What is C2PA? What are Content Credentials?
C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) is the open standard for media provenance. A Content Credential is a cryptographically signed manifest bound to a file that records who signed it, when, and which claims travel with it. Krusade attaches a C2PA Content Credential on every successful sign — it is the base envelope, not an optional toggle. Optional metadata such as IPTC, EXIF, XMP, CAWG training preferences, and licensing ride inside that envelope as assertions.
How does public verification work?
Anyone can verify a file without a Krusade account. Use the /verify page in the browser, or POST the file to https://api.krusade.dev/api/v1/public/verify (the unversioned /api/verify alias behaves the same). The endpoint is unauthenticated, free, and rate-limited to 30 requests per minute per IP. Unsigned files are not an error: they return HTTP 200 with status no_credentials.
What file formats can I sign?
The signing API accepts JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, TIFF, GIF, MP4, MOV, MP3, WAV, and FLAC, with a 64 MB cap. You can embed the credential in the file, or request a sidecar ZIP (?manifest=sidecar) that leaves the original bytes unchanged and includes a detached .c2pa manifest. PDF can be verified but is not a signing format.
What is the difference between valid and trusted?
status valid means the Content Credential's cryptographic checks succeeded and the manifest is bound to the asset bytes. trusted is a separate field: it is true only when the certificate chain verifies against a trusted root. A file can be valid and still show trusted as false. Krusade currently signs with a development certificate, so independent verifiers typically report the issuer as untrusted until a CA-issued C2PA Trust List certificate ships.
How does Krusade relate to Adobe Content Credentials?
Adobe Content Credentials, c2patool, and Krusade all speak the same C2PA open standard. That interoperability is the point: proof travels with the file and does not depend on Krusade remaining online. Krusade is an independent trust layer — org identity, signing API, and audit trail — not Adobe's product and not a replacement for Adobe's tools inside a walled garden.
Should I use the API or the browser?
Both stamp the same C2PA credential. The /sign page is the browser flow. The signing API is POST /api/v1/sign with a Bearer krsd_ key, for CMS, CDN, and pipeline integrations. Verification is public either way. Start in the browser if you are trying the product; use the API when signing needs to happen at publish time.
How does org identity appear on Content Credentials?
Krusade signs all customer content under a single Krusade certificate — you do not manage CSRs or keys. The Developer plan uses that shared Krusade certificate identity. Team adds a DNS-verified org domain under Krusade's certificate, so members share one signing identity. Enterprise is contact-only and lists bring-your-own certificate / DIDs as planned. Dashboard history records which org identity signed which asset.
What does the free tier include?
The Developer plan is $0: the first 1,000 signs are free (lifetime), then pay-as-you-go at $0.015 per sign. It includes Krusade shared certificate identity, unlimited public verification, and community support. Team is $49/month with 5,000 signs/month included, then $0.010 per sign via credits, a DNS-verified org domain, 3 seats (+$15/extra), and IPTC metadata plus webhook integrations. See /pricing for the current plans.
What happens if a platform strips metadata?
Many platforms strip EXIF and C2PA manifests on upload. The portable credential lives in the file; if it is removed, public verify reports no_credentials. Krusade's invisible watermark is a detect/report signal today — it is not DRM, and hosted recovery of a stripped credential is not shipping yet. Do not treat watermark detection as proof of authenticity by itself.
Is Krusade a DAM or a blockchain?
Neither. Krusade is the independent trust layer for digital creation: C2PA Content Credentials, org identity, a signing API, and an audit trail. Files pass through signing; we do not host your media archive, replace your CMS or DAM, or run a receipt-chain ledger.
What is the difference between an embedded credential and a sidecar?
The default sign embeds the Content Credential in the asset you download. ?manifest=sidecar returns application/zip containing the original file (bytes unchanged) and a detached .c2pa. Verify can take an optional manifest part for the sidecar case. Watermarking cannot be combined with a sidecar sign because the sidecar path leaves asset bytes untouched.