance and licences, has an end date too.
- A logo on a website is a claim. The issuer's listing is evidence.
What are the six evidence categories?
Business DNA groups checkable facts into six categories, each with its own status on the profile.
- Registration: is the business on the official register, and with what number and status? For UK companies, that means Companies House.
- Insurance: what cover does the business hold, with which insurer, and until when?
- Licences: does the business hold the licences its work legally requires?
- Accreditations: has an independent scheme assessed the business against a standard?
- Professional memberships: does the business or its staff belong to a professional or trade body?
- Customer protections: are there deposit protection, guarantee or dispute resolution arrangements in place?
What makes evidence strong?
Evidence is strongest when it comes from the body that issued the fact and can be rechecked.
| Fact | Strong evidence | Weak evidence (a claim) |
|---|---|---|
| Company number | The Companies House register entry | A number in a website footer |
| Insurance | The insurer's certificate or schedule | "Fully insured" on a homepage |
| Accreditation | The scheme's public directory listing | The scheme's logo on the business's site |
| Membership | The body's member search | A badge image |
| Licence | The licensing authority's public register | A licence number with no link |
Weak evidence isn't worthless. It's a claim, and claims are published as company-provided. Strong evidence is what lets KwikChex staff check a specific fact and, if it holds up, mark it authenticated. See Company-provided vs authenticated.
Does evidence expire?
Yes. Registration is fairly stable, but insurance, licences and many accreditations have end dates. That's why each fact shows when it was last checked, and why a record whose validity date has passed is shown as Expired rather than quietly kept. We explain the principle in Why every business fact needs a source and an "as of" date.
What doesn't count as evidence?
Anything that only repeats the business's own claim, or comes from a source that can't be named and rechecked.
- Marketing copy: "award-winning", "trusted by thousands", "industry-leading".
- Logos and badges with no matching listing from the issuer.
- AI-generated text. An AI summary isn't a source, however confident it sounds. AI can help draft wording but never authenticates anything.
- Proof of domain control. It proves you control the website, not that the website's claims are true.
- Reviews. They're opinions about experiences, not evidence of a registration or policy.
How can owners make evidence easy to check?
Link each fact straight to the issuer's own page. A direct link to your listing on an accreditation body's directory is worth more than a paragraph explaining it. Our owner's guide covers this step by step: How to add evidence links that stand up.
FAQ
Is a screenshot good evidence?
A screenshot can support a fact, but a link to the issuing body's own live record is stronger, because it can be rechecked and shows the current position.
Does a trade association logo on my website count as evidence?
On its own, no. The logo is your claim. The association's public member directory showing your business is the evidence.
Does recording an insurance policy mean a customer is covered?
No. Recording that a policy exists doesn't mean the cover is adequate, current for a particular job or relevant to a customer's situation. Customers should ask for the policy details that apply to them.
Can AI-generated text be evidence?
No. AI output can help draft wording, but it never authenticates a claim. Evidence has to come from a named independent source.