# Verification Results

A result applies to one ENS record and the state that was checked. It does not
verify every record on the name or change the resolver's value.

## Successful Verification

When all required checks pass, the result includes the type of verification.
For a method that establishes control:

```json
{
  "verified": true,
  "verificationType": "control"
}
```

The supported types are:

| Type          | Meaning                                                                                                              |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `control`     | The ENS authority approved the claim and the method's evidence establishes control of its target                     |
| `attestation` | The ENS authority approved the claim and an issuer accepted under the method and client's trust rules attested to it |

An attestation method returns:

```json
{
  "verified": true,
  "verificationType": "attestation"
}
```

The selected method determines the type. An attestation does not automatically
prove target control, and a client must not present it as a control result.
The method defines what the issuer attests to and which issuers are accepted.

Neither type alone establishes legal identity or guarantees that a website or
other resource is safe. A result establishes only what its method checks.

## When Verification Does Not Succeed

If a required check fails or cannot be completed, the minimal result is:

```json
{ "verified": false }
```

That result alone does not explain the cause:

| Reason         | Meaning                                                                |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Not configured | A required record or verification descriptor is unset                  |
| Unsupported    | The client does not support a required version, method, or capability  |
| Invalid        | A definite check failed, such as a claim mismatch or invalid signature |
| Expired        | A required validity period has ended                                   |
| Unavailable    | A service or resource needed for the check could not be obtained       |
| Policy blocked | The client does not allow the required operation                       |

A timeout is not evidence of a bad signature. An unsupported method is not
evidence that the owner published a false claim. Applications should preserve
these distinctions when explaining why verification did not complete.

## Displaying a Result

Associate the result with the record that was checked. Where useful, show when
it was checked and why an unsuccessful attempt could not verify it.

Do not present an old positive result as current after its cache limit or after
a known change. A failed refresh does not extend its validity. The original
ENS record may still be displayed as unverified.

These JSON examples describe the result's meaning. They do not require every
library or application to expose the same API shape.

## Implementer Guide

See [Verification Results](/implementers/verification-results) for result
semantics, diagnostic categories, and evaluation metadata. See
[Lifecycle](/docs/components/lifecycle) for expiry and refresh behavior.