How verification works
Every expert profile carries a trust level from L0 (self-declared) to L6 (board certified). Two rules govern the whole system:
- Levels are assigned by human reviewers — never by the expert themselves and never by an algorithm. Reviewers check evidence at its source before attesting.
- The platform enforces minimum evidence floors. A level whose required evidence isn’t on file cannot be granted at all — by anyone. Meeting a floor never grants a level automatically; it only makes a reviewer’s judgment possible.
Every attestation is recorded in the expert’s public verification history — which level, by what method, when, and from which source. Records are never edited; they can only be revoked, which is itself recorded.
The trust ladder
The starting level of every profile. All information is provided by the expert and has not yet been checked by a reviewer.
Requirements
- None — this is the default state.
How it is verified
Assigned automatically at profile creation. No review has taken place.
The expert's email address is confirmed to be owned and operated by them.
Requirements
- Email ownership confirmed via the verification link sent at registration.
How it is verified
A single-use verification link is emailed at registration; clicking it confirms ownership. Recorded automatically as part of account activation, then attested by a reviewer.
A reviewer has checked that the profile describes a real, identifiable professional — the basics are complete and at least one piece of supporting material has been submitted for review.
Requirements
- Contact verified (L1) requirements met.
- Profile basics complete: headline and bio.
- At least one Proof Vault item submitted (any type, pending or verified).
How it is verified
A reviewer cross-checks the profile claims against the submitted material and public sources (e.g. the linked external profiles) before attesting.
The expert's claimed institutional affiliation (university, hospital, company, institute…) has been confirmed.
Requirements
- Contact verified (L1) requirements met.
- EITHER a platform organization membership (the institution manages the expert on its roster)
- OR a reviewer-verified Proof Vault item of type Affiliation, Degree, or Certification.
How it is verified
Reviewers confirm the affiliation directly with the institution's public directory, registrar, or the org's admin on the platform, then attest with the evidence linked.
Concrete evidence of expertise — publications, patents, credentials, project work — has been individually reviewed and verified.
Requirements
- Contact verified (L1) requirements met.
- At least one Proof Vault item reviewed and VERIFIED by a reviewer.
How it is verified
Each Proof Vault item is checked at its source (publisher, patent office, credential issuer, client). Every approval writes an evidence record to the verification history, linked to the proof item.
An independent, in-depth review of the expert's full body of evidence — beyond individual items — has been completed.
Requirements
- Evidence verified (L4) requirements met.
- At least two reviewer-verified Proof Vault items.
- A completed premium review: an approved paid verification request, or an equivalent reviewer-initiated deep review recorded with a note.
How it is verified
A reviewer examines the evidence portfolio as a whole (consistency, currency, independence of sources), typically triggered by a paid premium-verification request. The outcome is attested with a PREMIUM record.
The expert's standing is certified by a recognized board, professional body, or enterprise attestation — the highest trust level on the platform.
Requirements
- Premium reviewed (L5) requirements met.
- A reviewer note naming the certifying board/body and the certification checked.
How it is verified
The reviewer verifies the certification directly with the issuing board or body and records its name in the attestation note. Board certifications with expiry dates are recorded with an expiry on the verification record.
The review process
- Submit evidence. The expert uploads or links evidence into their Proof Vault — publications, patents, credentials, degrees, awards, client work.
- Source check. A reviewer verifies each item at its source (publisher, patent office, issuer, institution) and marks it VERIFIED or REJECTED with a note.
- Attestation. When the evidence on file meets a level’s requirements, a reviewer may attest that level. The grant is blocked by the platform if the minimum floor isn’t met.
- Record. Every attestation writes an immutable verification record — visible on the expert’s profile and in the platform audit log.
- Revocation & expiry. Records with an expiry (e.g. time-limited certifications) lapse; misrepresentations are revoked. Both leave the public history and are audited.
Glossary
- Trust ladder
- The L0–L6 scale of verification levels. Each level adds a stronger, independently checked claim about the expert. Levels are reviewer-assigned — never self-assigned and never decided by an algorithm.
- Reviewer
- A vetted platform staff member with the verification capability who checks evidence and attests levels. Reviewers cannot review their own profiles, and every action they take is recorded in the audit log.
- Proof Vault
- The expert's evidence locker: publications, patents, credentials, degrees, awards, client work, and media mentions, each uploaded or linked by the expert and individually reviewed.
- Proof item
- A single piece of evidence in the Proof Vault. It is PENDING until a reviewer verifies it at the source (VERIFIED) or rejects it with a note (REJECTED). Items can expire.
- Verification record
- An immutable entry in the verification history: which level was attested, by what method, when, by whom, and from which source. Records are never edited — they can only be revoked, which is itself recorded.
- Attestation method
- HOW a record was verified: CONTACT (email ownership), PROFILE (identity cross-check), AFFILIATION (institution confirmed), EVIDENCE (proof item checked at source), PREMIUM (portfolio-wide review), BOARD (certifying body confirmed), or MANUAL (reviewer-set, reason in the note).
- Minimum floor
- The evidence that must exist on file before a level can be granted at all — enforced by the platform. Meeting a floor never grants a level automatically; a reviewer still judges whether the evidence is sufficient.
- Verification history
- The public, chronological list of an expert's non-revoked verification records shown on their profile — the audit trail behind the badge.
- Revocation
- Withdrawing a verification record (e.g. an expired certification or discovered misrepresentation). Revoked records leave the public history but remain in the database for audit.
- Premium review
- A paid, in-depth review of the expert's whole evidence portfolio by an independent reviewer — the entry requirement for L5.
See it in action: every expert profile shows its badge and full verification history · Expert FAQ