Every check, and where it comes from
A verification describes the day it was made. Each finding is drawn from a public source and dated, so anyone can re-run it.
Fourteen checks, in five groups
We confirm the company exists and is active in the register, that it has active directors, that its VAT number is valid where it has one, and that the name on its website is the company's.
We read how long the domain has existed, whether the site uses a valid certificate, whether the domain can receive email, and whether the site responds.
UK law requires a company's website to show its name and number. We read what the site declares: the company number, contact details and terms.
We look for insolvency notices in The Gazette and for overdue filings or a proposed strike-off at Companies House.
The company proves it controls the domain, by a DNS record or a code sent to an address on the domain. A certificate covers that domain.
● Four checks decide
A certificate is never issued unless these four are confirmed: the company is active in the register, the name on the site is the company's, the site responds, and the company controls the domain. Of the other ten, no more than two may fail.
A person decides, not a script
Our software reads the sources and proposes a result. A person reads the file before any certificate is issued. A source that does not answer is recorded as unconfirmed, never as a failure: our access problem is not a finding about the company.
What we do not verify
- We did not inspect the company's work.
- We do not guarantee prices or timelines.
- We did not verify insurance.
- A verification describes the day it was made.