How Identity & Trust Works

Our trust system rewards sellers who make themselves reachable and verifiable. Higher scores unlock more features. Privacy is respected, but transparency is rewarded.

Trust Score (0-21 Points)

Your score comes from three things: proving your identity, linking social accounts, and earning reviews from customers.

Core Identity (up to 10 points)

Prove you're real and reachable. Each method earns points for listing it, making it public, and verifying it.

• Display name — set your name (1 pt)
• Email — verify via login, make it public on a listing (up to 2 pts)
• Phone — list it, make it public, verify via SMS (up to 3 pts)
• Nostr — list your npub, verify via NIP-05 (up to 2 pts)
• Domain — list your website, verify by pointing a domain to your listing or profile (up to 2 pts)
• Partner banner — add an Agorist.Market banner or link to your website (2 pts + ad-free listing + dofollow backlink)

Social Links (up to 12 points, capped)

Link your social accounts on your listings. Each platform counts once across all your listings. Social points are capped at 1.5x your core identity score — build your core first.

Reviews

Customer reviews directly affect your score. Five stars earns +2 points, four stars +1, three stars is neutral, and negative reviews reduce your score. Only approved reviews count.

Trust Tiers

Every tier has one headline unlock. Keep climbing, keep earning.

Score	Tier	Headline Unlock
0–2	🌱 New	Basic listing — 1 listing, 2 gallery photos
3–4	✓ Verified	Leave reviews — 2 listings
5–9	🛡️ Trusted	Profile page + subdomain — 3 listings, 4 gallery photos
10–14	⭐ Established	Video embed — 4 listings
15–19	🏛️ Pillar	Dofollow backlink (real SEO authority) — 5 listings, reorder them
20–21	👑 Keystone	Ad-free listing page — the top prize, earned

You can leave reviews starting at 2 points (every verified-email user qualifies), and every tier still has the unlocks from the tiers below it.

Earn or Pay — Two Paths to the Same Prizes

The two headline rewards — dofollow backlink (real SEO value) and ad-free listing page (the clean pro feel) — can be earned through trust or unlocked instantly with a paid plan. The system rewards both commitment-through-verification and commitment-through-payment.

Prize	Earn it	Pay for it	Shortcut
Dofollow backlink	15 trust points (Pillar)	Any paid plan ($5+/mo)	Verified partner banner
Ad-free listing	20 trust points (Keystone)	Any paid plan ($5+/mo)	Verified partner banner

Essential ($5/mo) unlocks both prizes instantly — plus video embeds and 8 gallery photos. It's the no-brainer shortcut if climbing to 20 points feels slow.

Paid Plans in General

Paid plans add features without changing your trust score. Pro adds custom CSS, a landing page, and an annual domain credit. Featured and Spotlight add feed and sidebar placement across the site.

Your trust tier badge is always earned, never bought.

For Buyers

Higher trust tiers mean a seller has invested in being reachable and verifiable. Check the badge, read reviews, and look for verified contact info. Trust scores are a guide, not a guarantee — always use your own judgment.

For Sellers

Start by verifying your email and making your contact info public. Add social accounts and a website. Earn great reviews. You don't have to verify everything — a seller with strong reviews can reach the same tier as someone who verified every method.