Trust methodology
How SOFTRE Verification Works
The verification review, trust signals and public proof profile that sit behind every ShieldMark badge.
SOFTRE verification is not a credit rating, financial approval, legal certification, or regulatory endorsement. It is a transparency and trust-enhancement layer.
The verification chain
From application to ShieldMark, one traceable chain.
Nothing appears on a public profile unless it can be traced back through this sequence to a piece of evidence, a review decision and a date.
- 01
Application
A business submits its details and the domain it wants verified.
- 02
Business record
Those details become a single business record: legal name, registration number, country and website.
- 03
Fields checked
The record is split into individual fields, each checked on its own rather than as a whole.
- 04
Evidence
Every field is matched to a named evidence source — registry, automated check, document or manual review.
- 05
Supporting documents
Where a field needs documentary proof, the business uploads it and it is held against that field.
- 06
SOFTRE review decision
A SOFTRE reviewer assesses the evidence for each field and records the outcome. Nothing self-declared is published as verified.
- 07
Verification date
Each decision is stamped with the date it was made and the date the next review falls due.
- 08
Public proof profile
Verified fields, evidence sources and dates are published on a public profile anyone can open.
- 09
ShieldMark
The domain-locked badge links straight back to that profile, so the chain can be walked in reverse.
What SOFTRE reviews
ShieldMark covers selected business identity and digital-presence information, reviewed against submitted or publicly available evidence.
- Business name and registered identity
- Domain ownership (DNS-verified)
- Public-facing business address
- Authorised representative information
- Voluntarily submitted business documents
- Operational footprint and digital presence
What SOFTRE does not review
SOFTRE is not a credit, financial, legal or regulatory product. The following are explicitly out of scope:
- Creditworthiness or financial standing
- Loan, investment or credit eligibility
- Legal compliance or regulatory approval
- Guarantee of solvency, safety or performance
- Government certification or accreditation
What trust signals mean
A trust signal is a verifiable indicator that a piece of business information has been reviewed — for example, "domain ownership verified" or "authorised representative confirmed". Trust signals are informational. They surface what we have reviewed and what evidence supported it; they do not endorse business outcomes, suitability or financial standing.
What's on the public business proof profile
Every ShieldMark badge links to a public proof profile that buyers, vendors and partners can open with one click. It includes:
- Verified business name and identity
- Verified website / domain
- Authorised representative
- Profile review status and date
- Correction request pathway
What the ShieldMark badge represents
The ShieldMark badge represents that selected business information has been reviewed against submitted or available evidence and is currently published on a verified proof profile. The badge is domain-locked and can only be displayed on the verified website. It does not represent a score, rating, approval, certification or financial assessment.
Correction request pathway
Businesses and third parties can request a correction or update at any time through the correction request process. We review all requests against available evidence and update the public proof profile where corrections are confirmed.
Why SOFTRE is not a credit or financial product
SOFTRE provides business verification and trust-enhancement services. We are not a credit rating agency, financial institution, lender or broker. We do not issue credit scores, assess financial creditworthiness or provide financial approvals. Any verification indicators or badges reflect transparency signals and informational review only.