What Your Evidence Strength Score Means (and How to Maximize It)

The 10 Items That Build Your Score

The score is the sum of 10 individual components. Each component is either present or absent - there are no partial points. Here is what gets measured and how much each item contributes:

1. Screenshot captured - 10 points. The visual record of the page as it appeared at the time of capture.
2. SHA-256 hash generated - 15 points. A cryptographic fingerprint that proves the screenshot has not been altered since capture.
3. RFC 3161 trusted timestamp - 15 points. An independent third-party timestamp from a Time Stamping Authority that proves when the capture occurred - not relying on your local clock.
4. HTML/DOM source preserved - 10 points. The raw source code of the page, capturing content that may not be visible in the screenshot alone.
5. PDF evidence report - 5 points. A formatted report summarizing the capture metadata, hash values, and verification instructions in a single document.
6. HTTP headers recorded - 10 points. The server response headers, including content type, caching directives, and server identification.
7. DNS records captured - 10 points. The domain resolution data showing which IP address the domain pointed to at the time of capture.
8. TLS certificate saved - 10 points. The SSL certificate chain proving the identity of the server that served the page.
9. WHOIS data recorded - 10 points. The domain registration information identifying who owns and operates the website.
10. Server-side capture verification- 5 points. Confirmation that the capture was performed by Snapoena's servers rather than a client browser, establishing third-party independence.

Total possible: 100 points.

The Four Evidence Tiers

Snapoena groups scores into four tiers so you can quickly assess the strength of any capture:

• Court-Ready (90-100) - The capture includes nearly every verification layer. This is the standard you want for litigation, formal disputes, and regulatory filings.
• Strong Evidence (70-89) - A solid evidence package with most verification layers present. Suitable for DMCA takedowns, cease and desist letters, and internal investigations.
• Documented (50-69) - Basic verification is in place, but some supporting data is missing. Good enough for internal records, but you may want a stronger capture before going to court.
• Basic (below 50) - Minimal documentation. Better than a plain screenshot, but missing too many verification layers to be considered reliable legal evidence.

Why Server-Side Captures Score Higher

When you enter a URL into the Snapoena web app, the capture runs on Snapoena's servers. The server controls the entire process - it visits the page, takes the screenshot, saves the HTML, records HTTP headers, resolves DNS, downloads the TLS certificate, and pulls WHOIS data. All 10 scoring items are collected automatically. That is why server-side captures consistently score 95 to 100.

The Chrome Extension operates differently. It runs inside your browser, which means it can capture pages that require authentication - a major advantage for logged-in content. But a browser extension cannot perform DNS lookups, download TLS certificates, or query WHOIS servers directly. Those network-level operations are blocked by the browser sandbox. Without those items, the extension capture tops out at a lower score.

How Your Plan Affects Extension Scores

The extension score depends on your Snapoena plan because paid plans unlock a server-side supplement - after the extension captures the page, Snapoena's servers automatically fetch the additional network-level data that the extension cannot collect on its own.

• Free plan - approximately 60/100. The extension captures the screenshot, generates the SHA-256 hash, applies the RFC 3161 timestamp, and saves the HTML source. That covers four of the ten items. DNS, TLS, WHOIS, and HTTP headers are not available because the extension cannot perform those lookups and there is no server supplement on the free tier.
• Professional/Enterprise - approximately 80/100. After the extension capture completes, Snapoena's servers automatically run a supplemental pass on the URL. This adds DNS records, TLS certificate data, and WHOIS information to the evidence bundle. The only items missing are HTTP headers from the authenticated session and the server-side capture verification flag, since the initial capture still originated from your browser.
• Server-side capture - 95 to 100/100. All ten items are collected by the server. This is the highest possible score and the gold standard for evidence completeness.

When to Use Each Capture Method

The rule is simple: use whichever method gives you the highest score for the page you need to capture.

• Public pages - use the web app. Any page that does not require a login should be captured through the Snapoena web app. The server performs the capture independently, collects all 10 evidence items, and produces a Court-Ready score. There is no reason to use the extension for public content.
• Logged-in pages - use the extension (and upgrade for a better score). Content behind authentication walls - social media posts, private messages, dashboards, internal tools - can only be captured by the extension. On the free plan you will get a Documented-tier score around 60. Upgrading to Professional adds the server supplement, pushing your score into the Strong Evidence tier around 80. Either way, the extension is the only option for authenticated content.

Maximizing Your Score

Three steps to get the highest evidence strength on every capture:

1. Use server-side capture for public pages. Enter the URL in the web app and let the server do the work. You will hit 95-100 every time.
2. Upgrade to Professional for extension captures. The server supplement adds DNS, TLS, and WHOIS data automatically, jumping your extension captures from 60 to approximately 80.
3. Check the score before relying on a capture. Every capture in your dashboard displays its Evidence Strength Score. If a capture falls below your target tier, recapture it using a higher-fidelity method.