How do I keep AML screening records that survive an audit?
An audit doesn't ask whether you screened — it asks what you saw at the time, against which version of which list. So the minimum unit of record is a full snapshot of one decision: timestamp, address, verdict, the lists hit and their version dates. Screenshots fall short — they can't prove nothing was altered. With OceanAlt the record comes built in: every decision returns structured evidence (which list, listed since when), and allow/review results carry a signed attestation that anyone can later verify as untampered at a public endpoint. Store that JSON alongside your own business records.
What to keep, and how
For each screened payment, keep three things: ① the raw decision response (JSON, with its evidence array — which list, what label, listed since when); ② the decision time and the screened address; ③ on allow/review, the attestation from the response (attestation_id and token). Those three live happily inside whatever order or contract system you already run — no dedicated compliance software required.
Why the attestation matters: lists change. If that address lands on a sanctions list three months later, you need to show it was not listed on the day you paid — and that you checked. The signed attestation pins the decision to its moment, and the public verify endpoint (oceanalt.com/api/attestation/verify) lets anyone re-check it.
Reconstructing evidence after the fact
The historical question — "was this address listed on date X" — is answerable too: list entries keep their first-added and removed timestamps (delisted entries are marked, never deleted), so day-level membership can be reconstructed. For bulk evidence, use GET oceanalt.com/api/evidence/bundle.
The boundary: we are a witness, not a prosecutor. The evidence states what which public list said and when; the compliance conclusion and any filing duties remain yours (or your licensed provider's).
Where to start: free address check · API docs · watch an address
Boundary of everything above: a screening "clear" only means no match in the data held, never a safety guarantee; this page is not legal or compliance advice.