A supplier screenshot can show certification information without saying when the record was retrieved or which search produced it. FSC’s public search instructions describe time-stamped certificate-record downloads. For a sourcing file, that is a useful way to retain a dated source record instead of relying on an image whose context has been lost.

This article examines the public instructions, checked on 3 October 2026. We did not search a named supplier, download its certificate or inspect a product transaction. It is an evidence-retention guide and does not declare any company or shipment FSC certified.

The source offers more than a name search

FSC Search accepts an organisation name, licence code or certificate code. Its instructions describe advanced filtering by criteria including type, certification body, status and country or area. They also describe time-stamped PDF downloads for FM and CoC certificate records.

These features identify a retrieval route. They do not supply the result for your own supplier. A familiar company name appearing in a search still requires examination of the actual record before a procurement team can describe what it covers.

Preserve the dated record with the enquiry

Our editorial suggestion is to keep the downloaded record with the input code or name, access date and sourcing enquiry reference. If a colleague later repeats the search, retain the later observation separately. This makes it possible to distinguish a historical research note from the evidence used for a current decision.

For example, a supplier might send a screenshot from an earlier enquiry. Ask which certificate reference it represents and obtain the applicable current record. Do not assume the screenshot’s appearance establishes its date, current status or relationship to the offered product.

Do not make a transaction claim from a company record

A certificate-source record and a shipment document are different evidence objects. Keep the supplier’s claimed product or material information alongside the relevant transaction papers rather than let a company-name match stand for the full order. This guide does not interpret scheme rules for a specific transaction.

Where the offered item or claim cannot be connected to the applicable records, write Needs editor verification. Request clarification from the party making the claim or its issuing source. Do not authenticate goods from a logo, and do not declare a supplier dishonest simply because a screenshot lacks enough context.

Use the saved evidence in a limited conclusion

A review note can state which certificate record was actually retrieved and when, followed by the transaction questions not yet checked. It should not expand into a universal trusted-supplier label, a guarantee of material origin or assurance that every order from the company is covered.

Our judgement is that a dated source attachment improves the auditability of supplier research because its context remains visible. No factory visit, physical product inspection or supplier appointment check was performed here. Actual certificate scope and shipment claims remain on hold until the responsible reviewer obtains the current specific evidence; price, stock and delivery also remain separate commercial tasks.