How to Get the Maximum Score
A perfect 100 requires meeting all criteria below: full marks on every AI-checked signal (90 pts) plus passing the mandatory human review that follows every $20/mo or $220/yr subscription (15 pts). AI verification alone shows a provisional score capped at 90 until that review completes.
Score cap: Unclaimed — not scored · AI review complete, pending human review — 90 (provisional) · AI + human review complete — 100
The cap is the ceiling — you can earn every point below, but the score stays provisional (capped at 90) until the mandatory human review finishes. (Premium was a separate, higher-priced tier from an earlier pricing model; it's legacy status on some older accounts now, not sold to new signups — every current subscriber goes through the same AI + human review to reach 100.)
| Signal | What's required | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| External reviews | Weighted average ≥ 4.5 across qualifying platforms At least one platform must meet its minimum: Trustpilot 5+ reviews, Clutch 5+, G2 3+, ≥4.0 = 38 pts, ≥3.5 = 26 pts, any score = 14 pts. | 47 | |
| LinkedIn presence | 10,000+ combined followers (company page + founder profile) Both the company LinkedIn page and the founder's personal profile are checked. Their follower counts are added together. Checked by AI — not available via public scraping. | 11 | |
| Web presence & domain age | Active HTTPS website + domain registered 10+ years ago SSL gives 3 pts. Domain age is looked up via RDAP — the official public registry authority. A domain 10+ years old adds 4 pts. Maximum 7 pts total. | 7 | |
| Physical presence | Verified Maps listing (Google, Apple, or Bing) with at least 1 review A verified listing with no reviews earns 5 pts. A Maps URL that confirms but isn't verified earns 4 pts. An address on file with no Maps listing earns 2 pts. Remote/registered-agent addresses are supported. | 8 | |
| Profile completeness | All 8 fields filled Fields: business name, website, description (50+ characters), founder name, email, LinkedIn URL, Maps listing or address, one review platform URL. Score is proportional: (fields ÷ 8) × 7, rounded. | 7 | |
| Press presence | Coverage by 5+ distinct news outlets Worldwide news coverage is counted by distinct outlets — coverage on your own website does not count. 3–4 outlets = 3 pts, 1–2 = 1 pt. | 5 | |
| Wikipedia & Wikidata | Wikidata entry with matching official website + English Wikipedia article The Wikidata entry only counts if its registered official website matches your business domain — name collisions are excluded. Wikidata alone = 3 pts; a Wikipedia article adds the final 2. | 5 | |
| Human review — incorporation | Confirmed really incorporated where it says it is Part of the mandatory human review that follows AI verification for every paying subscriber. Checked manually by a Trust Duck team member, not automated. | 3 | |
| Human review — legal & ethical practices | Confirmed legally run, following basic ethical business practices The other half of the mandatory human review. A failed check here doesn't just withhold these points — it can result in the profile being flagged (and the whole score zeroed), not just capped lower. | 12 | |
| Total | 105 | ||