An evidence level ranks evidence by how independent it is from the action path. E0 is the agent word and is never sufficient. E5 is an external outcome, such as a bank credit. The table states each level.
| Level | Source | Proves |
|---|---|---|
| E0 | Agent assertion | Nothing. Never sufficient. |
| E1 | Action response | Acknowledgement. Rarely completion. |
| E2 | Provider readback | Deterministic state, subject to stale reads. |
| E3 | Provider event | Strong timing. Needs deduplication and ordering. |
| E4 | Independent system | The provider plus your own ledger agree. |
| E5 | External outcome | A bank, a carrier, or a recipient acknowledged. |