How to read a certificate of analysis
Which three numbers on a certificate matter, what the chromatogram is showing you, and how to match a batch number to the vial in your hand.
What a real COA contains
A certificate of analysis is a lab's report on one specific batch. The batch number is what makes it meaningful: without one, a certificate cannot be matched to the vial in your hand.
A genuine one names the compound, the batch, the CAS number, the testing method, the specification it was measured against, and the actual measured result. It should also name the laboratory and the date of analysis.
The three numbers worth reading
Identity confirms the compound is what the label says. This is usually verified by mass spectrometry and reported as a pass or a conformance statement.
Purity is reported as a percentage, typically by HPLC. Above 98% is the working standard in this category. The chromatogram — the spiky line graph — is the raw evidence: one dominant peak is what you want to see.
Quantity verifies the vial contains what the label claims. A 10 mg vial that assays at 9.7 mg is within normal tolerance. One that assays at 6 mg is a different product from the one you paid for.
How to actually use this
Take the batch number from the vial you received and find it in the lab library. Every product page links directly to the certificates for the batches currently shipping.
A certificate that names a lab, a date and a method is doing real work. One that names none of those is a picture of a document.
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