Classification
A brand name without an inspectable approved storefront URL is brand_mention_only. It is not an official-domain citation.
| Answer evidence | Label |
|---|---|
| official product URL visible | domain verified |
| brand named, no source URL | brand only |
| retailer/review page visible | third-party evidence |
| source interface cannot be inspected | inferred/unknown |
| provider failed | excluded |
Store the raw evidence
{
"state": "success",
"matched_brand": "Example",
"visible_sources": [],
"mention_level": "brand_only",
"timestamp": "2026-07-27T12:00:00Z"
}
Do not fabricate a source from the brand homepage after the run.
Diagnose the storefront separately
Check whether the canonical product contains enough evidence to become a useful source. MyFonts, for example, had strong visible licensing facts but no detected Product entity in initial JSON-LD. That is readiness evidence, not proof of why a platform omitted the URL.
Next test
Ask a brand-verification prompt requesting official sources. Preserve the new result as a separate run. Never overwrite the first brand-only observation.
Acceptance criteria
UI and reports display “brand mention” rather than “store cited,” retain any third-party URL, and calculate official citation rate separately.
Community discussion
Add to the article
Ask a technical question, share a storefront result, or challenge a conclusion with evidence.