Badge & claims policy

What a badge is issued for

RecommendedByAI is powered by AIProof. AIProof is the independent evidence/verification layer; RecommendedByAI is the ecommerce product that surfaces AIProof records to merchants. The badge attribution names the verifier, AIProof.

A badge is issued for a specific: (brand or model) × category/intent × market × language. The initial methodology may, for example, measure English-language queries for the US market.

A badge is not:

• a global product-quality seal;
• a per-SKU certification;
• an endorsement;
• a ranking;
• a claim about markets or languages that were not measured.

Products on a merchant storefront may be mapped to relevant categories, but the badge only applies to the brand/model and category/intent for which it was earned.

How a badge is earned

A badge is earned only when the relevant evidence satisfies all applicable C1–C7 criteria.

• C1 — Valid observations: a sufficient number of valid observations under the applicable methodology version.
• C2 — Grounded-engine coverage: the brand/model must appear across the required minimum number of grounded AI engines. A grounded engine accesses the web and provides supporting citations or equivalent evidence. Parametric/no-web output does not count toward grounded-engine consensus.
• C3 — Signal: the aggregate recommendation frequency must exceed the applicable null baseline by a sufficient statistical or methodological margin.
• C4 — Round stability: the signal must demonstrate sufficient stability within the measurement round, including split-half analysis where required.
• C5 — Temporal maintenance: a baseline round creates the dated record; subsequent rounds determine whether the record remains supported.
• C6 — Fresh evidence: the default validity window is 90 days.
• C7 — Existence and buyability: the product must demonstrably exist and be buyable in the relevant market, supported by appropriate evidence such as a citation resolving to a relevant retail channel.

Earned, not bought

Payment cannot buy eligibility. A paying customer and a non-paying brand are subject to the same eligibility criteria.

Fees may pay for: the movement between rounds and the history behind it; the full evidence of every category; export; other product features. Fees do not pay for displaying the badge, which is served free and kept current on every plan.

Fees do not buy: a positive outcome; a minimum recommendation rate; a badge; favourable treatment in measurement.

And if you stop paying. A record you earned stays earned. It remains in the public register, at its own address, showing the category you won, the figures it rests on and the date it was measured — whether or not you are a customer when someone looks it up. And the badge does not stop either. Since 2026·09·28 the mark is served free and re-dated with every round on every plan: a subscription pays for the movement between rounds — the history, the full evidence, the export — not for the right to show what you earned. Cancel and you keep the record, the badge and its date; you stop seeing how it moves.

This is not a courtesy. A register that withdrew what it had already certified the moment an invoice went unpaid would be recording who pays, not what the assistants said — and every record in it would be worth less, including the ones belonging to customers in good standing.

Meaning of the claim

The standard claim is: “Frequently recommended by AI for <category>.”

The claim means that, during a stated measurement period, the measured AI engines recommended the relevant brand/model at the observed frequency under the applicable methodology.

Attribution and scope: the badge carries the line “Measured by AIProof” — measured, not verified, because “Verified” is a status in the eligibility system (Verified / Observed / Volatile) and the attribution line does not assert a status: it says who measured. It means AIProof (the evidence layer) measured and can account for the measurement — that the named engines recommended the brand/model at the observed frequency under the applicable methodology, reproducible from the underlying evidence. It is not a test, rating or certification of the product’s quality.

It does not mean:

• “AI says this is the best product”;
• “ChatGPT recommends this product”;
• “OpenAI recommends this product”;
• “all AI assistants recommend this product”;
• “this product is objectively superior”;
• “this product will sell more”;
• “this product is #1”.

Required badge information

A badge or claim must preserve:

• category/intent;
• observed frequency/denominator;
• measured engines;
• measurement date;
• link to the public evidence page.

The information must not be altered in a way that changes its meaning.

Approved presentation

The badge should appear in a neutral, calm, theme-aware form. Merchants must not redesign the badge to imply: urgency; scarcity; product-quality certification; an AI provider's endorsement; ranking or superiority.

Prohibited uses

The following are prohibited:

• “Best”, “#1”, “top-rated”, “proven” or equivalent quality/superiority claims.
• Claims that an AI provider endorses or certifies the product.
• “ChatGPT recommends this product” or equivalent formulations.
• Changing the observed percentage, denominator, date or engine list.
• Removing the evidence link.
• Applying a badge to a different category or product than the one for which it was issued.
• Presenting a US/English measurement as universal or applicable to another market/language.
• Continuing to display an expired or revoked badge.
• Using the badge in advertising or marketing material in a manner that materially changes the factual meaning of the underlying record.
• Combining the badge with claims that imply RecommendedByAI independently tested or certified product quality.

Non-affiliation

Expiry and revalidation

Every record carries a measurement date. The default evidence validity period is 90 days. Records are revalidated periodically. A record can cease to qualify if:

• its signal falls below threshold;
• the required engine consensus disappears;
• evidence becomes stale;
• the product is no longer demonstrably buyable;
• an underlying measurement error is identified.

Automatic revocation and auto-hide

Revocation is intended to be rule-based and auditable rather than discretionary. When a record becomes invalid: the record is marked revoked/expired; the Shopify badge is designed to auto-hide; the merchant should remove manually placed badges; RecommendedByAI may notify the merchant where practicable. A merchant may not continue displaying a revoked or expired badge.

Corrections and disputes

A brand, merchant, competitor, AI provider or member of the public may challenge a record. Challenges should be sent to [email protected], identifying the relevant record, the alleged error, and supporting evidence where available.

RecommendedByAI will evaluate the underlying evidence and methodology rather than negotiate the outcome. If an error is confirmed, the record may be corrected, re-run or withdrawn. Material corrections will be logged with the relevant date and evidence.

Evidence integrity

RecommendedByAI aims for each issued record to be reproducible from its underlying evidence. The company may retain internal evidence, query results, timestamps, methodology versions and audit information necessary to reproduce or defend a measurement.

Changes

This Policy may be updated as the methodology evolves. Material changes will be versioned and reflected in the applicable records.