How to Read a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and Verify Purity

The market has good suppliers and outright scams side by side. The best habit you can build is checking a Certificate of Analysis (COA) instead of taking anyone’s word on purity. Here is how to read one and how to spot fakes.

What a COA is

A COA is a lab report on a specific batch. The two tests that matter most:

  • Purity (usually HPLC): what percentage is the actual peptide. Look for 98 percent or higher.
  • Identity / mass (usually mass spectrometry): confirms it is the right molecule at the right molecular weight.

A COA is one lab, one method, one sample, at one moment. It is strong evidence, not a lifetime guarantee.

How to verify a third-party COA

Most independent testing (Janoshik is the common lab) carries a unique verification key.

  • Find the key or report number on the COA.
  • Go to the testing lab’s own verification page and enter it.
  • Confirm the result on the lab’s site matches the PDF you were given.

If the numbers only exist on a PDF the seller emailed and cannot be verified on the lab’s own website, treat it as unverified.

Red flags of fake or recycled COAs

  • No unique key, or a key that does not verify on the lab’s site
  • The same signature or batch image reused across different products
  • An old report being passed off for fresh stock
  • A flat “100.0 percent” purity that looks too clean
  • A seller who will not provide a COA, or gets defensive when asked

Red flags of a scam seller

  • Crypto or gift-card only, no other option
  • A website only a few weeks old
  • Prices far below everyone else
  • Human dosing instructions printed next to the product
  • Reviews that all sound the same or arrived in a burst

Why we show our testing

Everything we sell is third-party tested and the COA is available. You should be able to verify quality for anything you buy, from us or anywhere. Unsure how to read a report? Post it with personal details removed and people here will help.