Ananke Trust vs Ananke TCode
Ananke Trust and Ananke TCode serve different verification scenarios. This page helps you choose the right product — or understand when to use both.
What Ananke Trust does
Ananke Trust is for digital credential issuance and online verification. You issue documents through the API, manage their lifecycle (suspend, revoke, reinstate), and provide verification endpoints that anyone can call with a reference or content hash.
Ananke Trust is the right choice when:
- Documents are distributed digitally (email, portal, app)
- Verification happens online
- You need rich lifecycle management
- Bulk issuance is required
What Ananke TCode does
Ananke TCode stamps a DataMatrix barcode onto a PDF. The barcode encodes document metadata and a cryptographic signature. This enables both offline verification (scanning and checking the signature locally) and online verification (calling the API).
Ananke TCode is the right choice when:
- Documents will be printed or physically distributed
- Verification must work without internet connectivity
- You need a visible trust mark on the document
- Recipients already have barcode scanning capability
Comparison table
| Capability | Ananke Trust | Ananke TCode |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance method | API call → credential created | API call → PDF stamped with barcode |
| Verification method | Online only (API or verification page) | Online (API) + offline (barcode scan) |
| Output artifact | Digital credential + optional PDF | Stamped PDF with DataMatrix barcode |
| Lifecycle management | Full (suspend, revoke, reinstate, expire) | Full (suspend, revoke, reactivate) |
| Bulk operations | CSV upload with optional PDF ZIP | CSV upload with optional PDF ZIP |
| Templates | Ananke Trust templates (schema + presentment) | TDoc templates (payload fields) + Placement templates |
| Offline capability | No | Yes (barcode signature verification) |
When to use each
- Digital-only distribution → Ananke Trust
- Print-first distribution → Ananke TCode
- Both digital and physical → Ananke Trust + Ananke TCode
- Offline verification required → Ananke TCode
- Rich lifecycle needed (revocation, suspension) → Both support it
Using both together
A common pattern is to issue an Ananke Trust credential for digital distribution and stamp an Ananke TCode barcode on the PDF version for physical distribution. The Ananke Trust template can link to a TDoc template so both products share the same source of truth.
Start with the product guides: