How does the national registry lookup work?

Yes — we have API integrations with several national business registries: UK Companies House, South African CIPC, Australian ASIC, and US state-level Secretary of State databases (using OpenCorporates as an aggregator for US entities). During verification, we query the registry API in real time with your registration number to confirm: the business exists, the name matches what you entered, and the business is currently active (not dissolved or struck off). This live query is what makes the verification meaningful — we are not taking your word for it, we are checking the source.