Sponsored Content Policy
How paid partnerships are labeled, what sponsors can and cannot influence, and how sponsored content is separated from editorial coverage.
Updated
What sponsored content is
Sponsored content is material produced as part of a paid partnership with a third party. It exists because publications need revenue; it is acceptable only when readers can identify it instantly and when it never masquerades as independent editorial.
Labeling
Every sponsored article is labeled with a visible disclosure banner at the top of the page, naming the sponsor where contractually possible. The label appears before any content — a reader should never discover mid-article that a page was sponsored.
What sponsors get
- A clearly labeled article on an agreed topic.
- Factual review of the article for technical accuracy about their own product.
What sponsors do not get
- Editorial control. We retain final say over wording, structure, and conclusions.
- Review scores. Sponsored articles never carry review verdicts or ratings; a score can only come from our independent Review Methodology.
- Placement in editorial formats. Sponsored content does not appear in “best of” selections, comparisons, or recommendation lists.
- Coverage guarantees elsewhere. Buying a sponsorship neither earns favorable editorial coverage nor shields a sponsor from critical coverage.
Separation
Sponsored articles are marked at the data level, not just visually — the label is generated from the article’s metadata, so it cannot be accidentally omitted. Outbound links in sponsored content carry rel="sponsored".
Refusals
We decline sponsorships that require us to make claims we cannot verify, target our readers with misleading offers, or blur the line between advertising and editorial.