## Symptoms

The verification lands on status `completed` with outcome `declined`.
Your webhook receives a `kyc.session.completed` event with
`verdict: "declined"`, or the applicant detail screen shows the declined
badge.

## Where to look

Open **Applicants -> [applicant]** in the console. The detail screen
lists every check the workflow template ran with the outcome attached.
The decline reason is the outcome of the first check that failed. You
see the check type, the outcome, the reason, and any evidence the check
returned.

## Common reasons

- **Document forensics flagged the ID.** The identity check detected
  tampering, re-printing, or that the photo on the ID does not match
  the rest of the document.
- **Face did not match the ID photo.** When the `id_verification`
  check runs a biometric mode (`selfie` or `liveness`), the captured
  face is matched 1:1 against the photo on the document. A match score
  below the platform threshold routes the verification to manual review
  so a human can confirm before any decline.
- **Liveness confidence was too low.** In `liveness` mode, if the
  active face scan returns a confidence below the platform threshold,
  the verification routes to manual review rather than auto-approving.
  The applicant may have completed the scan in poor conditions, so a
  reviewer makes the call.
- **Watchlist hit.** The applicant's name matched a sanctions, PEP, or
  adverse-media list entry. See
  [Reviewer: watchlist](/guides/verification/reviewer-watchlist).
- **Background check returned an actionable record.** A record in
  scope of the FCRA-compliant adverse-action workflow blocked
  approval.

## What to tell the applicant

Generic decline messaging is what most teams use. The platform
deliberately does not surface detailed check reasons in the applicant
flow because sharing them invites gaming.

For FCRA-regulated background checks, the platform handles the
adverse-action notice and dispute workflow; see
[Background checks (FCRA)](/guides/verification/reviewer-background-checks-fcra).

## When to re-run a check

A re-run is only useful when the failure is recoverable: a blurry
document, glare on the ID, a selfie taken in poor lighting. Start a
fresh verification from the same workflow template and send the
applicant a new invite.

A watchlist hit is not recoverable by re-running. Either the match is
a true positive (decline stands) or a reviewer clears it manually as a
false positive.

## Escalation

If the verdict looks wrong on a real applicant, send a reviewer to
**Manual review** from the applicant detail screen. They can override
the verdict, add a reviewer note, and record the rationale in the
audit log. See [Reviewer: manual review](/guides/verification/reviewer-manual-review).