How to read a certificate of analysis
A certificate is a technical document, and most of its value is in the parts people skip. This is what each block means, what a good one contains, and what a fabricated one usually gets wrong.
What each block on the certificate means
| Block | What it contains | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Header block | What it containsAccession number, compound, matrix, lot and issue date | Why it mattersThe accession is the key to everything. It carries a check digit, so a mistyped or invented number will not resolve. If the number on a document does not resolve in our database, the document is not one of ours. |
| Sample details | What it containsWhat was received, how it was packaged and when | Why it mattersStates what actually arrived rather than what was ordered. A mismatch between this block and your purchase order is the first thing to query. |
| Results table | What it containsAnalyte, result, specification and verdict | Why it mattersEach row carries its own limit and its own verdict. A single "PASS" at the top of a certificate with no per-analyte limits is not a result, it is a summary. |
| LOD and LOQ | What it containsThe lowest the method can see and reliably measure | Why it mattersA "not detected" is only meaningful next to a limit of quantitation. Not detected at 5 ppm and not detected at 0.5 ppb are very different claims. |
| Method and instrument | What it containsThe method reference and the instrument ID that produced the number | Why it mattersName and version of the method, plus the specific instrument. Two laboratories disagreeing usually turn out to be running different methods. |
| Signature and date | What it containsWho released it, and when | Why it mattersReleased by a named analyst who did not run the sample. An unsigned certificate has not been released. |
| SHA-256 hash | What it containsA fingerprint of the signed document | Why it mattersRecompute the hash of the PDF and compare it with the published record. Any edit after signature breaks the match. |
| Chromatogram | What it containsThe raw trace behind a chromatographic result | Why it mattersAvailable on every chromatographic result on request. It is the difference between a number you are told and a number you can check. |
What a fake certificate looks like
Falsified certificates are common in the peptide, kratom and supplement markets, and most are not sophisticated. These are the tells, in roughly the order they are worth checking.
| Warning sign | What to do |
|---|---|
| No accession, or one that will not resolve | What to doThe single fastest check. Enter the number on the verification page; if nothing comes back, stop there. |
| A verdict with no limits | What to do"PASS" with no specification column means nothing was compared to anything. |
| Missing LOD and LOQ | What to do"Not detected" without a quantitation limit is unfalsifiable. |
| No instrument named | What to doA certificate that will not say what measured the sample cannot be reconstructed by an auditor. |
| A logo lifted from a laboratory that never tested it | What to doOur name and mark on a certificate we did not sign is fraud, and our counsel pursues it. Verify the accession rather than trusting the letterhead. |
| Results that are suspiciously round | What to doReal instruments produce 98.7%, not 99%. A column of round numbers is a column somebody typed. |
| A date that predates the lot | What to doCheck the issue date against the manufacture date of the lot you hold. |
| An edited PDF | What to doIf the hash does not match the published record, the file was changed after signature. |
Every certificate we sign carries a watermark with the client brand and resolves in our public database. If a document carries our name and does not resolve, it is not ours, and we would like to know about it.
Common questions
How do I verify a certificate?
Enter the accession number on the verification page. It is public, needs no login, and returns either the record or a plain statement that no such record exists.
What if the record exists but is marked private?
Some clients do not publish. The record then confirms that an accession exists and was issued by us, without showing results. Ask the brand to release it.
What does a retraction look like?
It stays in the database under the same accession, marked retracted, with the reason and the date. We do not delete a certificate we have signed.
Can I get the raw data?
If you are the client, yes: the unboxing footage, container photographs and raw instrument files for your sample are released on request.
Check a certificate now
One field, no login. If a Gold Standard certificate does not resolve here, it is not one of ours.