How to verify that an agency is in the Claude Partner Network

You can verify part of a firm's Claude Partner Network status publicly, but not all of it. Firms at the three earned tiers (Select, Preferred and Global Premier) are listed in Anthropic's public Partner Directory with their tier label, so you can look them up. Firms at the Registered entry level are not listed. For them, no public lookup exists as of October 2026, and the only route is to ask the firm for written evidence.

Certifications are a separate question. Anthropic's certifications belong to individual people, not to firms, and they are issued as digital badges on Credly. So "a certified agency" is not something Anthropic issues. What you can check is whether named people at the firm hold a current certification.

This guide explains what the Claude Partner Network is, how the tiers work, how to check each claim, and what membership does and does not tell you about a firm you are thinking of hiring. Everything here reflects Anthropic's published pages as of October 2026. The program is new and changing, so confirm details on Anthropic's own pages before you rely on them.

What the Claude Partner Network is

Anthropic announced the Claude Partner Network on 12 March 2026 as "a program for partner organizations helping enterprises adopt Claude." It offers partners training, technical support and joint market development, and Anthropic said it was committing "an initial $100 million to this network for 2026." The announcement states that "Membership is free of charge."

The current application form says that to qualify, a company should "Be a registered business with 10 or more employees," "Operate in a supported region," and "Offer consulting, implementation, or managed services to customers." Companies building their own products on Claude are pointed to the Claude API instead. The launch announcement used broader wording ("Any organization that is bringing Claude to market is eligible"), but the form reflects the current rule.

In other words, a member is a services firm (a consultancy, agency or integrator) that has applied and been accepted. It is not a company building its own product on Claude, and it doesn't speak for Anthropic.

How the tiers work

On 3 June 2026 Anthropic published the Services Track tiers. New applicants "start at Registered, the program's entry level," with "a minimum commitment to 10 certified practitioners." The post describes the Services Track as three tiers and says "Partnership begins at Select." Firms move up from Registered by meeting published thresholds.

A few details matter when you read a firm's claim:

• "Certified" has a specific meaning. Anthropic counts people who "hold a current Anthropic certification and have used Claude in the past 90 days."
• Tiers change on a schedule. Promotions are processed on 1 January and 1 July, with an extra review on 1 October 2026 in the first year. Firms move down only at the annual review on 31 December, with 90 days' notice.
• Anthropic checks standing. It says it verifies standing every quarter, and each partner can see its own standing in the Claude Partner Hub, refreshed daily.

So a tier claim made in, say, August may be out of date by January. Ask when the firm's tier was last confirmed.

Step 1: check the public directory

Anthropic's Partner Directory (the old claude.com/partners/services address redirects there) carries the subtitle "Find a Claude certified consulting partner or system integrator." Each entry shows the firm's logo, name, tier label and a short description, and you can filter by tier, industry, services, Anthropic products, budget, customer size, office locations and languages.

1. Open the directory and search or filter for the firm's name.
2. If it is listed, note the tier label on its entry and open its profile page, which shows the tier and a "Profile updated" date.
3. Compare the tier on the profile with the tier the firm claims in its proposal or on its website.
4. Check that the name and website match the firm you are talking to, not a similarly named company.

The Partner Tier filter offers only three values: Global Premier, Preferred and Select. Anthropic's June post says the directory shows each firm's certified team and customer deployments too, but as of October 2026 partner profiles show the tier, languages and a description. Don't expect to see headcounts or customer numbers.

Step 2: if the firm isn't listed

A firm missing from the directory is not necessarily misrepresenting itself. Registered members, the entry level every new applicant starts at, are not listed. As of October 2026, Anthropic's published pages offer no way for a buyer to look up Registered membership.

That leaves you with the firm's own evidence. Reasonable requests:

• A plain statement in writing of its membership and tier.
• Any written confirmation it has from Anthropic about its membership, with sensitive details removed.
• A view of its standing from the Claude Partner Hub, which shows each partner its own position against the requirements.

Screenshots and forwarded emails can be faked, so treat them as reasonable evidence rather than proof, and weigh them alongside everything else you learn. A firm that claims a public tier (Select or higher) but isn't in the directory should be able to explain why.

Step 3: verify individual certifications

Anthropic currently lists four certifications on its partner certifications page:

The page states only that the Associate certification "Does not count toward Claude Partner Network tier eligibility." The exams are open to people who work at Partner Network member organizations, are closed book, are delivered through Pearson VUE, and require a scaled score of 720 to pass. Each certification is valid for "12 months from the date you earn it."

According to Anthropic's certification FAQ, badges are issued on Credly, and holders can share them on LinkedIn. To check:

1. Ask the firm for the names of the people who would work on your project and which certifications they hold.
2. Ask each person for a link to their Credly badge or the badge on their LinkedIn profile.
3. Check the certification name, the holder's name and the issue date. A certification earned more than 12 months ago has expired unless it was renewed; Anthropic's FAQ describes a free on-time renewal assessment.
4. Note which certification it is. A Developer or Architect certification is more relevant to Claude Code work than the Associate level.

Ask about the people actually assigned to you. A firm's certified staff are only useful to you if they work on your project.

What membership does and doesn't mean

If a firm's marketing implies something stronger than membership, such as "Anthropic-certified agency" or "endorsed by Anthropic," ask what that is based on.

Other things to check alongside membership

Membership is one signal. The things that matter most for a good engagement are the firm's process and its fit with your job: work in git, a staging copy, a person reviewing every change, scoped access and clear deliverables. Our guide on how to choose a Claude Code development partner lists 15 questions to ask, and our comparison of agencies, freelancers and in-house developers covers which type of help fits which job. If you are looking for certified individuals rather than firms, this guest post on where to find Claude certified architects and developers covers where to look.

Conclusion

Check the public directory first; if the firm claims Select, Preferred or Global Premier, it should be there. If it isn't listed, remember that Registered members never are, and ask for written evidence. Verify certifications person by person through Credly, and weigh membership as one signal among several. If you're comparing firms for a rollout, see what our Claude Code consulting covers. To understand the tool itself first, start with what Claude Code is. More guides are in our Claude Code Guide.

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