Home › Resources
Resources & Publications
Guidance for sound signaling.
Reference material on the Signaling Trust Framework, plus definitions and answers to the questions we hear most often.
Publications
Current documents
| Reference | Title | Type | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
STF-2026.2 | Signaling Trust Framework — Full Specification | Standard | Current |
GD-01 | Implementing Entity & Identity Signaling (STF-100) | Guidance | Current |
GD-03 | Citation & Source Provenance for Answer Engines (STF-300) | Guidance | Current |
GD-05 | Content Authenticity & Authorship Disclosure (STF-500) | Guidance | Current |
PB-01 | Displaying the Signaling Compliance Mark | Policy brief | Current |
Documents are provided to applicants and certified organizations through the Office of the Registrar. Request access →
Glossary
Key terms
- Trust signal
- Any structured, behavioral, or reputational indicator a search or answer engine uses to assess the credibility of an entity or its content.
- SEO — Search Engine Optimization signaling
- The discipline of presenting accurate, well-structured signals to traditional search engines so that an entity is correctly understood and represented.
- AEO — Answer Engine Optimization signaling
- The discipline of presenting attributable, verifiable signals to AI answer engines so that an entity can be cited and summarized with confidence.
- Signaling Trust Framework (STF)
- The Authority’s series of open, testable standards covering identity, structured data, citation provenance, local signaling, and content authenticity.
- Signaling Compliance Mark
- The mark a certified organization is authorized to display, indicating its trust signals have been independently reviewed against the framework.
- Provenance
- The traceable origin of a claim or piece of content, allowing it to be attributed to a responsible, good-faith source.
- Credential
- The record of a certification decision, identified by a unique reference and published in the public registry.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is the National Signaling Authority a government agency?
No. The National Signaling Authority is an independent industry standards organization. It does not act on behalf of any government, search engine, or answer engine. Its standing rests on the rigor of the Signaling Trust Framework and the verifiability of the credentials it issues.
Does certification guarantee higher rankings or more visibility?
No. Certification confirms that an organization's trust signals are genuine and meet the framework. It does not buy, sell, or promise placement in any search or answer engine.
What is the difference between SEO and AEO signaling?
SEO signaling concerns how traditional search engines understand and represent an entity. AEO signaling concerns whether AI answer engines will cite and summarize that entity. The Signaling Trust Framework addresses both because credibility now has to hold up in both contexts.
How is a Signaling Compliance Mark verified?
Every mark is backed by an entry in the public registry. Searching the organization, domain, or credential reference confirms whether the credential is current, the level it represents, and the framework edition it was assessed against.
What happens if a credential lapses?
Authorization to display the mark ends. The registry entry reflects the change in status, so a lapsed or withdrawn credential can always be told apart from a current one.
Need a document or have a question?
The Office of the Registrar can provide specifications, guidance, and answers.
Contact the Authority