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Method

How we check

Every fact on about.biz says how, where and when it was checked. These are the labels, the seal and the rules we never break.

The labels

Labels differ in icon, weight and border, not only in colour.
Verified
Checked at the source, by a machine or by our staff. The line under it says where and when.
Signed
No register can check it, so a person at the company signs for it, with name and role.
Claimed
Stated or found, but not checkable. A SOC 2 report stays here: those reports are not public.
Does not hold
Checked at the source, and it does not hold. With the reason, for example “no SPF record found on 9 Oct 2026”.
Expired
It was checked, but its validity date has passed. The date is shown.
Pending
Waiting for a check, for example a certificate our staff still have to look up.
Could not reach
The check could not run: a source was down or did not answer. Never shown as clean.
Possible match
A possible match on a sanctions list. A member of staff reviews it; until then it is never a confirmed match.
Not performed
Nobody ran this check, for example because a registration number was missing. That is different from “unavailable”.

One check, three outcomes

The check ran and found nothing, the source did not answer, or the check was not run. Those three always look different.

  • Insolvency register

    VerifiedNo proceedings

    Checked at Centraal Insolventieregister via Cloudpliant · 9 Oct 2026

  • Insolvency register

    Could not reachThe source did not answer

    No answer in time.

    Could not be checked at Centraal Insolventieregister via Cloudpliant on 9 Oct 2026 (the source did not answer)

  • Insolvency register

    Not performed—

    Not run: no KvK number was known.

Example with a fictional company

The seal

The seal is about.biz's only verification mark. Each segment is a required check. Its state follows from the facts; nobody sets it by hand, and nobody can buy it.
  • Seal: not on about.biz yetNOT ON ABOUT.BIZ YET · NOT ON ABOUT.BIZ YET · NOT ON ABOUT.BIZ YET ·

    Not on about.biz yet: there is no claimed passport.

  • Seal: in progress, 4 of 7 required checks holdIN PROGRESS · 4 OF 7 · IN PROGRESS · 4 OF 7 · IN PROGRESS · 4 OF 7 ·

    In progress: some of the required checks are complete.

  • Seal: every required check holds, checked at the source on 9 Oct 2026ABOUT.BIZ · CHECKED AT THE SOURCE · 09 OCT 2026 ·

    Sealed: every required check is verified or signed, and nothing failed, expired or was unavailable.

  • Seal: attention, 1 required check does not holdATTENTION · 1 CHECK FAILED · ATTENTION · 1 CHECK FAILED ·

    Attention: a required check failed or expired. That is never hidden.

  • Seal: re-check due, last sealed on 7 Oct 2026RE-CHECK DUE · LAST SEALED 07 OCT 2026 ·

    Re-check due: the checks are older than their window.

Example with a fictional company

The seven parts of the default seal

  1. 01Owns its website: proven with a code in the domain settings, a file on the website or an e-mail to the domain administrator
  2. 02Legal entity active, in the company register
  3. 03No running insolvency
  4. 04No match on a sanctions list
  5. 05Website and e-mail security checked
  6. 06Security contact confirmed
  7. 07Questionnaire signed, no older than twelve months

A stated fact, such as a SOC 2 report, is on the passport but never fills a segment: it cannot be checked.

Our rules

  • Not checked is never ‘fine’

    If a source could not be reached or returned an error, the passport says “Not reachable”, with the date. Never an empty or positive result.

  • Every fact with its source and date

    For every fact you see where and when it was checked. A new check is added; the previous one stays in the history.

  • Fixed rules and people decide, not AI

    An outcome comes from fixed, verifiable rules or from a named staff member. Never from an AI model.

  • Paying never changes an outcome

    Every kind of check is available free. Paying buys convenience, never a different label.

  • The supplier decides who sees what

    Nothing about a company that does not take part is public: the first check is seen only by the buyer who requested it. A supplier who claims its passport chooses which buyers it shares with.

  • Certificates in the register, not on a logo

    We check a certificate in the certification body's register: standard, number, scope and validity. A logo on a website proves nothing.

Which source for which fact

FactSource, as in the source line
Domainthe domain's DNS
Website and e-mail securityDNS, HTTPS and the website's TLS handshake
security.txtthe file /.well-known/security.txt on the website
Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)GLEIF, the public global LEI register; only for companies that have an LEI
Registration (NL)KvK Handelsregister via Cloudpliant
Insolvency (NL)Centraal Insolventieregister via Cloudpliant
Sanctionssanctions lists via Cloudpliant
Certificatethe certification body's register, by a member of staff
Questionnairesigned by a person with a verified work e-mail