Verify business industry classification
Middesk Industry Classification verifies what industry a business operates in by analyzing its name, address, and website. The product generates classification labels and prediction scores you can use to confirm what the business does and identify if they operate in high-risk, prohibited, or regulated industries. This guide describes how to run an industry classification request.
Submit a classification request
Industry Classification analyzes a business’s online presence to verify its industry. To submit a classification request:
- Use the API for automatic classifications
- Use the Middesk Dashboard for one-off classifications
- Order as part of a Business or as a standalone website order
Provide the following information:
business_verification_verify), the name and address may still be required by those other orders.For example, if a business claims to be a consulting firm but their website shows they primarily offer cryptocurrency trading services, Industry Classification flags this discrepancy and returns the appropriate risk categories.
Review classification results
Industry Classification returns category labels and prediction confidence scores for each industry the business may operate in.
See the complete list of industry categories.
Classification systems
Industry Classification uses three classification systems to categorize businesses:
Prohibited categories
High-risk and regulated industries that may require additional screening or compliance measures. Middesk returns these categories for all classification requests, regardless of whether you provide a website URL.
Examples include:
- Adult content
- Cannabis
- Gambling
- Cryptocurrency
- Multi-level marketing
See the complete list of prohibited categories.
NAICS and SIC codes
Standard industry classification codes used for general business categorization. NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes may be cross-walked with SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes.
Middesk returns these classifications regardless of whether you provide a website URL.
Check the official NAICS website for examples in each category, or see the supported NAICS/SIC codes.
MCC codes
Merchant Category Codes used primarily for payment processing and card network categorization. Middesk returns these classifications regardless of whether you provide a website URL.
See the supported MCC codes.
