OnlyDetect treats finding a handle, checking its public profile, and deciding whether to index its page as separate tasks. A mention on another website can provide a candidate. It does not establish every fact about that creator, and a recent directory check does not guarantee that the offer has stayed unchanged.
This guide explains how to read those distinctions as a visitor. The underlying data methodology and refresh policy are the reference points for the directory's stated process.
Discovery supplies a candidate
A public directory, sitemap, or creator-published link can point to a handle worth checking. At that stage, the information is a lead.
The next task is to determine what the publicly accessible profile supports. A copied biography can be old, and a category assigned elsewhere may not be stated by the creator. Discovery should not silently turn those uncertain fields into verified attributes.
If you are comparing results, look for the connection to the official profile rather than assuming that appearing in multiple directories is independent confirmation.
Validation records public observations
OnlyDetect's methodology prioritizes direct observations from publicly accessible, logged-out profile pages. The directory is intended to work with public identity, biography, offer, and related profile information.
The stated boundary excludes feeds, galleries, private messages, subscriber-only content, paid media, and hidden location data. That is why a directory profile cannot tell you everything about the paid experience.
For example, an observed media count cannot establish which items your particular subscription includes. A public biography mentioning a topic cannot prove the quality of every item. These limits should remain visible in a public-profile analysis.
Understand three different dates
Scroll across the table on smaller screens.
| Date | What it describes | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Profile observation | When the directory checked a source | The offer has not changed since |
| Article update | When substantive editorial content changed | Every linked profile was checked then |
| Creator's public post date | When that particular item was published | All other profile information is current |
Confusing those dates can make stale information look fresh. A newly written article can cite an old community post; a newly observed biography can repeat an older statement.
Before subscribing, compare the current official offer with the directory value. If they differ, the mismatch deserves a correction rather than an invented explanation.
Refresh schedules are targets
The refresh policy describes faster checks for high-traffic profiles and longer intervals for less active directory records, with backoff after failures. These are process targets, not a promise that every profile was successfully reached on a particular day.
Access failures, changed pages, and infrastructure limits can create gaps. A timestamp is useful because it exposes when the last observation occurred. It does not make the record infallible.
Do not infer a creator's posting schedule from the directory's refresh schedule. One is an observation process; the other is an activity only the creator's actual offer and history can establish.
Searchable does not always mean indexable
A profile can be available in a directory search while not qualifying for a standalone page in external search results. OnlyDetect's publication rules consider activity, suppression, freshness, and useful public information.
That distinction prevents every thin record from being presented as a complete editorial destination. It also means that counting indexed pages is not a complete measure of internal search coverage.
Help correct the public record
When reporting an issue, include the OnlyDetect URL, the specific field that appears wrong, and a current public source where possible. A report such as “the creator's linked page now shows a different handle” is more actionable than an unsupported accusation.
Do not include private conversations, payment details, or unrelated identity information. Use the report form for corrections and removal requests. For a conflict you encounter while browsing, the profile discrepancy guide explains how to compare sources while a correction is pending.
OnlyDetect's editorial policy requires facts, interpretations, and unknowns to stay distinguishable. That principle applies to the directory's own reliability claims too.