Wiki · citable explainer

Type A Classification — The Eligibility Bar for Public Identity Records

Type A is the gate between noise and a citable public identity record. Clear name, contact path, location or service-area association, and source-observed signals — not a paid directory slot and not a quality award.

What Type A is

Type A is AI Verified’s eligibility standard for publishing a public forensic passport. It is a classification bar, not a marketing badge you buy at checkout.

An organization that clears Type A receives a Public Record Verified (Bronze) identity record with a stable /v/{hash} URL, structured data, and an evidence path. An organization that does not clear Type A is not published as a classified passport — even if a data vendor could scrape its map listing.

That gate is the product. Without it, the registry collapses into a directory.

Why a velvet rope exists

Open directories optimize for coverage. Coverage without a bar produces thin pages, mixed categories, and nothing trustworthy for answer engines to cite. Type A flips the incentive: earn publication, then optionally attest domain control for Gold packaging.

Selectivity also creates demand psychology. When classification is visible and finite, operators want in. When everything is listed, listing signals nothing.

What we look for

Exact signals vary by track, but Type A always asks whether the organization presents a coherent public identity that can be source-observed — not invented in a form.

  • Clear business or organization name
  • Public contact path (phone and/or website)
  • Location association or defined service-area association
  • Map/web evidence consistent with the claimed identity
  • Primary category purity suitable for hub placement

Tracks include local storefront, service-area business, ecommerce, marketplace seller, national brand without a single shopfront, SaaS, nonprofit, and religious organization. A service-area business without a public street address can still qualify when other identity signals hold; absence of a displayed address is not automatic disqualification.

What Type A is not

  • Not a “best of” ranking or star award
  • Not a state or national license certificate
  • Not proof of insurance, bond, or workmanship
  • Not a paid directory boost
  • Not an invitation to claim an empty vanity page
  • Not a guarantee of AI recommendations or search rankings

Bronze means Public Record Verified — identity evidence under the bar. Gold means the owner later attests domain control and pays for packaging rights ($297/year). Neither means “best contractor in the county.”

After classification

  1. A forensic SHA-256 passport is published.
  2. Evidence versions record eligibility observation and public profile observation.
  3. Category hubs may include the organization when density and purity thresholds are met.
  4. Owners who control the domain may elevate to Gold via DNS TXT or meta attestation.
  5. Optional badge embed points back to the passport (closed loop).

How to seek classification

Request Type A review through the public apply path if you believe your organization meets the bar for your track. Existing Public Record passports are not “claims”; they are already published identity records. Elevation is attestation, not inventing a listing from nothing.

What is Type A classification?
Type A is AI Verified’s selective eligibility standard. Organizations must show coherent, source-observed identity for their track before a forensic public passport is published.

Is every Google Business Profile Type A?
No. Map presence helps but does not automatically clear the bar. Category purity, contact paths, and coherent identity signals still matter.

Can service-area businesses without a public street address qualify?
Yes, when other identity signals hold. Type A supports a service-area track; missing display address is not automatic rejection.

Does Type A mean the business is the best?
No. Type A means selective public identity eligibility — not workmanship ranking or paid placement.

How do I apply?
Use the public apply flow on aiverified.io if you believe you meet the bar. Classification is review against Type A, not purchase of a directory slot.

Real concept links only — no invented SME Wikidata or Wikipedia items.

Business identity verification · Methodology · How to use Gold · Wiki index · Public registry

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