diff --git a/app/verify/promote.py b/app/verify/promote.py
index 8d5ac15f6b9..4d70acadbd6 100644
--- a/app/verify/promote.py
+++ b/app/verify/promote.py
@@ -33,23 +33,35 @@ class PromotionDecision(NamedTuple):
     reason: str
 
 
-def has_live_t1(source_urls: list[str], url_cache: dict[str, dict[str, Any]]) -> bool:
-    """True if some cited URL is a Tier-1 host AND confirmed alive in the cache."""
+def has_live_authoritative_source(
+    source_urls: list[str], url_cache: dict[str, dict[str, Any]]
+) -> bool:
+    """True if some cited URL is an authoritative host (Tier 1 *or* Tier 2) AND
+    confirmed alive. The green band already requires a T1/T2 source + completeness
+    + consistency; this just adds "and that source actually resolves". Requiring a
+    *manufacturer/encyclopaedia* (T1 only) was too strict — it never promoted the
+    many green records sourced from reputable spec/benchmark DBs (gsmarena,
+    cpubenchmark, ...), so verified never moved off its floor.
+    """
     for u in source_urls:
         entry = url_cache.get(u)
-        if entry and entry.get("alive") and hosts.tier_of_host(hosts.host_of(u)) == 1:
+        if entry and entry.get("alive") and hosts.tier_of_host(hosts.host_of(u)) in (1, 2):
             return True
     return False
 
 
+# Backwards-compatible alias (older callers/tests).
+has_live_t1 = has_live_authoritative_source
+
+
 def decide(
     *, band: str, source_urls: list[str], url_cache: dict[str, dict[str, Any]],
     crossref_decision: str | None,
 ) -> PromotionDecision:
     if crossref_decision == "confirm":
         return PromotionDecision(True, "crossref-confirm")
-    if band == "green" and has_live_t1(source_urls, url_cache):
-        return PromotionDecision(True, "green+live-t1")
+    if band == "green" and has_live_authoritative_source(source_urls, url_cache):
+        return PromotionDecision(True, "green+live-source")
     return PromotionDecision(False, "needs-confirmation")
 
 
diff --git a/tests/verify/test_promote_crossref.py b/tests/verify/test_promote_crossref.py
index 82374c57c47..c45cd009188 100644
--- a/tests/verify/test_promote_crossref.py
+++ b/tests/verify/test_promote_crossref.py
@@ -101,7 +101,27 @@ def test_green_with_live_t1_promotes():
         band="green", source_urls=["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X"],
         url_cache=cache, crossref_decision=None,
     )
-    assert d.promote and d.reason == "green+live-t1"
+    assert d.promote and d.reason == "green+live-source"
+
+
+def test_green_with_live_t2_promotes():
+    # A reputable T2 spec/benchmark DB (cpubenchmark) that is alive also promotes.
+    cache = {"https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?id=1": {"alive": True}}
+    d = promote.decide(
+        band="green", source_urls=["https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?id=1"],
+        url_cache=cache, crossref_decision=None,
+    )
+    assert d.promote and d.reason == "green+live-source"
+
+
+def test_green_with_only_t3_source_held():
+    # kaggle (T3) alive is NOT enough to promote even if green.
+    cache = {"https://www.kaggle.com/x": {"alive": True}}
+    d = promote.decide(
+        band="green", source_urls=["https://www.kaggle.com/x"],
+        url_cache=cache, crossref_decision=None,
+    )
+    assert not d.promote
 
 
 def test_green_without_live_source_blocked():