---
title: "brand_credential_missing"
url: https://services.dev/docs/reference/check/brand_credential_missing
---
# brand_credential_missing

URL: https://services.dev/docs/reference/check/brand_credential_missing

> A rules row names a credential the brand holds, and the Brand doesn't declare it.

| Fix | Fails in | Exit |
|---|---|---|
| Declare it in brand.ts, under Brand(\{ credentials \}), with the verifier that keeps it fresh. | `brand.ts` · `brand.credentials['registry account']` | 1 |

**Owned by** [Brand()](https://services.dev/docs/service/brand.md): the page that explains what this gate holds.

## What check says

```txt title="npx services.dev check"
  ✗ A rules row names a credential the brand holds, and the Brand doesn't declare it. Declare it in brand.ts, under Brand({ credentials }), with the verifier that keeps it fresh. The sign row names the brand credential registry account, and brand.ts declares no credential by that name.
    at brand.ts · brand.credentials['registry account']
✗ 1 to fix
```

## The failing file

```ts title="brand.ts"
import { Brand } from 'services.dev'

export default Brand({
  domain: 'lingua.example',
})
```

## The fix

```diff title="git add -A && git diff --staged"
diff --git a/brand.ts b/brand.ts
index 851f6c0..2fc16eb 100644
--- a/brand.ts
+++ b/brand.ts
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ import { Brand } from 'services.dev'
 
 export default Brand({
   domain: 'lingua.example',
+  credentials: { 'registry account': { verify: 'https://verify.example.test/registry' } },
 })
```

```txt title="npx services.dev check"
✓ ready to sell · 1 Service · it keeps at least 80% of every job
```

## The rest of the brand

```ts title="rules.ts"
import { Rules } from 'services.dev'

export default Rules({
  version: '2026-10',
  services: {
    translation: {
      sign: { reserved: 'sworn translator', where: '*', and: { brand: 'registry account' }, position: 'A sworn translator signs a translation filed with a registry.' },
    },
  },
})
```

```ts title="services/translation.ts"
import { Service } from 'services.dev'
import rules from '../rules.ts'

export default Service({
  name: 'Translation',
  input: { document: 'file', to: 'language: a BCP 47 tag, such as fr-CA' },
  output: { document: 'file' },
  rules,
  roles: { translator: { credential: 'sworn translator' } },
  deliver: {
    translate: 'ai',
    harden: { review: 'adversarial', lenses: ['meaning', 'terms'] },
    sign: { by: 'translator', stamp: true },
  },
  price: 89,
})
```

## Explained in

- [Brand()](https://services.dev/docs/service/brand.md)
- [Credentials the brand holds](https://services.dev/docs/people/brand-credentials.md)
- [Refusals and cures](https://services.dev/docs/people/refusals.md)
- [Rules: how a Service meets licensing by design](https://services.dev/docs/people/rules.md)

## What an agent reads

```json title="npx services.dev check --json · the brand_credential_missing failure"
{
  "code": "brand_credential_missing",
  "reason": "A rules row names a credential the brand holds, and the Brand doesn't declare it.",
  "next": "Declare it in brand.ts, under Brand({ credentials }), with the verifier that keeps it fresh. The sign row names the brand credential registry account, and brand.ts declares no credential by that name.",
  "doc_url": "https://services.dev/docs/reference/check/brand_credential_missing",
  "file": "brand.ts",
  "path": "brand.credentials['registry account']"
}
```

<details>
<summary>The whole document check --json prints</summary>

```json title="npx services.dev check --json"
{
  "ai": {
    "cents_per_call": 42,
    "simulated": true
  },
  "mcp": {
    "tools": 13,
    "tokens": 4494,
    "sandbox": 9,
    "budget": 8000
  },
  "files": [
    {
      "path": "brand.ts",
      "lines": 1,
      "kind": "brand",
      "says": "lingua · lingua.example"
    },
    {
      "path": "rules.ts",
      "lines": 6,
      "kind": "rules",
      "says": "rules 2026-10 · 1 Service · 1 row"
    }
  ],
  "services": [
    {
      "path": "services/translation.ts",
      "lines": 11,
      "steps": "translate · ai → harden · ai · adversarial · 2 lenses → sign · translator · * · stamped",
      "ok": false,
      "price": "$89 per job, within 48 hours, charged on delivery.",
      "who": "A translator signs every document before delivery. (rules 2026-10)",
      "roles": [
        "translator · sworn translator · your staff"
      ],
      "rules": "2026-10",
      "boundary": {
        "full": [
          "reserved sign to sworn translator, under the brand's registry account"
        ]
      },
      "agent": {
        "tool": "order_translation",
        "words": 26,
        "job": "job_7Hq2",
        "status": "waiting",
        "on": "person",
        "charged": null,
        "person": true,
        "why": ""
      },
      "ledger": "+$89.00 · AI $1.26 (example) · you $87.74",
      "approved_ledger": null,
      "outcome": null,
      "margin": {
        "floor": {
          "cents": 7120,
          "pct": 80
        },
        "own": 7120,
        "stop": 1780,
        "nested": []
      },
      "apps": [
        "customer portal",
        "delivery portal",
        "owner console"
      ],
      "failures": [
        {
          "code": "brand_credential_missing",
          "reason": "A rules row names a credential the brand holds, and the Brand doesn't declare it.",
          "next": "Declare it in brand.ts, under Brand({ credentials }), with the verifier that keeps it fresh. The sign row names the brand credential registry account, and brand.ts declares no credential by that name.",
          "doc_url": "https://services.dev/docs/reference/check/brand_credential_missing",
          "file": "brand.ts",
          "path": "brand.credentials['registry account']"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

</details>

---

- Up: [check’s gates](https://services.dev/docs/reference/check.md)
- Previous: [fill_bypasses_reserved](https://services.dev/docs/reference/check/fill_bypasses_reserved.md)
- Next: [surface_drift](https://services.dev/docs/reference/check/surface_drift.md)