Trust & methodology

A signal is only useful if you can audit it.

SuppSignal scores are transparent, auditable, and independent of affiliate relationships. Here's exactly how a product label becomes a Clean, Dose, and Value signal.

Five things we promise

  • Scores cannot be bought

    Affiliate commissions never raise a Clean, Dose, Value, or Overall signal.

  • Affiliate links don't change ranking

    A product with a paid link is sorted by the same rules as one without.

  • Verified vs claimed vs not found

    Every claim is annotated. Brand claims never roll up as verified facts.

  • Missing evidence lowers confidence

    It doesn't automatically tank a score, but it limits how confidently we recommend.

  • We don't make medical claims

    Benefit language is tied to ingredient and dose, not product outcomes.

Overall Score

The Overall Score is a weighted combination of three component scores. Clean Score is weighted highest because SuppSignal is a clean-label trust product first and a price tracker second.

overallScore = cleanScore × 0.4 + benefitScore × 0.3 + valueScore × 0.3

  • Clean · 40%

    Label transparency, testing, sourcing, ingredient simplicity.

  • Benefit · 30%

    Effective dose, ingredient form, evidence alignment.

  • Value · 30%

    Price per effective serving, deal quality, retailer competition.

Clean Score

Measures third-party testing, COA availability, label transparency, sourcing clarity, ingredient simplicity, and absence of proprietary blends or unnecessary fillers.

Positive signals

  • +20Strong third-party certification (NSF, Informed Sport, USP)
  • +15COA or testing page publicly available
  • +15No proprietary blends
  • +10Clear sourcing claim
  • +10No artificial colors
  • +10Clear allergen information
  • +10Short, simple ingredient list
  • +10No major clean-label red flags

Penalties

  • -20Known quality or safety warning
  • -15Proprietary blend hides active doses
  • -10Testing status cannot be found
  • -10Vague or unverifiable claims
  • -10Prominent artificial colors or unnecessary fillers

Benefit Score

Measures whether the active ingredient is meaningfully dosed, in a well-supported form, and whether benefit claims align with the evidence.

Positive signals

  • +30Primary active in a commonly studied effective range
  • +20Ingredient form is well-supported by research
  • +20Evidence level is strong for the listed benefits
  • +10Serving size is realistic to consume daily
  • +10Label transparency allows independent dose verification
  • +10Benefit language aligns with evidence

Penalties

  • -20Underdosed primary active
  • -20Proprietary blend prevents dose verification
  • -15Benefit claims exceed available evidence
  • -10Stimulant load is high or unclear (for stimulant products)

Value Score

Measures price per effective serving, deal quality, retailer competition, and bulk value.

Positive signals

  • +30Price per effective serving below category median
  • +20Current price below known historical average
  • +15Coupon or subscription discount available
  • +15Strong bulk value option
  • +10Favorable shipping
  • +10Competitive across multiple retailers

Penalties

  • -20Poor price per effective serving
  • -10Current price above historical average
  • -10Servings are misleading (e.g. half-scoop labeled doses)
  • -10Multiple servings needed to hit an effective dose

How we handle claims

On every product detail page, we separate evidence into four buckets so you can see exactly what's load-bearing:

  • Verified Independently confirmed by a third party or public registry.
  • Brand claim Stated by the brand but not independently confirmed.
  • Needs review Partial or unclear evidence. We don't penalize aggressively, but we also don't treat it as verified.
  • Not found No supporting evidence in our review. Missing evidence is not the same as evidence of harm.

Independence and integrity

SuppSignal scores are not influenced by sponsorships or affiliate commissions. If a brand asks us to change a score outside of a methodology improvement or factual correction, we decline.

Affiliate disclosure

We may earn a commission when you buy through paid links. Scores are calculated using our published methodology and are not increased because of sponsorships or affiliate commissions.

How we score

Scores are based on available public information, product labels, retailer data, brand claims, and third-party evidence where available. Missing evidence may lower confidence but does not automatically mean a product is unsafe.

Read more about our trust principles →