The evidence comes first.
The Kindest Index helps you inspect the information behind vegan and cruelty-free claims. Every assessment should tell you the source, the subject covered and the date it was checked.
Six states, with uncertainty intact.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Certified | An active independent certification covers the relevant subject and claim. |
| Verified | Reviewed independent evidence supports the claim. |
| Declared | Only a manufacturer declaration supports the claim. |
| Unknown | There is not enough current, applicable information. |
| Sources disagree | Current sources support opposing conclusions. |
| Not compliant | An accepted source explicitly contradicts the claim. |
Scope changes the meaning.
A product certificate is different from a brand listing. Brand evidence contributes to a product assessment only when uniform coverage is explicit and verified. Company ownership is context; parent-company status does not automatically transfer.
Not listed is neutral.
Absence from a register is not proof of animal testing or animal ingredients. We prefer Unknown to an unsupported conclusion. A certification that expires is no longer current support, but expiry does not establish non-compliance.
TKI Confidence
High, Medium and Low describe the quality, independence, coverage and recency of the evidence behind an assessment. They are an internal deterministic evaluation, not an official certification or a calibrated probability. Strong negative evidence can support a confident negative assessment.
The first policy uses 180 days for freshness and 365 days as the maximum review age, alongside formal certificate expiry. Multiple records from the same independent organisation count as one source. Conflicts and manufacturer-only declarations have Low confidence.
Ingredients and prices
The origin of glycerin, squalane or similar materials can vary. An INCI name does not automatically establish whether a finished product is vegan. Ingredient-exclusion filters require a complete recorded formula.
Article price and delivered price are separate. Unknown shipping is not free shipping. Offers are compared within the same variant, market and currency, and their verification dates remain visible.
Corrections and history
Product proposals and reports go through moderation. Critical changes are audited, and previous assessments are retained. The catalogue does not use AI to decide product status.
Policy version 1.0.0.