Methodology Changelog · Peptide Source Review

Why This Log Exists

A rating that changes without a record leaves readers unable to see what changed or why. We keep that record instead. Changes to the scoring formula and methodology are documented below with the date and the underlying reason, and score changes for individual vendors are recorded in each vendor's audit history.

If a vendor disputes a finding, the change log makes it easy to see exactly what we said, when, and why. If a buyer wants to know whether the directory is actively maintained, the answer is "see for yourself."

Recent Changes

2026-10-22: Laboratory rules tightened after a review of the rulebook

Tier C is now decided from the check results alone: L1 and L2 pass, L3 fails, and neither L4 nor L5 passes; otherwise a failed L3 gives B-. It replaces the words "little else documented", which left room for judgement. 1 laboratory moved from B- to C (Analiza Białek).
Every laboratory is graded (L0): a laboratory is graded as soon as it is first named in our records, on a certificate or in a vendor's claims, from its own public reports for any client. The 4 laboratories previously listed as not graded now have tiers (Liquilabs B+, APIGENEX B-, Colmaric Analyticals C, SafeCert Labs D). None of them is named on a certificate we score, so no vendor score changed.
ChemClarity was removed from the lab directory: its website describes a nonprofit chemical-information initiative, not a testing laboratory, and no current vendor or certificate names it.
New L1 clarification (linked registry entry). Applied to BioRegen, whose L1 now passes on the Wyoming and Texas registrations of BioRegen, LLC, linked through a named chemist's public profile and a job posting; its tier follows from its checks (A). No score changed.
L2c (shared ownership) rewritten: a link to a listed vendor is acceptable only when the laboratory serves unrelated clients, passes L1 to L4 and passes a documented deep check; a proven link that fails any of these grades the laboratory D. No laboratory currently has a proven link, so no score changed.
The accreditation point now applies only to certificates tested on or after the date from which the accrediting body's register shows the accreditation as active. MDx BioAnalytical Laboratory's PJLA accreditation is active from 9 June 2026; 24 of its certificates were tested earlier and no longer earn the point. 2 vendors' scores changed.
A certificate's laboratory name must now match a laboratory's name or a recorded spelling exactly; a partial match no longer counts. Recorded spellings were added for 6 laboratories. No score changed.
L5 is applied as written, to reports for any client: 4 laboratories were re-checked (ACS Laboratory, Accurate Test Lab, Harrens Lab and Vanguard Laboratory) and all 4 now pass L5; ACS Laboratory moved from A- to A. No score changed. The page now states that tiers B- to A+ earn the same laboratory points.
Laboratory profiles corrected: Freedom Diagnostics Testing's L1 record (still a pass) and BioChex's L1 record (still a fail) now state what was checked.
Effect: 3 laboratories changed tier among those named on scored certificates (Analiza Białek B- to C, ACS Laboratory A- to A, BioRegen to A from an undecided A-), 4 were graded for the first time and 1 was removed. 3 vendors' scores changed because of these rule changes (Amino Amigos, AminoVault, BioLongevity Labs), and 2 more on the same day because of confirmed certificate findings (Biotech Peptides, Raw Amino). No testing-gate result changed. Each vendor's audit history records its change.

2026-10-22: Laboratory rulebook (L-rules)

Every laboratory in the directory is now graded by six published checks (L1 real business, L2 independence, L3 verification route, L4 identity method, L5 track record, L6 accreditation) and a fixed tier table, replacing the earlier descriptive tiers.
Each laboratory's profile shows the result of every check, its evidence link and the date it was checked.
A laboratory from which we hold no certificate is listed as not graded (L0) and has no effect on any score.
The +1 accreditation point now requires an ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation shown as active on the accrediting body's own register with a scope that covers peptide testing (L6); a laboratory's own claim, or an accreditation for other work, no longer earns it.
The certificate rubric itself (A2, A3, A9) is unchanged. 18 laboratories were regraded (17 down, 1 up), 4 lost the accreditation point and 5 are listed as not graded.
Effect: 9 vendors' lab sub-scores changed (8 final scores fell, one was held by the testing-gate cap), 0 testing-gate results changed and 2 vendors changed score tier. Each vendor's audit history records its change.

2026-10-22 (later the same day): Core and niche products (A1b)

A missing certificate on one of the 15 most widely carried catalogue products still counts fully; on any other product it now counts at half weight, so a broad catalogue is not penalised for its breadth as much as before.
Every product with a certificate still counts fully. The lab mean and the age deduction use the weighted count.
Effect: 33 vendors' lab scores rose; none fell.

2026-10-22: Rules version 2: lab scoring changed, and every rule is printed on How We Rate

Correction: earlier on 22 October one lab rule was applied to every vendor (fixed points per certificate and fixed deductions), replacing lab values held from earlier audits. Lab scores changed that morning; an entry on How We Rate that said otherwise has been corrected, and each change is in the vendor's audit history.
A certificate that names no laboratory now scores a flat 2.0, like a self-issued certificate or one from a laboratory whose independence is not established.
A certificate scores 0 when the laboratory's own record reports a FAIL, or when the vendor's posted copy differs materially (product, quantity, purity, client or test dates) from the laboratory's copy. This replaces the COPY deduction.
A key printed but not found at the laboratory keeps its points for being printed and earns none for confirmation; the CODE deduction is retired, and codes on certificates we do not score no longer count.
Undated certificates are aged from the earliest date we can prove they existed, or count as older than 12 months.
Microbial-limits screens (TAMC, TYMC, USP <61>/<62>) no longer earn sterility points. A report testing only endotoxin, sterility or heavy metals is never scored as a product's certificate.
The remaining lab adjustments are LOT, SUPPLIER and CLAIM, with fixed amounts and caps printed on How We Rate.
The testing gate is computed from the certificates instead of set by hand: at least half of a vendor's products need a lab-confirmed certificate from a directory laboratory that is not tier D.
The +0.5 for a state-registry record in transparency is removed for every vendor.
A store not taking orders keeps its sub-scores and gate from its last full audit; Soma Chems was restored to its 26 September 2026 audit.
Also on 22 October: shipping, pricing, operating history and transparency were re-scored for every vendor under published point tables, and the pricing deduction for struck-through "regular" prices was withdrawn.
Effect of version 2: 22 vendors' scores changed, 26 testing-gate results changed and 3 vendors changed tier; the weights, tier thresholds and gate cap are unchanged.

2026-10-21: Methodology page brought in line with the scoring in use

The coverage rule is applied to every vendor: every product in our catalogue that the vendor sells counts toward the lab sub-score, and a product with no published certificate counts as 0.
The product set is the products in our catalogue that the vendor sells, excluding lab supplies; it is not every product the vendor sells. A certificate for another size of the same product counts for that product; a blend certificate counts only for that blend.
Lab supplies such as bacteriostatic water are excluded from the lab average.
The lab sub-score floor is 0: a vendor with no published certificates scores 0.0 on lab.
The per-certificate lab rubric, the testing-gate cap (maximum 8.5), the tier thresholds and the current evidence tiers are published in full on How We Rate. The star scale is retired; scores are shown out of 10 with a tier label.

2026-05-21: Overnight build-out: Oasis Labs verification, SEO expansion, catalog growth

Audited Oasis Labs end-to-end: 22 vendor-supplied COAs OCR-verified across 11 products (BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, CJC-1295, Ipamorelin, Semax, Selank, MT-2, Sermorelin, Tesamorelin, Retatrutide in 7 sizes). Multi-lab cross-check confirmed on BPC-157, GHK-Cu, and Retatrutide. Lab score 9.5, final ~8.5/10.
Added BioChex (Las Vegas, NV) to the lab directory at A-tier. Uses Thermo Vanquish UHPLC + Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS, research-grade pharma instrumentation, the strongest analytical platform now in our catalogue.
Upgraded Bioviridian from B-tier to A-tier after confirming the bioviridians.com/coa-search.html verification portal exists. Named analyst Shane Straight, M.S., Principal Chemist.
Built 18 peptide-specific SEO landing pages, Best BPC-157 Vendors, Best TB-500 Vendors, Best Retatrutide Vendors, Best GHK-Cu Vendors, etc., each with dynamic vendor rankings, FAQ schema, and per-peptide editorial guides. Adds 18 new high-commercial-intent keyword targets to the SEO surface.
Expanded peptide catalogue from 13 to 18 by adding NAD+, MOTS-c, KPV, Epitalon, and Thymalin. Each new peptide includes carrier listings for vendors known to carry them.
Sitewide HTTP link audit confirmed prior URL-rot flags on Thrive Peptides (8 listings), Biotech Peptides (7 listings), and the Aminos Research domain offline status. No new dead URLs surfaced.
Added Oasis Labs full pricing across its range. Pricing score 6.5 → 7.0.
Mobile nav drop-down menu fixed (X close button positioning + clean vertical menu layout).
How We Rate weight bar on mobile fixed (proportional bars with labels rendered alongside instead of compressed inside narrow segments).

2026-05-20: Major OCR verification pass + 4 vendor reclassifications

OCR-verified 180+ vendor COAs across 11 batches, raising directory-wide verification rate from 40% to 69%.
Reclassified Research Peptides Lab from coa-linked to verified-image after confirming their COAs are genuine Freedom Diagnostics reports (analyst Stephen Schmidt). Prior 'unnamed third-party' assessment was incorrect.
Reclassified Paramount Peptides from coa-linked to verified-image after confirming their portal returns real Janoshik blend-format COAs. Lab updated from 'Not disclosed' to Janoshik Analytical.
Downgraded Direct Peptides, their linked 'COA URL' is actually a notarized Certificate of Manufacturing from Aspire Labs LLC with zero test results. Evidence weight reduced to claimed-only.
Downgraded Cernum Biosciences, their 'COAs' are self-issued documents from the vendor's own 'Lab Research Department' with no third-party lab named. Lab claim removed from their record.
Flagged Thrive Peptides and Biotech Peptides for URL rot (8 + 7 COA URLs returning 404).
Flagged Peptide Pros for stale COAs (most published 2021-2022, none newer than 2023).
Flagged Modern Aminos for pulling GLP-1 products (retatrutide, tirzepatide, semaglutide) from their public catalog.
Updated Aminos Research to siteStatus=unreachable (domain no longer resolves).
Added Particle Peptides' full Liquilabs pharmacopeial panel data (USP <85> endotoxin, USP <232> elemental impurities) to listing records.

2026-05-20: Added Swiss Chems HPLC refund policy

Swiss Chems published a buyer-protection policy: refund of full order amount + shipping costs + HPLC test fee if a buyer-paid independent test returns unfavorable purity results.
Shipping score bumped from 6.6 to 7.0 to reflect the strong dispute-friendly recourse mechanism.
Transparency score bumped from 6.6 to 7.0 to reflect willingness to back claims with money.
Gate status unchanged, pre-sale third-party testing remains unverified.

2026-05-20: Site-wide compliance hardening

Added prominent affiliate disclosure to every page with affiliate links (homepage, products, vendor pages, best-for, promos).
Added state privacy rights section to /privacy.html covering CCPA/CPRA, VCDPA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA, TDPSA, and other US state privacy laws.
Added 'Research Use Only' notice to all per-peptide product pages.
Strengthened affiliate-offer pill tooltips and ARIA labels for FTC compliance.
Updated last-updated dates on /privacy.html, /terms.html, /affiliates.html.

2026-05-20: Per-product ranking algorithm update

Inverted labScore precedence in per-product ranking: stored coa.labScore from audit data now takes precedence over the live derivation. Fixes a bug where audited lab-tier values were being ignored.
Added evidenceFactor weighting to per-product score: verified-image COAs count at 1.0x, verified-text at 0.95x, coa-linked at 0.75x, claimed-only at 0.5x, no-coa at 0.
Effect: gated vendors with high lab claims no longer outrank ungated vendors with stronger evidence at the per-product level.

2026-05-20: BioLongevity Labs affiliate enrollment + Memorial Day promo

Enrolled BioLongevity Labs as an affiliate partner via their custom go.biolongevitylabs.com tracking domain. Per-product url_id tracking IDs added to companies.json affiliate.productUrls map.
PSR affiliate code activated (15% off, stackable with site sale).
Memorial Day 2026 sale added to /promos.html (40% storewide + 15% with PSR code = 55% combined; runs 2026-05-22 to 2026-05-26).
Added BioLongevity logo (locally served PNG) to fix favicon rendering.

2026-05-20: Weights rebalanced

Lab credibility went from 50% to 55% and operating history from 10% to 5%; shipping and refunds (20%), pricing (15%) and transparency (5%) are unchanged.
Every vendor was re-scored under the new weights.

2026-05-19: Lab tier methodology overhaul

Rescored 14 vendors' lab scores based on each lab's maximum demonstrated capability (named portal + endotoxin + sterility + heavy metals), not just what the vendor chose to order.
Bumped MDx BioAnalytical, Kovera Labs, TrustPointe Analytics, Verum Analytics, Liquilabs, SR Biolabs to higher tiers.
Capped vendors that incorrectly bumped (aminos-research, thrive-peptides, spartan-peptides) back to appropriate levels.
Added tier-letter system to lab profiles (A+ for ISO/IEC 17025, A for portal + full panel, A- for portal only, B+ for multi-batch named, B for standard named, B- for sparse, C for marketing-only).

2026-05-18: Directory expansion

The directory grew from 16 to 49 vendors based in the US, scored on the same five-dimension formula.
One candidate (Limitless Life Nootropics) was identified as the same business as an existing entry (Limitless Biotech) and was not added twice.

2026-01-01: Initial directory launch

Published initial directory of 16 peptide vendors based in the US, with 13 commonly-requested peptides.
Established published scoring formula: 50% lab credibility, 20% shipping/refund, 15% pricing, 10% tenure, 5% transparency.
Published gating rule: safety cap of 6.0 for vendors that cannot independently prove third-party testing.
Launched per-product ranking on /products.html.
Launched per-vendor profile pages with full editorial review at /vendor/{slug}.html.
Launched lab directory at /labs.html with profiles of every named lab.

How to Submit a Correction

If you believe a vendor rating is wrong, an evidence finding is outdated, or a methodology decision is poorly reasoned, send us a note via the Submit page with the specific claim and the underlying evidence. Substantive corrections are published in this log with attribution (or anonymously if requested).