By the Explicit SARMs Team. Updated November 9, 2026.
Short answer: a certificate of analysis (COA) is only useful if you can tie it to your product and to the lab that issued it. Check five things: (1) the lot code matches your label, (2) the lab and report ID can be looked up on the lab’s own website, (3) the purity result comes with a method (usually HPLC), a specification and a chromatogram, (4) the identity result names every compound in the product, and (5) the dates make sense for the lot you have. If any of these fail, treat the COA as unconfirmed.
Most COA guides use made-up examples. This one uses nine of the certificates we have published from Accumark Labs, an independent third-party lab, all listed on our Lab Results Hub. We checked each one on Accumark’s verification portal on November 9, 2026 so you can repeat each step yourself. That includes one result that came in below the lab’s specification.
Jump to the printable checklist · How to verify on AccuVerify · All 9 examples · Red flags · FAQ
What a COA is, and what it is not
A COA is the written result of laboratory testing on one sample from one lot. It ties measurements (identity, quantity, purity) to a lot code, a lab, and dates. It does not describe other lots, it is not a product approval, and it says nothing about uses or effects. A COA for a different lot, or one with no lot code at all, tells you very little about the vial or bottle in front of you.
What HPLC purity means
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pushes a dissolved sample through a column. Different molecules leave the column at different times, and a detector records each one as a peak. Purity is the area of the main peak as a percentage of the total peak area. A result of 99.01% means about 99% of what the detector saw was the target compound and about 1% was something else, such as synthesis by-products or truncated sequences.
Three things make a purity number meaningful:
- A specification. Every Accumark certificate in our hub states a purity specification of greater than 98.0% and marks each result CONFORMS or shows how far it missed.
- A method. The certificate should say how purity was measured. Ours are HPLC.
- A chromatogram. The chart behind the number. One tall, sharp main peak with small side peaks is what a high purity result looks like. A purity number with no chromatogram anywhere is weaker evidence.
What “identity” means, and why it is separate from purity
Purity tells you how much of the sample is one compound. Identity tells you which compound it is. A sample can be 99% pure and still be the wrong molecule. On our Accumark certificates the identity line compares the declared compound against the lab’s reference and is reported as CONFORMS; the AccuVerify portal labels this test “Peptide ID (HPLC)”. Mass spectrometry (MS or LC-MS), which measures molecular mass, is a separate and more specific identity method. A good COA tells you which method was used, so you know what kind of identity evidence you are looking at.
For blends, identity must name every component. Our CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin, GLOW and BPC-157 / TB-500 certificates each list every ingredient on page 1 and give a separate identity, quantity and purity result for each one on page 2.
The same principles apply to SARMs (small molecules such as ostarine, molecular weight about 389.3). Look for HPLC purity against a specification plus an identity method. We have not yet published SARM certificates; this guide will add them when we do.
How to read the lot, dates, method, quantity and chromatogram
| Field | Example (report BAGL-MKGV) | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Sample name / declared identity | BPC-157 + TB500 (Thymosin Beta 4) | Matches the product name, with every component listed. |
| Sample code (report ID) | BAGL-MKGV | This is what you look up on the lab’s site. Every report has its own ID. |
| Lot code | GPP260412-BBG70028 | The single most important line. It must match the lot on your label. |
| Received date | 05/27/2026 | When the lab got the sample. |
| Published date | 06/05/2026 | When results were issued. Should come after the received date and before the product was sold from that lot. |
| Matrix type | Peptide blend | The kind of sample tested (single peptide, blend, capsule, liquid). |
| Sample size (declared) | 20.0 mg | The amount declared on the label. |
| Purity, specification, status | 98.59% total, > 98.0%, CONFORMS | A number, a target and a verdict. Then read page 2 for each component. |
| Method and chromatogram | HPLC chromatogram report | The chart should be present. The portal version is interactive. |
Page 2 matters: why you read every component
A strong total can hide a weaker ingredient. On the BPC-157 / TB-500 20mg certificate (BAGL-MKGV), for a blend in our BPC-157 and TB-500 for sale collection, the total blend purity is 98.59% and conforms. Page 2 tells the fuller story:
| Component | Purity | Status on the certificate |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | 97.86% | -0.14% (below the > 98.0% specification) |
| TB500 (Thymosin Beta 4) | 99.49% | CONFORMS |
Compare the GLOW 70mg certificate (S43G-2L65): GHK-Cu at 99.84%, BPC-157 at 99.4% and TB500 at 99.26%, all conforming, with 99.70% total.
How to verify a certificate on AccuVerify, step by step
Anyone can edit a PDF. Accumark Labs addresses this with AccuVerify, a page on Accumark’s own website that renders the original result from the lab’s records for any report ID.
- Find the report ID. It is printed as the sample code in the certificate header and again at the bottom next to a QR code. Example: BAGL-MKGV.
- Open the portal yourself. Scan the QR code, or type
accumarklabs.com/accuverify/?accuverify_code=followed by the ID. Typing the lab’s address yourself is safer than trusting a link inside a PDF someone sent you. - Look for the confirmation. A valid code shows an “Authenticity Confirmed” notice stating the result was generated by Accumark Labs and has not been altered.
- Compare line by line. For BAGL-MKGV the portal shows: client Explicit Research (our company’s lab account name), batch/lot GPP260412-BBG70028, sample received May 27, 2026, analysis completed June 5, 2026, blend purity 98.59%, BPC-157 purity 97.86% (-0.14%), TB500 purity 99.49%, and an interactive HPLC chromatogram. If anything differs from the PDF you were given, trust the portal.
- Match the lot to your product. A verified report proves the certificate is real. It only describes your product if the lot code matches the one on your vial or bottle.
The PDFs posted on our site are copies of the Accumark certificates with lab staff names, signatures and our contact block removed. No result, date or lot code was changed, and the portal always shows the original.
Nine of our published certificates, verified November 9, 2026
Every row below returned “Authenticity Confirmed” on AccuVerify, and the lot, dates and purity on the portal matched the PDF.
| Product | Report ID | Lot code | Received / published | HPLC purity (spec > 98.0%) | Verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOTS-c 10mg | 7H2P-DM2T | GPP260424-PR7304 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 99.89% | Verify |
| GLOW 70mg (GHK-Cu + BPC-157 + TB-500) | S43G-2L65 | GPP260412-BBG70028 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 99.70% total | Verify |
| CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin 5mg/5mg | GFWB-JSTG | GPP260423-PR5801 | 05/27 / 06/06/2026 | 99.62% total (CJC-1295 99.44%, ipamorelin 99.74%) | Verify |
| Melanotan II 10mg | WGYG-C4G6 | GPP260428-PR3506 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 99.58% | Verify |
| Ipamorelin 10mg | GGS6-AQBB | GPP260426-PR2703 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 99.34% | Verify |
| IGF-1 LR3 1mg | MZPJ-4PWM | GPP260423-PR3903 | 07/07 / 07/08/2026 | 99.119% | Verify |
| CJC-1295 no DAC 5mg | DVS4-SUWL | GPP260421-PR1705 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 99.01% | Verify |
| Selank 10mg | YY2P-H25U | GPP260416-PR3107 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 98.61% | Verify |
| BPC-157 / TB-500 20mg | BAGL-MKGV | GPP260412-BBG70028 | 05/27 / 06/05/2026 | 98.59% total (BPC-157 97.86%, below spec by 0.14%; TB500 99.49%) | Verify |
Across these nine certificates, total purity ranges from 98.59% to 99.89% (median 99.34%). Every total conforms to the > 98.0% specification; one blend component does not, and we show it as issued.
Reading measured quantity honestly
Quantity is a measurement of the tested sample, not a pass/fail result, and the certificates mark it MEASURED. It can differ from the declared amount in either direction, and the full certificate shows both figures. When you compare suppliers, read the quantity line as well as purity: a COA that only ever reports perfectly round quantities matching the label deserves a closer look.
Red flags: when to treat a COA as unconfirmed
- No lot match. The COA has no lot code, or its lot code differs from your label. A real certificate for a different lot still does not describe your product.
- No way to verify. No report ID, no QR code, no verification page, and a lab that will not confirm the report. If you cannot find the lab at all, stop there.
- Signs of an edited PDF. Mismatched fonts or spacing around the numbers, blurred or pixelated digits next to sharp text, a lab logo that looks pasted on, or numbers that differ from the lab’s portal. When a portal exists, the portal wins.
- The same COA reused across products. One report ID, or identical results and identical chromatograms, shown for different products or different strengths. Each product and lot tested should have its own report ID and its own results.
- Purity with nothing behind it. A percentage with no method, no specification and no chromatogram.
- Identity missing a component. A blend COA that only confirms one of the ingredients.
- Dates that do not fit. A published date before the received date, or a test far older than the product’s production run.
- Everything is perfect. Every product at 99.9%+ with quantity exactly matching the label every time is unusual for real lab data.
A shared lot code is not the same as a reused COA. Our GLOW 70mg (S43G-2L65) and BPC-157 / TB-500 20mg (BAGL-MKGV) certificates carry the same manufacturer lot code, GPP260412-BBG70028. They are two separate reports with different report IDs, different sample names, different matrices and different results (99.70% vs 98.59% total). The test of a reused COA is the report ID and the results, not the lot string alone, and you can check both on AccuVerify.
Why we publish results that miss the specification
The BPC-157 component of our BPC-157 / TB-500 20mg lot measured 97.86%, which the certificate marks 0.14% below the > 98.0% component specification. We publish that certificate exactly as Accumark issued it, alongside the others, which all conform, for three reasons:
- Selective publishing is the most common way COA pages mislead. If a seller only shows its best results, the page proves nothing about the rest.
- It lets you check us. The hub, the PDFs and the portal all show the same numbers, including the one we would rather not have.
- It shows what real lab data looks like. Real results vary from lot to lot. A spread from 98.59% to 99.89% with one component just under specification is more believable than a wall of 99.9%.
What a COA does not tell you
- It covers only the lot tested, not later or earlier lots.
- It covers only the tests listed. Our Accumark certificates report identity, quantity and HPLC purity. They are not sterility, endotoxin or heavy-metal tests, and a COA should never be read as covering tests it does not list.
- It is not an approval for any use, and it says nothing about effects. Research compounds are not for human consumption.
How our products are tested
Our products are made in the US. Our manufacturer tests the raw ingredient when it arrives and again after processing, and Accumark Labs tests the finished batch independently, once, on our behalf. See how research peptides and SARMs are tested for the full process, and the Lab Results Hub for every published certificate. Where a product has no COA yet, we are waiting for the next updated batch and will send it out for a COA when it arrives.
Printable COA verification checklist
COA verification checklist (explicitsarms.com/how-to-read-a-coa/)
Product: ____________________ Lot on label: ____________________
- The lot code on the COA matches the lot on my label exactly.
- The COA names the testing lab, and I found the lab’s own website.
- The COA has a report ID or QR code.
- I opened the lab’s verification page myself (not via a link in the PDF) and it confirmed the report.
- Lot, dates, purity and quantity on the portal match the PDF.
- The sample name matches the product, and every component of a blend is identified.
- The purity result states a method (e.g. HPLC) and a specification, with a pass/fail status.
- A chromatogram is included or available on the portal.
- For blends, I read the per-component results on page 2.
- The received date comes before the published date, and both fit the product’s lot.
- Measured quantity is reported and I compared it with the declared amount.
- Different products have different report IDs and different results.
- I noted which tests are NOT on the COA (e.g. sterility, endotoxin, heavy metals).
Result: ☐ Verified ☐ Unconfirmed: contact the seller before use in research.
FAQ
What is a COA for a research peptide or SARM?
A certificate of analysis is a lab report on one sample from one lot. It records identity, measured quantity and purity, with the lab name, report ID, lot code and dates.
What does HPLC purity mean on a COA?
It is the main compound’s peak area as a percentage of everything the HPLC detector saw. For example, 99.01% means about 1% of the signal came from other substances.
How do I verify an Accumark COA?
Go to accumarklabs.com/accuverify/ and enter the report ID printed on the certificate, or scan its QR code. A valid report shows “Authenticity Confirmed” and the original results. Compare them with your PDF and match the lot to your label.
Does one COA cover every vial or bottle?
No. A COA describes only the lot listed on it. Match the lot code on the certificate to the lot on your product.
Is it a red flag if two products share a lot code?
Not by itself. Check the report IDs and results. Two different reports with different sample names and different results are two separate tests. The same report ID or identical results across products is the red flag.
Why would a seller publish a result below specification?
Publishing every certificate as issued, including one that misses a specification, shows the page is not cherry-picked and lets anyone check the results against the lab’s portal.
Does a COA mean a product is approved for human use?
No. A COA records laboratory measurements for research purposes. It is not an approval for any use, and research compounds are not for human consumption.
For laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption. Sold by Explicit SARMs solely as reference material for in-vitro and laboratory research by qualified professionals.