{"schema_version":"2.0","record_type":"research","canonical_url":"https://marketingwiki.ai/research/tool-capability-verification","id":"research-tool-capability-verification","slug":"tool-capability-verification","title":"Tool Capability Verification Method","description":"Claim-level method for separating official documentation, observed behavior, inference, stale evidence, contradiction, and unknowns.","dek":"Tool profile should expose evidence state beside claim instead of collapsing every source into one confidence score.","type":"Method","status":"Published","topics":["tool research","claims","evidence"],"publishedAt":"2026-08-10","updatedAt":"2026-08-10","lastVerifiedAt":"2026-08-10","readingMinutes":2,"author":"Marketing Wiki Editors","reviewer":"Marketing Wiki Editors","sources":[{"title":"NIST AI Risk Management Framework","url":"https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework"},{"title":"Google people-first content guidance","url":"https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content"}],"wordCount":252,"body":"Capability claim needs source, source type, verification date, and status. This method avoids treating vendor documentation and independent observation as equivalent.\n\n## Evidence classes\n\n| Class | Meaning | Allowed wording |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Official | Vendor or publisher documents capability | \"Documentation says...\" |\n| Observed | Reproducible dated test produced result | \"Our test produced...\" |\n| Inferred | Evidence supports conclusion indirectly | \"Evidence suggests...\" |\n| Stale | Source or test exceeds refresh window | \"Last verified...\" |\n| Contradicted | Sources or tests disagree | Describe conflict |\n| Unknown | Evidence cannot answer question | State unknown |\n\n## Claim record\n\n```yaml\nstatement: product exports editable email HTML\nsource_url: https://example.com/docs/export\nsource_type: official-documentation\nverified_at: 2026-08-10\nstatus: vendor-documented\nreviewer: contributor-id\n```\n\nObserved test adds input, account tier, product version, environment, expected result, output, and repetition count.\n\n## Freshness\n\nRefresh interval follows volatility. Pricing and model assignment change faster than company founding date. Do not update visible date unless evidence or wording changed.\n\n## Conflicts\n\nWhen official pages disagree, show conflict. Do not silently select more favorable source. When observed test contradicts documentation, preserve both and describe test boundary.\n\n## Affiliations\n\nEvery profile records submitter and reviewer relationship to subject. Affiliation does not disqualify contribution, but it must remain visible and should not control final comparative conclusion.\n\n## Output\n\nMethod produces inspectable claim ledger. Readers and agents can filter official, observed, inferred, stale, contradicted, and unknown statements without relying on opaque editorial score."}