This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
For visitors
Verify a test seal — in thirty seconds
You see a test seal on a website and want to know whether it means anything? Click it. Every genuine seal leads to a public verification page stating the domain, test area, audit date, validity and status. If it leads nowhere, it is a graphic — and anyone can put a graphic on their site.
The three steps
- Follow the link. It ends in /z/ followed by an audit ID. You can also type the address directly if the audit ID is shown next to the seal.
- Compare the domain. The verification page states which domain the seal applies to. It must be the website where you saw the seal.
- Read status and date. It shows whether the seal is valid, expired or revoked, when the audit took place and how long it remains valid.
What the verification page shows
- Domain — which website the seal applies to
- Test area — which of the areas was audited — not "the website" as a whole
- Audit date and validity — the state the seal describes
- Status — valid, expired or revoked
- Issuer — who performed the audit. This name cannot be replaced by an agency
- Audit ID — the identifier under which the audit can be traced
How to spot a worthless seal
These criteria apply regardless of the issuer — including our own seals:
- No link. An image without a verification page proves nothing.
- Link to the same website. Whoever confirms their own seal confirms nothing.
- No date. Without an audit date it is unclear what the statement refers to.
- "100% accessible" after an automated test. A substantial share of the criteria cannot be decided by machines; whoever claims otherwise is hiding a gap.
- A single seal for everything. It hides which area was actually audited.
Report a seal that looks wrong to you
If the verification page names a different domain than the website where you saw the seal, or if the seal is expired or revoked but still displayed: send us the website address and the audit ID. That is exactly why every seal is publicly verifiable — verifiability is not an extra, it is the whole point.
FAQ
The seal is just an image without a link. What does that mean?
That it cannot be verified. A seal without a link to a verification page is a graphic — anyone can put such a graphic on their website. Our seals are meant to always carry a link to their verification page; if it is missing, ask the site operator.
The verification page shows a different domain. Is that bad?
Yes. A seal applies to exactly one domain. If it names a different one than the website where you saw the seal, that website carries a seal it is not entitled to. Report the address and the audit ID to us.
What do "expired" and "revoked" mean?
That the seal is no longer a valid statement. Expired and revoked seals remain permanently marked as such on their verification page — they do not disappear. A page that disappears would not be proof, but a claim on borrowed time.
The seal only covers one test area. Is that not too little?
It is more honest. A website can pass on accessibility and fail on loading performance; an overall seal would hide exactly that. That is why each test area is audited separately and receives its own partial seal — which always states which area it covers.
Does a seal say the website is still fine today?
No. It describes the audited state on the stated audit date, for the stated scope. Whoever changes something afterwards has a valid seal and nevertheless a new situation. That is why seals carry their date visibly and expire after a fixed period.
I believe a finding in the report is wrong.
Report it with the audit ID and the affected address. Every finding names the rule it is based on — that makes it verifiable and, in case of doubt, refutable. If a finding turns out to be wrong, it is corrected.