This is the plain-English version: some links on this site may earn us a small commission if you click them and buy something. It costs you nothing extra, and it never changes what we write.
What an affiliate link is
An affiliate link is a normal web link with a tracking code attached. If you click it and go on to buy something from the retailer, the retailer pays us a small percentage. It is a way of funding the writing without charging you to read it.
How we label them
Affiliate and advertising placements on this site are clearly marked. Look for a labelled block that says "Affiliate links", or an advertisement slot marked as an advertisement. Where a link is an affiliate link, we say so near the link.
What it does not mean
- We do not recommend something just because it pays commission. If we would not mention it without commission, we will not mention it with it.
- A commission never buys a place in a guide. Editorial decisions are made separately from commercial ones.
- We do not claim to have tested or used a product unless we actually have.
Advertising vs affiliate links
Advertising (such as display ad slots) is space sold to an ad network and is marked as such. Affiliate links appear inside editorial pages where we think a product is genuinely relevant, and they are labelled too. Our privacy and cookies page explains the cookies that advertising and affiliate links can set.
Questions
If anything here is unclear, or you want to know whether a particular link is an affiliate link, contact us. Our editorial policy explains the wider approach.