COA Verification Guide
How to read, verify, and evaluate any peptide Certificate of Analysis — and what the RUOCodes minimum standard actually requires.
What is a Certificate of Analysis?
A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a lab report — ideally from an independent third-party lab — that documents the identity, purity, and quantity of a compound. For research peptides, a COA is the most important document a vendor can provide because it gives you independent evidence that the product matches the label.
The RUOCodes minimum COA standard
To be listed on RUOCodes, vendors must provide COAs that demonstrate: (1) net content — the total amount of peptide in the vial, (2) net purity — the percentage of the peptide relative to total material, and (3) compound identity — confirmation via mass spectrometry or other validated analytical method that the compound is what it claims to be.
Extra credit tests
The highest-tier vendors go beyond the minimum and include endotoxin testing (LAL or rFC), sterility testing, heavy metal screening (ICP-MS), and conformity testing. These are visible on each vendor's detail page on RUOCodes.
How to spot red flags in a COA
Watch for: in-house testing only (no independent lab); purity listed without the method used; no identity confirmation; COA dates that never change (suggesting a single lot being reused); or a COA with a different vendor's name than the one selling the product.
Use the COA Analyzer
Upload any peptide vendor COA to the RUOCodes COA Analyzer and get an instant AI-powered verification against our standard.