For marketplace and e-commerce developers
Add a Stolen Item Check to Your Marketplace
You can add a stolen item check to listings today with a plain link. Collect the serial number, IMEI or VIN on the listing, then add a "Check this item" button that points to safeorstolen.com/verify with the number in the URL. The buyer lands on SafeOrStolen and the check starts. There is no API, plugin or webhook yet; for those, email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.
Updated October 7, 2026
What you can build, and who does each part
| Piece | Who builds it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Serial number field on the listing form | You | Ask for the IMEI, VIN or serial on phones, laptops, consoles, bikes, tools, guns and vehicles. |
| "Check this item" button on the listing | You, using our check link | Points to safeorstolen.com/verify?q=NUMBER&type=TYPE. The check runs on SafeOrStolen. |
| Certificate link field | You; sellers get the link from us | Sellers paste a SafeOrStolen certificate link (safeorstolen.com/proof/...) that shows a dated check. |
| Staff review of reported listings | Your team, using /bulk-check | Paste up to 100 numbers, download a CSV with results and check times. |
| Automatic checks at listing time | Not available | Needs an API, which doesn't exist publicly. Email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com. |
The check button
Build the link from the number the seller entered. URL-encode it, and add the type when you know it: imei, vin, gun, bike or plate.
<a href="https://safeorstolen.com/verify?q=356789012345678&type=imei" rel="nofollow">Check if this phone is reported stolen</a>
Show the button only when the listing has a number, and label it plainly. The result appears on SafeOrStolen as "reported stolen", "possible match" or "no report found in the records searched", with the sources listed. The same link format is described on the API page.
Seller certificate links
Add an optional field where a seller can paste a SafeOrStolen certificate link. A seller gets one by checking the item and adding a $1.99 verification certificate. The page at that link shows the check date, the result, the sources searched and only the last four characters of the number, so the full IMEI or serial isn't published. Only accept links that start with safeorstolen.com/proof/. Sellers can read how it works for them.
For your trust and safety team
When listings are reported, export their numbers to a .csv file (number, type, note such as the listing ID) and run it through the bulk check. Up to 100 rows per run; the results CSV has the result, sources searched and check time for each row. Policy questions, like which categories to require numbers for, are covered on the marketplaces page.
Common questions
How do I add a stolen item check to my marketplace?
Add a serial number, IMEI or VIN field to listings in high-theft categories, then show a "Check this item" button that links to safeorstolen.com/verify?q= plus the number. The buyer lands on SafeOrStolen (safeorstolen.com/marketplace-integration explains the options) and the check starts. No key or contract is needed. Automatic checks inside your own system aren't available yet.
Are there plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce or other platforms?
No. SafeOrStolen has no plugins, apps or embeddable widgets for e-commerce platforms. Any platform that lets you add a link to a product or listing page can use the check link, which is a plain URL with the number in it. If you want a plugin for a specific platform, tell us which one at safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.
Can SafeOrStolen send us a webhook when a listed item is reported stolen?
No. There are no webhooks or monitoring. A check reflects the sources on the day it runs. If your team wants to recheck listings, put their numbers in a CSV and run them through /bulk-check, up to 100 per run; each run is a new dated check with its own time in the results file.
Should we show a "verified" badge on listings that pass?
We advise against it. A clean result means "no report found in the records searched" on that date, not that the item is not stolen, and many thefts are never reported. Showing the seller's certificate link is more honest: it gives the date, the result and the sources searched, and buyers can read it themselves.
What does a buyer pay when they click the check link?
Visitors get 2 free checks. After that a check is $0.99, or $10 a month for unlimited checks with up to 20 phone blacklist checks a month. Your marketplace pays nothing for the link. If you want to cover checks for your buyers, email safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.
Want a deeper integration?
Tell us your platform, your item categories and roughly how many listings a month at safeorstolenmail@gmail.com.