Where do NordSourced’s facts come from, and how are they checked?
NordSourced takes its facts from each manufacturer’s own website, quoted word for word with a link and the date we checked it, and from the national company registers for registration numbers. A sentence is published only if it stands word for word on the manufacturer’s page, a certificate counts only after we have opened the document, and a person reviews every batch before it goes live. We do not visit factories, and AI tools read sources but never set a position.
What we check, and what we do not
We check:
- that a manufacturer’s own website says it makes products for other brands, by quoting the sentence;
- that a product, a minimum order, a lead time or an export market is stated on the manufacturer’s own site;
- that a certificate document was issued to this manufacturer by a certification body and is still valid;
- that each new batch of companies looks right to a person before it is published.
We do not check:
- factories, production sites or product quality: we do not visit or test;
- prices or a manufacturer’s financial standing;
- claims on a manufacturer’s website that we did not quote.
What each field on a profile means and where it comes from
| Field on a profile | Where it comes from | Shown as | Link to the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Services, in their own words | Sentences on the manufacturer's own website | The quote, with its source page and the date we checked it | Yes, to the page |
| What they make | The product list on the manufacturer's own website | Product chips; a product is listed only if its wording is on the site | The wording is on the site |
| Minimum order, lead time | The manufacturer's own website | The value, or “not found in checked sources” | Yes, to the page where it is published |
| Certificates named | The manufacturer's own website | “Named on the manufacturer's site”; gives no points | Yes, to the page |
| Certificates checked | The certificate document we opened | “Certificate checked, valid to” a date | Yes, to the document |
| Registration number | The manufacturer's own website, or the company register of its country | “Registration no.” | No link to the register entry yet |
| Export markets | The manufacturer's own website | Countries or markets named outside its own country | Yes, to the page |
| Evidence score | Computed from the rows above by the published formula | The score out of 100, with the points for each criterion | The formula is on How we rank |
| Relationship with us | NordSourced's own records | “Client of NordSourced”, under the name and in every list | Advertising policy |
| Response to our test request | Not in use yet | “Not in use yet” | Not applicable |
How does a manufacturer get on a list?
- The collection runs every night. Candidates come from the national company registers of the five countries, from export directories run by chambers of commerce and export agencies, and from the companies AI assistants name when buyers ask for a manufacturer. A candidate is a lead, not a source of facts.
- It reads the candidate’s own website. Jev picks out sentences that say the company makes products for other brands.
- Gemini reads product lists and certificate documents.
- Automatic checks keep only what stands word for word on the company’s page.
- A person reviews the whole batch and approves it. Only then does it appear on the site.
- Each fact is published with its link and the date we checked it, and the score is computed from the published criteria.
How are certificates checked?
A certificate counts only when we have opened the document and checked three things: it was issued to this manufacturer, by a certification body, and it is still valid on the day we score. Each checked certificate shows its valid-to date and links to the document. A certificate a manufacturer’s website only names is labelled “named on the manufacturer’s site” and gives no points, and neither do licences, memberships or ratings.
What does “not found” mean?
“Not found in checked sources” means we did not find the fact in the pages we checked. It does not mean the manufacturer has none, and nothing is guessed. Where a value is missing, a request through NordSourced asks the manufacturer for you.
Is AI used, and what does it decide?
NordSourced uses two AI tools to read public sources. Jev, a yes-or-no text classifier from TypeSafe, reads sentences on a manufacturer’s own website and decides whether one says the company makes products for other brands; it also tags product niches. Gemini, from Google, reads product lists and certificate documents. Neither sets a position: scores come from the published criteria and fixed weights. A sentence is published only if it stands word for word on the manufacturer’s page, and a person reviews every batch before it goes live. When a buyer sends a sourcing request, Gemini turns the text into a short product brief, and a person reviews the brief and the match before anything is sent. The photographs on this site are AI-generated illustrations and are labelled “Illustration”.
How current is the data?
Every list shows the date it was last updated, every quote the date we checked it, and every checked certificate the date until which it is valid. This page was last reviewed on 1 Oct 2026.
What do we not check, and how can you check it?
NordSourced does not visit factories, test products or rate their quality, and it does not check prices or financial standing. Before you order, ask the manufacturer for:
- the production address, and whether your product will be made there;
- the certificate document, not just the name of the certificate: check that it is current and covers the site where your product will be made;
- a sample;
- the registration number, which you can look up in the national company register;
- references from other brands.
Is NordSourced complete?
No. NordSourced lists the manufacturers it has found and checked so far in five countries: 413 today. A company is listed once its own website says it makes products for other brands and a person has reviewed the batch. If a manufacturer you know is missing, send its website address to sourcing@nordsourced.com and we check it the same way as every other company.
What if a fact is wrong?
A company can correct a fact about itself with the corrections form, attaching a document where it has one. Anyone can report an error to sourcing@nordsourced.com. We update the profile once a document or the manufacturer’s own page shows the fact, and log the change with a date. A manufacturer that does not want to be listed can ask us to remove its profile. Correct a fact →
More: Can I trust NordSourced? · How we rank