What the badge checks
The live seal stays hidden until tracker evidence, AI disclosure, and the required legal pages all pass on a recent client scan.
The three gates
The widget asks SiteTrust whether badge_visible is true for the certified domain. Visibility is true only when all three gates pass:
- Tracker / consent evidence. A recent client Run A PASSes, the banner is detected and working, nearby Run B PASSes (N/A can count as pass when accept had nothing left to fire), and nearby Run C PASSes.
- AI disclosure. The scan found a published AI Policy (
aiDisclosurePASS). - Legal pages for the seal. Privacy Policy and Terms are present, and AI Policy already passed. Copyright and DMCA are required for the full Legal Pages check on the 10-point report. They are not the extra gate on the live seal.
What the scan must look like
The live badge reads client Site Audit / evidence reports, not a leftover free-scan teaser. Run A, B, and C should be from the same session window (within about ten minutes). If you never ran B and C, the seal stays off.
What never blocks the badge
- Images is advisory.
- Accessibility is advisory.
- A missing copyright line or DMCA agent can fail Legal Pages on the PDF without being the live-seal legal gate. Still fix them. Counsel looks for all five pages.
Certification still has to be Active
The domain must match an Active certification (website or allowed_domains). A script with a real badge ID on an uncertified host will not show a live seal.
Related
If the script is on the page and the seal is missing, read When the badge displays.
Need help?
Email wecare@sitetrust.com with your site URL and platform. One business day response, Monday through Friday.