CATALOG VERIFICATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure, Not Software.

CITAQ is not a tool you toggle for campaigns. It is a persistent layer running beneath your commerce stack, maintaining the evidence base that makes your product claims verifiable by AI systems.

DeploymentPersistent (always-on, not on-demand)
TypeInfrastructure layer (not application layer)
OperationContinuous (not campaign-based)
Scale500 to 100,000+ SKUs
STRUCTURAL CONSEQUENCE

The primary evaluator of your catalog is no longer a human.

AI agents retrieve product claims and weight them against available evidence. Claims without proof objects are hedged, suppressed, or excluded from high-confidence responses. This is the infrastructure that closes that gap.

THE DISTINCTION

Tools Are Consulted. Infrastructure Runs.

A TOOL
  • You open it when you need results
  • You close it when done
  • Relevant during campaigns and audits
  • Output: a report, a recommendation, a score
INFRASTRUCTURE
  • Runs whether you are looking or not
  • Maintains evidence automatically as catalogs change
  • Relevant to every product discovery event
  • Output: a continuously updated evidence layer

Infrastructure, once integrated, cannot be abandoned without breaking dependent systems. Like your payment processor or fulfillment system, catalog verification becomes a foundational layer every AI-mediated discovery event depends on.

CORE FUNCTIONS

Three Things CITAQ Does

Structures Your Claims

Every product becomes a coherent set of verifiable assertions: materials, specifications, performance characteristics, compliance status. Claims are organized so AI systems can evaluate them against evidence — not interpret them from prose.

Links Evidence to Claims

Each claim points to proof objects: laboratory certifications, test reports, manufacturing documentation, compliance records. The link is agent-confirmable. AI systems resolve against it without trusting the claim.

Makes Verification Automatic

AI agents verify product claims against your evidence layer without human audit. When a claim is questioned by an AI system, the system resolves against your evidence layer directly. No manual review required.

SCALE MODEL

Scale Is Built In. Not Tiered.

The platform operates across a spectrum — from a specialty operator managing 500 products to an enterprise operator maintaining 100,000 SKUs across multiple brands and markets. This is not a matter of paying for enterprise features. It is a matter of how many operations you perform.

Agency Center

Single interface for managing 10–100+ connected stores. Verification status, score trends, and evidence gaps visible across all accounts from one control surface.

Role-Based Access

Sourcing, compliance, and marketing teams see filtered views relevant to their function. No team has access to another team’s operational controls.

Multi-Platform Catalogs

Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, and custom catalog systems handled simultaneously. Evidence linked once, propagated across all connected platforms.

Scheduled Audit Cycles

Automatic verification cycles on defined frequencies. Email and dashboard reports when evidence expires, claims shift, or compliance gaps emerge.

These are not premium tiers. These are default capabilities available through the credit model.

AUTHORITY STANDARDS

Evidence Infrastructure Built on Established Standards

W3C Verifiable Credentials

Cryptographic signing of verification credentials. Agent-confirmable without central authority.

C2PA Media Provenance

Manifest verification for digital assets. Chain of custody for product images and documents.

GS1 Digital Link

Supply chain standard for product identification. Barcode-linked evidence accessible to any GS1-compliant system.

ISO 17025

Accreditation standard for testing laboratories. Evidence sourced from ISO 17025-certified labs carries highest authority.

EU Digital Product Passport

Regulatory compliance infrastructure for EU market products. Evidence vault stores DPP-compliant product data.

Schema.org Product Vocabulary

Structured data vocabulary for AI agent parsing. Claims expressed in machine-readable schema.

EVIDENCE QUALITY

Not All Evidence Is Equal

AI systems evaluate product claims against their evidence foundation. The strength of that foundation — from cryptographic proof down to manufacturer assertion — determines how confidently AI systems cite your products.

1

Cryptographic Evidence

Digital signatures, blockchain hashes, C2PA manifests. Mathematically verifiable. Highest trust weight.

2

Physical Verification

ISO 17025 laboratory reports, GS1 scan logs, spectrographic data. Independently produced, externally audited.

3

Structured Master Data

JSON-LD specifications, PIM data, MSDS documentation. Machine-readable, sourced from authoritative records.

4

Manufacturer Assertion

Official website text, product manuals. Baseline citation with hedging. Minimum viable evidence.

CLAIM STATE EXAMPLE

TIER 4 — MANUFACTURER ASSERTION

Claim: “Waterproof”
Evidence: Product page copy only

AI response: “Users report mixed results with waterproofing.”

TIER 2 — PHYSICAL VERIFICATION

Claim: “Waterproof”
Evidence: ISO 811 → Intertek Labs → 28,000mm column

AI response: “Verified waterproof to 28,000mm by ISO 811 testing, certificate signed by Intertek Labs.”

AI systems cite products with the highest available evidence tier. Moving from manufacturer assertion to physical verification removes uncertainty from the resolution path entirely.

OPERATOR FIT

Who This Infrastructure Serves

Direct-to-Consumer Brands with Material Claim Complexity

Outdoor gear (waterproof ratings, material composition), wellness brands (ingredient sourcing, safety certifications), home goods (fire safety, durability testing), industrial suppliers (technical specs, regulatory documentation). AI systems need structured evidence to cite these claims with confidence.

E-Commerce Operators with Large, Fragmented Catalogs

Retailers managing thousands of SKUs across Shopify, Amazon, and WooCommerce. Growing AI-mediated discovery traffic alongside traditional search. One missing certification across 500 product variants equals 500 evidence gaps.

Supply Chain-Conscious Retailers and Importers

Companies maintaining compliance documents as operational necessity: certifications, import documentation, MSDS. CITAQ converts existing compliance work into AI-verifiable proof objects.

CITAQ is not built for operators selling undifferentiated commodity products where competitive differentiation is price alone. Verification adds infrastructure cost without revenue lift for commodity categories.

SYSTEM CONSTRAINTS

What CITAQ Does Not Do

CITAQ is verification infrastructure. These constraints define the boundary between infrastructure and content services.

Does Not Rewrite Copy

CITAQ does not generate, optimize, or rewrite product descriptions.

Does Not Generate Claims

Claims come from operators. CITAQ verifies submitted evidence — it does not create claims.

Does Not Rank Products

CITAQ delivers factual verification data. It does not manipulate your position in any ranking.

Does Not Simulate Engagement

No artificial signals. No social proof manipulation. Evidence only.

Does Not Infer or Predict

CITAQ reports current verification status. It does not infer missing evidence or predict outcomes.

Does Not Replace Compliance Bodies

Verification credentials point to accredited labs and certifiers. CITAQ does not issue compliance certifications.

Submit Your Catalog for Review

Your Citation Readiness Score is free. Permanent. No payment required for the initial assessment.

INTAKE IS EVALUATED, NOT QUEUED — positions allocated based on catalog profile and operational readiness.

Submit Catalog for Review