What a signal actually is
A signal is a reviewed, moderated piece of lender context about a borrower's history — submitted by an approved lender, checked by an operator, and published only when the source evidence supports the claim.
Signals describe events: an unpaid loan, a late repayment, a confirmed default, or community context about a pattern of behavior. They are not verdicts. They don't declare someone guilty or fraudulent. They're reviewed reports that give you additional context before you decide whether and how to lend.
The key word is reviewed. Not every submission becomes a published signal. Operators check that submissions are coherent, that the evidence is appropriate, and that the language meets publication standards before anything goes live in Signal Search.
How signals are created
Approved lenders submit signals through the submission workflow on the Signals page. Each submission includes:
- The borrower handle or identity being reported
- The signal type (unpaid, late, disputed, or other applicable category)
- A source URL or documentation reference
- Context about what happened and when
Submissions go to an operator review queue. The operator checks the evidence, the language, and whether the submission meets the platform's standards. Approved submissions are published. Rejected or incomplete ones are returned or archived.
This is intentionally slow. A signal that goes live affects how other lenders perceive a borrower. That's significant enough to warrant a human check before publication.
How to search
Open Signal Search from the navigation or at /signals. Enter the borrower's Reddit username, Discord handle, or other identifier in the search field.
Results show:
- Signal count and type breakdown
- Confidence rating (if your account has signal access)
- Contribution history for the borrower's community context
- Timestamps and source details
If there are no results, that means no published signals have been submitted for that identifier. Absence of signals is not the same as a clean record — it might mean no one who lent to this person has submitted, not that no one has had a negative experience.
Searching aliases
Borrowers sometimes use multiple handles across platforms. Search the Reddit username, Discord handle, or any other identifiers you've confirmed before funding. A signal submitted under one handle won't automatically appear when you search a different one.
What signal results mean
A match with one or more signals means other lenders have reported context about this borrower that survived moderation review. Read each signal carefully:
- What type of event was reported (unpaid, late, default, dispute)?
- When did it happen? Recent signals are generally more relevant than signals from years ago.
- Is there a source URL you can check independently?
- How many signals are there, and from how many contributors?
A single signal from a single contributor about a small amount is different from multiple signals from multiple contributors about repeated non-repayment. Context and pattern matter.
No matches means no published signals for that identifier. This is useful information, but don't treat it as clearance. Many borrowers who have defaulted on loans have never had a signal submitted against them — either because the lender didn't use LoanLedger, didn't have evidence ready for submission, or simply didn't follow through.
Use signals to slow down, not to stop automatically. A match is a reason to ask more questions, request more context, or pass on a specific loan request. It is not a declaration of guilt.
What signals cannot tell you
Signals are lender-submitted, community-reviewed context. They cannot:
- Prove intent, fraud, or legal liability
- Confirm a borrower's current behavior or intentions
- Account for signals that were never submitted
- Verify the identity of the person you're actually talking to (a handle is not an identity)
- Replace your own due diligence on a specific loan request
The Signal Search layer is one input in a larger decision. Treat it that way.
Language and what to expect
Published signals use specific, factual language: amounts, dates, and description of the event. They avoid conclusions that go beyond what the evidence supports.
You may see phrases like:
- "Unpaid loan — amount outstanding as of [date]"
- "Multiple reports of non-repayment within the same period"
- "Late with partial repayment — status updated after follow-up"
You should not see signals that accuse borrowers of crimes, use slurs, or make legal conclusions. If you encounter a published signal that appears to violate these standards, you can report it through the platform support workflow.
Signal Search and your private ledger
These two systems serve different purposes:
Your private ledger — the borrowers, loans, notes, and repayment history you keep in LoanLedger — belongs to you alone. It is not shared, not searchable by other lenders, and not part of the Signal layer.
Signal Search — the published, reviewed signals visible in the search interface — is shared community context. You are reading signals submitted by other lenders and reviewed by operators.
The workflow that connects them: you keep clean private records in your ledger, and when a loan results in a defaulted borrower with documented evidence, you can submit from that record for moderation review. Your private notes and the published signal are never the same thing — publication requires operator approval.
Using research directly in the ledger
If you're in the Loans tab reviewing a borrower before funding, the Tools tab in the ledger includes a quick signal research lookup. You can search a username without leaving your workspace and get the same signal data available on the full Signals page.
This is designed for the workflow moment where you're about to create a loan and want a signal check before you commit — without switching context.
Before you submit a signal
If you're considering submitting a signal after a negative lending experience:
- Have source evidence. A URL, a screenshot, or a verifiable record that the operator can check. Submissions without evidence are unlikely to be approved.
- Wait until the situation is clear. A borrower who is two days late is not the same as a borrower who has stopped communicating. Submit when you have a clear, documentable account of what happened.
- Use factual language. Describe what happened, not what it means. The operator makes the judgment about whether it meets publication standards.
- Keep your private notes separate. Submit the factual, sourceable content. Private context and personal frustration belong in your ledger notes, not in signal submissions.
The moderation process exists to protect the community, the submitted borrowers, and the platform's credibility. Work with it rather than around it.