Guide
SynthID vs C2PA: two Article 50(2) families, not two ‘compliance stamps’
Search results often ask which is ‘the Article 50 mark’: Google SynthID or C2PA Content Credentials. They are different mechanisms. SynthID (as described in this catalog) embeds an imperceptible signal in the media itself. Content Credentials attach a signed C2PA manifest as metadata. Serious pipelines often use both. Neither this page nor the checker is a legal determination.
What this site can and cannot see
The free checker inspects file or URL bytes for C2PA / Content Credentials containers, IPTC Digital Source Type, and related strings. Invisible watermarks are not in those bytes, so a ‘no signals’ result does not mean SynthID is absent.
To inspect cryptographic C2PA signatures, use catalog verifiers such as Adobe Content Credentials, c2patool, Truepic, or C2PA Lab — this site does not.
When each family shows up in the directory
Choose a watermark when distribution will strip metadata (screenshots, social re-encodes). Google SynthID is the widely cited example; IMATAG and Digimarc are other watermark vendors listed here.
Choose C2PA when third parties need an open, inspectable history and you can keep the wrapper intact. Adobe Content Credentials is the standard’s public face in this catalog; c2patool is the CAI open-source CLI.
Tools from this catalog
Cards use the same one-liners as the directory. We do not add capabilities that are not on the listing.
Related
Mapped from public catalog entries only. Not legal advice. Last substantive review: 19 September 2026.