Review literacy · QUICK REFERENCE
Affiliate disclosures in reviews
A commercial relationship can affect how a review is presented and what it emphasises. Look for a clear explanation of payments, referral arrangements or paid placement. Treat a disclosure as useful context and inspect the evidence independently rather than assuming either automatic dishonesty or complete neutrality.
A practical checklist
- Find the commercial disclosure.
- Check whether it applies to the page or the whole site.
- Compare claims with primary sources.
Putting it in context
A disclosure buried on a separate page may leave the relationship unclear for a particular ranking. A transparent review identifies which arrangement is relevant to its presentation.
Keep in mind
The presence or absence of a disclosure is not a substitute for evaluating factual claims.
References & further reading
The checklist and examples are original editorial guidance. External links provide background within their stated scope; they do not validate an individual operator or case.
- CMA: reviews and social media endorsementsUnited Kingdom · review transparency
- Operator Atlas: research methodologyOur original editorial method
About this edition: how the content is made · corrections & limitations