Any certificate can be pasted into a PDF. Real verification means checking the issuer's public database against the exact legal name on the certificate. If the name on the cert does not match the name on the invoice, the bill of lading and the email signature, that mismatch is the finding — not the logo.
Our own certificates and their official verification links are listed on the compliance page. We publish the holder name consistently everywhere — from the first email to the bill of lading — because that consistency is the whole point.
A mill that holds a valid cert can usually give you the number in minutes. If you hear “we don't share numbers for confidentiality”, that is a reason to pause: the number is the one thing a real certificate is built to disclose.
For recycled and organic chains (GRS, GOTS, OCS), there are two documents: a scope certificate (the mill is certified, valid for a year) and a transaction certificate (this specific shipment is covered). Ask for the transaction certificate per shipment — it is the one tied to your order.
No. Certificate numbers are designed to be checked publicly; that is their purpose. A supplier who will not share one is a supplier to question.
For recycled/organic claims, you also need a transaction certificate for the specific lot. The scope cert proves the mill is certified; the TC proves your goods are in the chain.