How we rate: the SuVerse Transparency rating
It answers one question: how much can a buyer know before contacting the business? It counts what the business publishes about itself: prices, licence, hours, where it works, how to reach it, and whether that information is current.
It is not a rating of the quality of the work. There are no stars, no reviews and no «best». A business with grade D may do excellent work; it simply publishes less. SuVerse never ranks businesses against each other by this grade on any page.
The items for local businesses
- Prices published — At least one price, read as text on the business's own pages. How to get it: Put at least one real price on your site, as text (not only in a picture or PDF).
- Licence shown — Only for trades that need a state licence: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, pools, pest control, contractors, dentists, chiropractors, massage, med spas, barbers, nail and cosmetology, lawyers, insurance, real estate, tattoo, vets, optometry and physical therapy. Other trades do not have this item. How to get it: Show your state licence number on your site, for example in the footer.
- Hours — Opening hours on the business's site, on its Google Business Profile, or set by the verified owner on SuVerse. How to get it: Put your opening hours on your site as text (for example in the footer).
- Service area — For trades that go to the customer (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, pools, pest control, locksmiths, cleaning, landscaping, movers, handymen, contractors, painters, mobile services, caterers, photographers, event services): the towns or ZIP codes served. How to get it: Write the towns or ZIP codes you serve, in plain text, on your site.
- Address — For places customers visit: a street address. How to get it: Show your street address on your site and your Google Business Profile (or the area you serve, if you go to customers).
- Phone or a booking / contact link — A tap-to-call phone number, or a booking or contact link. How to get it: Make your phone number a tap-to-call link and add one clear «Book» or «Contact» button.
- Website read in the last 30 days — SuVerse read the business's website within the last 30 days, so the facts above are current. How to get it: Keep your website online and readable; SuVerse reads it again regularly. If it moved, put the new address on your SuVerse card.
A business gets either «Service area» or «Address», never both, so a local card has 5 or 6 items.
The items for online businesses
Each kind of online business has its own list, taken from the same configuration as the free check:
| Software / SaaS / app | Pricing or a stated pricing policy · What it does, in one sentence on the home page · Free trial or free plan stated · Platforms (web, iOS, Android, desktop) · A support contact · Website read in the last 30 days |
|---|---|
| API / MCP / developer tool | Pricing or a stated pricing policy · What it does, in one sentence on the home page · A free tier or free trial stated · Documentation · A support contact · Website read in the last 30 days |
| Online shop | Product prices · What the shop sells, in one sentence · Shipping costs and times · A returns policy · A contact for customers · Website read in the last 30 days |
| Free / open-source tool | The licence stated · What it does, in one sentence · Documentation · Install instructions · A community or support channel · Website read in the last 30 days |
| Content site / creator | Topics stated · What the site is, in one sentence · The author named · Dated posts or a stated posting frequency · A contact · Website read in the last 30 days |
| Marketplace | Fees or commission stated · What the marketplace is, in one sentence · How a deal works, step by step · Verification of the other side (KYC, checks, guarantees) · A support contact · Website read in the last 30 days |
There is no «who it's for» item: an assistant decides who a business fits. When the business itself says on its site who it is for, the card shows that sentence as a plain fact with its source. It is not scored, and we never guess it.
The grade
- A — every item that applies
- B — all but one
- C — half or more
- D — less than half
The card shows the grade as «Transparency B — 5 of 6», followed by the list. Every ✓ links to the page where we found the fact, with the date we read it. A ✗ means we did not find it on the pages we read. It never means the business does not have it.
Where the facts come from
From the business's own website, its Google Business Profile, and what a verified owner sets on their SuVerse card. We do not use reviews, ratings or anyone's opinion. A fact without a source page does not count.
Signals we will add when the data is real
- Licence verified with the state — shown when the licence number has been matched in the state licensing database. It is not counted in the grade, and never shown as missing.
- Owner verified — shown when the owner has confirmed the card by a code sent to the business phone or email. It is not counted in the grade, and never shown as missing.
- Responds to requests (median time) — shown when the business has answered enough requests sent through SuVerse to give a median. It is not counted in the grade, and never shown as missing.
For businesses
Owners see their grade and exactly what to add for the next grade in their SuVerse cabinet. Publishing a missing fact on your own site, or adding it to your verified card, raises the grade at the next read. It is free and needs no payment.
For AI assistants
The grade and the item list are in each card's structured data (as a plain property, not a review), and in the SuVerse MCP tools get_card and list_cards. Assistants may sort or filter by it. It describes what is published, not quality.