Editorial standards and how we verify

The Atlas is only as valuable as it is accurate. This page sets out how content here is researched, verified, sourced, kept current, and corrected, and how the site stays independent. It is the public version of the standard every page is held to.

The fact-check standard

Every substantive claim is checked against primary sources: official specifications, public code repositories, and first-party company announcements, rather than secondary summaries. After drafting, each page goes through an independent, adversarial verification pass, a deliberate effort to find where it might be wrong, with any conflict resolved by reading the primary source directly rather than averaging two secondhand accounts. Anything that cannot be traced to a primary source is either attributed (for example, "according to trade reporting") or softened, never presented as established fact.

How we source

Every substantive page lists its primary sources openly, in a Primary sources block, and those sources are also emitted as machine-readable citation data so that answer engines and readers can follow them. If a claim matters, you should be able to click through to where it comes from.

Neutrality and independence

The Atlas is independent and vendor-neutral. It is not owned by, affiliated with, or paid by any protocol, platform, or payment provider, and it does not accept payment in exchange for coverage or placement. Where a standard is backed by a particular company, that is stated plainly so you can weigh it yourself. The landscape and directory pages rank nothing for money; inclusion is an editorial decision, not a paid one.

Keeping it current

Agentic commerce moves weekly, so freshness is part of accuracy. Evergreen reference pages carry an Updated date and are re-verified against their primary sources on a regular cycle. Where a figure is time-sensitive, we note when it was last checked and point you to the source to confirm the current value.

Corrections

Mistakes get fixed openly. If you spot an error, an out-of-date figure, or a source that has moved, please flag it. Corrections are made promptly and visibly rather than quietly. You can reach Andrew McPherson via andymcpherson.com, or use the contribution guide for Atlas-specific corrections, source updates, and player submissions.

Funding and disclosure

The Atlas is run independently by Andrew McPherson. It is currently free to read, with no advertising, sponsorship, or paid placement, and it does not sell any of the products it covers. If that ever changes, for example through clearly labeled sponsorship or a premium data offering, it will be disclosed here and kept firewalled from editorial decisions. Independence is the whole point of the site, and protecting it takes priority over revenue.

Built for citation

Because much of this is read by machines as well as people, the same standards serve both: clear primary sourcing, structured citation data, and machine-readable versions of the corpus. You are welcome to quote and cite the Atlas with attribution. See About for reuse terms and the machine-readable endpoints.