American-Made Badge Overview
(100%) U.S. Content
Requires dual independent documentation, at least one of which originates directly from the manufacturer.
(95–99%) U.S. Content
Reflects a high level of domestic manufacturing with a minor imported component or material. Written documentation of the percentage and facility location is required.
(80–94%) U.S. Content
 Meets the directory eligibility threshold. The majority of manufacturing content, by cost, occurs domestically. Bronze-tier products are fully eligible for directory inclusion and Featured consideration when quality scores support it.
Why Two Standards?
A product can be manufactured almost entirely in the United States and still fail to meet minimum quality expectations. Conversely, a well-reviewed product may have limited domestic manufacturing content. Origin and quality are separate questions, and they require separate answers.
American-Made evaluates both — independently, using documented evidence, and without influence from commercial relationships. Directory inclusion signals that a product has cleared both thresholds. It does not signal endorsement, category superiority, or a claim that domestic manufacturing produces better outcomes than imported alternatives. It means the data supports the listing.
Standard 1: Manufacturing Origin
Minimum Requirement: ≥80% U.S. manufacturing content by value, with final assembly completed in the United States.
Products that meet this threshold are assigned one of three origin tiers based on their documented U.S. content percentage:
Gold — 100% U.S. Content Requires dual independent documentation, at least one of which originates directly from the manufacturer. Gold designation is the most documentation-intensive classification and reflects the highest level of domestic sourcing verifiable through available evidence.
Silver — 95–99% U.S. Content Reflects a high level of domestic manufacturing with a minor imported component or material. Written documentation of the percentage and facility location is required.
Bronze — 80–94% U.S. Content Meets the directory eligibility threshold. The majority of manufacturing content, by cost, occurs domestically. Bronze-tier products are fully eligible for directory inclusion and Featured consideration when quality scores support it.
Below 80% — Not Eligible Products that cannot document ≥80% U.S. manufacturing content by value are not listed, regardless of brand reputation, marketing claims, or commercial relationships with this platform.
Origin tiers reflect manufacturing content only. They do not indicate quality level. A Bronze-tier product with exceptional quality may be Featured over a Gold-tier product with a lower quality score.
How Origin Is Documented
American-Made.com applies a Documentation Confidence Level (DCL) to every evaluated product. The DCL communicates the strength of available manufacturing evidence and is displayed publicly on each product page.
DCL-A: Supplier breakdown + percentage confirmation + facility verification. The strongest available documentation.
DCL-B: Written manufacturer attestation + facility verification.
DCL-C: Marketing claim only, with limited independent verification available.
DCL is a transparency tool, not an eligibility gate. A DCL-C product may be directory-eligible if it meets the 80% threshold and quality requirements. A DCL-C designation signals to consumers and researchers that documentation depth is limited.
Origin tiers and DCL designations are internal classification tools. They do not constitute legal certification under FTC regulations and should not be interpreted as such.
Standard 2: Quality Assessment
Minimum Requirement: ≥3.5 out of 5.0 aggregate quality score, calculated from four weighted inputs.
Quality is assessed using a structured, multi-source model. No single source determines the score. Consumer reviews alone are insufficient. Manufacturer-provided documentation alone is insufficient. The aggregate of all four inputs produces the final score.
Input 1 — Manufacturer Documentation (30%) Product specifications, materials lists, construction methods, warranty terms, and applicable safety certifications. Evaluated for completeness, specificity, and verifiability.
Input 2 — Expert Reviews (30%) Third-party assessments from industry publications, independent testing organizations, and professional reviewers. Consumer Reports ratings are prioritized where available.
Input 3 — Consumer Review Aggregation (20%) Consumer feedback compiled across multiple platforms, including manufacturer sites, retail platforms, and independent forums. Aggregated to reduce platform-specific bias.
Input 4 — Market Indicators (20%) Time on market, recall history, BBB complaint patterns, warranty claim accessibility, and related signals that reflect real-world product performance over time.
Score Thresholds: Directory inclusion requires a ≥3.5 aggregate score. Products scoring below this threshold are not listed, regardless of origin tier. Featured consideration requires a ≥4.0 aggregate score; meeting this threshold makes a product eligible for featuring but does not guarantee editorial selection.
Quality scores are recalculated on an ongoing basis. Post-inclusion monitoring includes monthly review updates and quarterly score recalculations. Products that fall below the 3.5 threshold after inclusion enter a 30–60 day review and grace period before potential delisting.
Independence and the Firewall
American-Made.com's Standards team operates without contact with the Revenue team prior to evaluation publication. Origin tiers, DCL designations, and quality scores cannot be purchased, negotiated, or influenced by sponsorship status, affiliate relationships, or advertising volume.
The platform generates revenue through sponsored content, affiliate commissions, and display advertising. These relationships are disclosed on every relevant page. They do not alter evaluation outcomes.
American-Made.com has terminated revenue relationships when manufacturers attempted to influence evaluation results. Products from active sponsors have received unfavorable evaluations and have been excluded from the directory when they failed to meet either standard. Tier assignments have been downgraded when new evidence contradicted prior classifications. These are operational realities, not aspirational policies.
The governing principle across all evaluation decisions: If the data isn't defensible, the claim doesn't exist.
What Directory Inclusion Means
A product listed in the American-Made.com directory has documented ≥80% U.S. manufacturing content, final assembly in the United States, and a verified minimum quality score of 3.5/5.0 or above.
Directory inclusion does not mean this product is the best available in its category. It does not mean domestic manufacturing produces superior outcomes compared to imported alternatives. It does not constitute endorsement or certification. It means both standards have been independently evaluated, documented, and met.
Methodology for both assessments is published in full. Limitations — including information gaps, unresolved unknowns, and documentation confidence levels — are disclosed on each product page.
For Manufacturers
Products are submitted for evaluation through the Brand Portal. Initial evaluation takes 7–10 business days from submission. Manufacturers are notified of outcomes within 2 business days of evaluation completion. Reclassification and appeals processes are available for products where new documentation emerges after initial review.
Participation in sponsorship or affiliate programs does not affect evaluation scheduling or outcomes. The Standards team does not receive information about commercial relationships prior to publishing evaluations.