Every listing on ComplyIndex is either Verified or Listed (unverified). This page sets out exactly what each means, how we check the credentials behind the badge, what happens when a check fails, and the one rule that makes the badge worth anything: money cannot buy it.
Computed from the published directory at build time.
A listing carries the ✓ Verified badge only when all three of the following are true. Two out of three is not verified.
A named person on the listing holds a credential we confirmed via a registry lookup with the issuing body or by reviewing the certificate itself. Public profiles and self-attestation do not count.
The practice exists as described: a working website on its own domain, a company or bar registration, or a LinkedIn presence that cross-checks against the named people and the stated location.
The frameworks the listing claims are supported by public work — talks, publications, client announcements, audit reports, or course syllabi. A firm that says "EU AI Act" must have done something visible with it.
The practice exists in our dataset but has not passed all three checks — either because it is awaiting review, because a check failed, or because it was sourced from public information and nobody has claimed it yet. Unverified listings are still useful for comparison, which is why we show them, but they are held to a visibly lower standard:
If this is your practice, claim the listing — claiming starts verification and costs nothing.
Credentials are always attached to a named person, not to a firm. Each type has a place we go to confirm it. The ✓ on an individual credential is awarded only when the evidence is a registry lookup or a reviewed certificate — never from a profile page or the practitioner’s own statement.
| Credential | Where we check it | Earns the ✓ when |
|---|---|---|
| IAPP AIGP | IAPP certification directory | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor | PECB / issuing-body registry | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer | PECB / issuing-body registry | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| IAPP CIPP | IAPP certification directory | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| IAPP CIPM | IAPP certification directory | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| Bar admission | Bar / law society register | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| Accredited certification body | National accreditation body register | Registry lookup or certificate reviewed |
| Other credential | Reviewed case by case — we identify the issuing body and use its register if one exists, otherwise a certificate review | Certificate reviewed (or issuing-body register where one exists) |
Every credential on a profile shows its evidence type next to the holder’s name (for example “AIGP — verified via registry lookup, March 2026”). These are the four values and what each one means.
Verification is manual and takes twenty to thirty minutes per listing. There is no automated scoring and no scraping of marketing copy.
Listings come from certification-body registers, IAPP and PECB directories, conference speaker lists, law-firm practice pages, and direct submissions. Where a listing was not submitted by the practitioner, it starts as Listed (unverified).
Each named credential is looked up with the issuing body: IAPP and PECB public verification where available, national accreditation lists for certification bodies, bar and law-society rolls for lawyers. Only a registry match or a reviewed certificate can mark a credential ✓.
We write each 100–250 word description ourselves from what the practice actually does. We never copy marketing copy from the practitioner's site, and claimed practitioners can correct facts but not replace the text with promotional copy.
Every listing needs at least eight typed attributes before it publishes: frameworks, services, jurisdictions, industries, firm size, price bands, engagement model, remote mode, languages. Anything we cannot confirm is recorded as undisclosed. We do not estimate a price band or infer a jurisdiction.
A listing is never published in the same sitting it was written. It is re-read the next day, by a second reviewer where there is one, checking the credential evidence again and reading the description fresh.
Verified listings display the month of their most recent verification ("Verified March 2026"). Each is re-checked at least once a year; a credential that can no longer be confirmed loses its ✓ and the listing loses its badge until the check passes again.
Payment never influences verification. Featured placement buys position on a category page (max 2, always labelled), never the badge.
If a check fails, we tell the practitioner what failed and what evidence would resolve it. The listing stays Listed (unverified) — below verified results, without the badge, unable to receive intros until the failure is resolved — or is removed entirely on request. We do not publish the reason for a failure.
Anyone — the practitioner, a client, a competitor — can report an error. We acknowledge within 48 hours and correct or remove the listing within five business days. Practitioners can have their own listing removed at any time, no reason required.
A listing — verified or not — means we confirmed the facts on it, not that we recommend the practice. We do not assess the quality of anyone’s work, and a disclosed price band is not a quote. Do your own diligence before engaging.
Verification questions
No. Verification has no price and no fast lane. The only paid product on a category page is Featured placement, which is capped at two listings, always labelled, and only available to listings that already passed verification on their own merits. Paying for placement does not start, speed up, or change a verification review.
Annually, and sooner if something changes. Every verified listing shows the month it was last verified; when a credential lapses, a registry entry disappears, or a firm restructures, the badge is withdrawn until the check is repeated. Practitioners can request an earlier re-check from their claimed profile.
Send us the certificate. Some issuing bodies have no public register and some let holders opt out of directory listing; in both cases a certificate review counts for the badge. We check issuer, certificate number, holder name and validity, keep a copy internally, and never publish the certificate or its number.
Email us with the listing URL and what is wrong, and we correct or remove it within five business days. If the error concerns a credential, the ✓ on that credential comes off immediately while we re-check. Practitioners can also fix most attributes themselves by claiming the listing.
Submitting or claiming a listing is free and starts the process described above. Most reviews complete within 48 hours of receiving credential evidence.