Trust & verification

How we verify businesses

What each badge on a listing means, and exactly what we checked before it was awarded.

Last updated 27 September 2026. None of these badges can be bought.

Badges on a listing

Claimed

The business owner manages this listing. To claim it, they proved control of the business: through the business's own email address, or a claim link we sent to it. Owners keep hours, contact details and services up to date.

Verified

A member of our team has checked the listing's details with the business itself. A person awards it, never an automatic process. If a listing's details are under dispute, we don't verify it until the dispute is resolved.

Trade certifications and memberships

Businesses can list memberships such as SEAI, RECI or CIF, together with their registration number. We check each one before it appears on the listing. Unchecked certifications are not shown.

Company registration and insurance

CRO-registered means we matched the business to its entry in the Companies Registration Office register using the company number.

Insured means we reviewed a current insurance certificate from the business. Any document a business uploads is stored privately and only our team can see it. Insurance documents are deleted as soon as the check is done.

Professional registrations

Other registrations, such as professional bodies or licences, show on a listing only after our team has approved them. Supporting documents are never published.

Driving instructors (ADI)

Instructors are shown as Approved Driving Instructors only after we have checked their ADI number.

Trust Score

A 0–100 rating built from four parts:

  • Verification (35 points): claimed, verified, CRO, insurance and similar checks.
  • Reputation (30 points): the average rating and number of approved reviews. Reviews sent through VPNs or proxy services don't count.
  • Responsiveness (15 points): how reliably the business replies to enquiries, and whether its details were confirmed in the last year.
  • Completeness (20 points): phone, website, email, hours, logo, photos and a real description.

Only the two highest tiers are shown on public pages: Gold Trusted (80 and above) and Verified (60 and above). A low score is never displayed.

Common questions

What does "Verified" mean on LocallyIrish.ie?

A Verified badge means a member of the LocallyIrish team has checked the listing's details with the business itself. It is awarded by a person, not automatically, and it cannot be bought.

What does "Claimed" mean?

A claimed listing is managed by the business owner. They proved control of the business's email address or claim link, and they keep the listing's details up to date.

How is the Trust Score calculated?

The Trust Score is a 0–100 rating built from four parts: verification (35 points), reputation from reviews (30), how responsive the business is to enquiries (15), and how complete its listing is (20). Reviews sent through VPNs or proxy services are excluded. Only the two highest tiers are shown publicly.

Can a business pay for a Verified badge or a higher Trust Score?

No. Verification, certifications and the Trust Score are never sold. Paid plans and sponsored placement change where a listing appears on a page, and they are always labelled.

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