CAWG Certificates

Put your verified identity inside every piece of content you create

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Verified identity: embedded in content, not just metadata

A CAWG (Content Authenticity Working Group) Identity Assertion is a certificate that embeds a verified organizational or individual identity claim inside a C2PA content manifest. Where a C2PA Certificate signs and protects the manifest itself, a CAWG Certificate answers the deeper question: who is asserting this content’s provenance?

The CAWG standard defines how this identity claim is structured, validated, and included in the C2PA manifest, so any C2PA-aware viewer or platform can display and verify the creator’s identity alongside the provenance record.

Without CAWG Certificate With CAWG Certificate
Content credential shows tool and timestamp, but not verified creator identity Verified org or individual name embedded and signed into the manifest
Creator identity is self-asserted in metadata Creator identity is validated by SSL, a trusted CA
Readers must trust the claim at face value Readers can verify the identity claim cryptographically

Key benefits

Verified creator identity in the manifest

Your SSL-validated organizational or personal name is embedded in the C2PA manifest: not just in editable metadata

Works with C2PA

CAWG Certificates are embedded inside C2PA-signed manifests: the two standards complement each other

Editorial attribution

News organizations, journalists, and creators establish verifiable editorial attribution at the cryptographic level: proof of authorship travels with content across every republication and repackaging.

Brand authentication in content

Organizations prove content is genuinely from them: not a fake or manipulated version

Open standard

CAWG (Creator Assertions Working Group) is developed within the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) ecosystem alongside C2PA: an open standard backed by Adobe, Microsoft, BBC, Reuters, Sony, and Leica.

Issued by an authorized CA

SSL.com is authorized to issue CAWG Identity Assertion certificates: one of a limited set of CAs approved under the specification that layers verified identity onto C2PA content credentials.

Who is it for?

News organizations & wire services

News organizations and wire services establish verifiable editorial identity at the publication level for all distributed content: cryptographic byline that survives aggregation and syndication.

Individual journalists & photographers

Individual journalists and photographers assert personal attribution that travels with the work permanently: even after platform reposting, cropping, or embedding in third-party content.

Brands & enterprises

Brands and enterprises prove that content was created by or authorized by the named organization: provenance authentication for marketing assets, executive communications, and official announcements.

AI content platforms

AI content platforms disclose the creating entity alongside AI generation disclosure: dual transparency that pairs identity provenance (CAWG) with generation provenance (C2PA).

Content aggregators & distributors

Content aggregators and distributors add verified distributor identity at each step of the content chain: multi-party signed provenance trails for licensed and syndicated content.

For maximum content trust, use both

1: C2PA Certificate

C2PA Certificate signs and protects the entire content manifest: provenance chain, edit history, and AI generation disclosure all cryptographically bound to the content file.

2: CAWG Certificate

CAWG Identity Assertion adds your verified identity claim inside the signed manifest: attribution that is cryptographically bound to the content and survives every downstream transformation.
Together they answer: “Is this credential authentic and unaltered?” (C2PA) and “Who made this and can that be verified?” (CAWG).

Not sure which to start with? If you’re new to content credentials, start with the C2PA Certificate: it’s the foundational component. Add a CAWG Certificate when identity attribution is important for your use case.

Request CAWG Certificate access

Our team will confirm your organization’s eligibility, validation requirements, and integration options.

Compliance & standards

CAWG Certificate specification

SSL issues certificates per the CAWG standard: assertions are recognized in C2PA-aware tools

C2PA Specification (v2.x)

CAWG Certificates are embedded within C2PA manifests: the two standards are designed to work together

EU AI Act

AI content disclosure: CAWG certificates can accompany AI generation disclosure in a single manifest

Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI)

SSL is a CAI member participating in the development of both C2PA and CAWG standards

Not necessarily: a C2PA Certificate alone is sufficient for signing and protecting a manifest. A CAWG Certificate adds verified creator identity to the manifest. If verified individual or organizational attribution matters for your use case, add a CAWG Certificate.

Yes: CAWG Certificates can be issued for individual creators as well as organizations. SSL validates the individual's identity before issuance.

The assertion includes the validated name of the individual or organization, as verified by SSL. The exact fields depend on the CAWG specification version and validation level.

A CAWG Certificate is embedded inside a C2PA manifest: it is technically dependent on C2PA infrastructure. You will need a C2PA Certificate to sign the manifest that contains the CAWG Certificate.

Put your verified identity in every piece of content you publish

SSL is an authorized issuer of CAWG Certificate certificates. Talk to a content authenticity expert.
Talk to a content authenticity expert

Related products

C2PA Certificates

C2PA Certificates sign the content manifest that contains your CAWG identity assertion: the two certificate types work together for complete content provenance.
Learn more

VMC: Verified Mark Certificate

Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) provides brand authentication in email alongside content distribution: logos in Gmail and Yahoo inboxes plus verified creator identity on content.
Learn more

IV S/MIME

Individual Validated S/MIME provides verified journalist personal identity in editorial email: completing the identity verification stack from content (CAWG) to communication (S/MIME).
Learn more

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