Business DNA standards
Here is exactly how we decide what to call a fact, what to call a claim, and what to call a story.
We are not an unrestricted reputation platform. We are here for businesses genuinely committed to higher standards and prepared to demonstrate that commitment through meaningful scrutiny. Our mission
Powered by KwikChex
Business DNA is a sourced, evidence-linked record of a business: identity, mission, people, products and services, milestones, locations and key facts. Owner review approves wording, not independent evidence status. The magazine feature is coming soon. Including a fact in a Business DNA does not mean it is authenticated; each fact carries its own status, and no Business DNA means the business itself is authenticated or safe.
The public JSON for each Business DNA comes from the canonical Business DNA record; it carries the same per-claim sources and statuses. It contains only public, allowlisted fields and always flags fictional example records. We do not claim that publishing data guarantees any search engine or AI system will index or cite it.
An independently authenticated fact has been checked against a named independent source — for example a public register — and carries its last-authenticated date. Authenticating one fact never authenticates the whole business. A company statement is what the business tells us. We publish it in its own words, labelled as company supplied, and never present it as established fact.
Owner approval confirms the business stands behind a fact and has reviewed how it is worded. It is not independent authentication: an authenticated claim has been checked against a named independent source, while an approved company statement keeps the status the evidence deserves. Each fact carries its own status, and nothing about a whole Business DNA — however complete — means the business itself is authenticated or safe.
A claim we know exists — perhaps on the company's own website — but have not yet independently authenticated. It is marked “Not yet authenticated”. Absence of authentication is not evidence that a claim is false.
Editorial wording and AI-assisted proposals are distinct from checkable claims. Approved wording does not gain independent authentication; factual inputs retain their own sources and statuses.
Every fact carries a source label and status. The Sources section of each profile lists each source, its type and the date it was consulted, plus a last-reviewed date for the whole profile.
No. Recording that a policy exists does not mean the cover is adequate, current for your job, or applies to your situation. Always ask the business for policy details relevant to you.
A single badge or score hides more than it reveals. We show the status of each category separately — registration, insurance, licences and so on — so you can judge what matters to you. We do not promise safety or quality.
Account holders can edit their private company drafts and add evidence links. Website content remains company-stated information; domain control does not independently authenticate its claims. Consumers read and inspect sources only: no reader contributions, public error reports, reviews, ratings, comments or open submissions are accepted. Private edits change a public profile only when the owner chooses to update it, and claims that need evidence show “Pending check” until staff check them. Owner assertions cannot override independent evidence or publication safeguards.
Any profile that a business pays for, or that involves a commercial relationship, will be labelled as sponsored at the top of the page. Payment will never change an authentication status. Staff with a personal or financial interest in a business will not edit its profile. This prototype contains no sponsored content.
Probity · five pillars
A Probity check reads the business's own website once and looks at five areas. Missing information is never treated as misconduct, an allegation is never a finding, and a check that could not be completed stays Pending.
Each check inside a pillar has its own dated result and is shared only with the business. There are no scores, ratings or reviews. A published profile may carry one dated line, “Probity check run {date}: no high-severity issue open”, which an admin approves through the normal publish step. Nothing on a profile means the business as a whole is authenticated or safe.
Contextual reading
Virtual offices are legitimate infrastructure, not adverse findings. We distinguish legal addresses, operating locations and customer accessibility. An adverse concern is not inferred from an address. Payment must not influence evidence status.
Read Virtual Office Transparency
Powered by KwikChex