# How CanTrust Chooses Places

Canonical URL: https://cantrust.shop/methodology

CanTrust is an evidence-backed local recommendation guide. We look for places with clear public signals, useful visitor context, and a recommendation reason that can be explained without hype.

## What CanTrust Evaluates

CanTrust combines public review patterns, editor research, official business information, and practical visit context to decide whether a place is useful for a specific local need.

## Trust Labels

### Listed

A basic public profile that may still need deeper editorial review.

### Review-backed

A recommendation supported by repeated public review patterns and editor analysis. Review-backed is not a paid placement label.

### CanTrust Verified

A higher-confidence profile checked against source material, business context, and practical visitor expectations.

## Recommendation Structure

### Quick Verdict

A short judgement on who a place is best for and what to expect.

### Why We Trust It

The repeated signals that make the recommendation defensible.

### Good to Know

Practical caveats such as queues, comfort, parking, reservation needs, or service variability.

## Commercial Separation

CanTrust may later offer merchant claiming, sponsored visibility, or paid promotional placements. These commercial statuses are not trust labels. A business cannot buy a Review-backed or CanTrust Verified recommendation.

## Review And Source Policy

CanTrust uses public review patterns as research signals, then summarizes themes, caveats, and practical context in original editorial language. CanTrust does not copy long Google Maps review passages.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does CanTrust choose local places?

CanTrust combines public review patterns, editor research, official business information, and practical visit context to decide whether a place is useful for a specific local need.

### What does Review-backed mean?

Review-backed means a place has repeated public review signals around dishes, service, value, setting, or use cases that support the recommendation. It is not a paid placement label.

### Does CanTrust copy Google Maps reviews?

No. CanTrust uses public review patterns as research signals, then summarizes themes, caveats, and practical context in original editorial language.

### Can businesses pay to appear more trustworthy?

No. Commercial labels such as claimed, sponsored, or promoted are separate from trust labels. Paid visibility does not create a Review-backed or CanTrust Verified recommendation.