---
title: "What counts as evidence for a business fact?"
slug: what-counts-as-evidence
cluster: business-dna
type: spoke
description: "Not all evidence is equal. Here are the six evidence categories in Business DNA, what strong evidence looks like for each, and what doesn't count."
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."
published: 2026-11-05
updated: 2026-11-05
author: "About This Business editorial team"
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."
imagePrompt: "Close-up of a neat row of manila folders standing in a wooden filing tray, each with a blank coloured tab, one folder slightly pulled forward with a crisp document and a fountain pen resting on it, warm library lamp light, shallow depth of field"
imageAlt: "Manila folders in a wooden filing tray, one pulled forward with a document and a pen"
faq:
  - q: "Is a screenshot good evidence?"
    a: "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."
  - q: "Does a trade association logo on my website count as evidence?"
    a: "On its own, no. The logo is your claim. The association's public member directory showing your business is the evidence."
  - q: "Does recording an insurance policy mean a customer is covered?"
    a: "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."
  - q: "Can AI-generated text be evidence?"
    a: "No. AI output can help draft wording, but it never authenticates a claim. Evidence has to come from a named independent source."
sources:
  - title: "Our Standards — About This Business"
    url: "/our-standards"
  - title: "Companies House — search the register"
    url: "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/"
---

## What are the six evidence categories?

**Business DNA groups checkable facts into six categories, each with its own status on the profile.**

1. **Registration:** is the business on the official register, and with what number and status? For UK companies, that means Companies House.
2. **Insurance:** what cover does the business hold, with which insurer, and until when?
3. **Licences:** does the business hold the licences its work legally requires?
4. **Accreditations:** has an independent scheme assessed the business against a standard?
5. **Professional memberships:** does the business or its staff belong to a professional or trade body?
6. **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](/knowledge/business-dna/company-statement-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](/knowledge/business-dna/why-facts-need-sources-and-dates).

## 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](/knowledge/owners-guide/adding-evidence-links).

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Part of **[What is Business DNA? The complete guide](/knowledge/business-dna)**.