Effective date: 30/05/2026
The short version: when you buy something through a link on this site, we may earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra, and it does not change what we recommend.
The long version is below — written in plain English to comply with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Endorsement Guides and the CCPA.
How this site makes money
This site is supported by affiliate commissions. We partner with retailers and product brands who pay us a small percentage of the sale when a reader clicks a link on the site and then buys something within the program’s tracking window.
Programs we currently participate in include (this list is not exhaustive and changes over time):
- Amazon Services LLC Associates Program: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
- Direct affiliate relationships with individual brands when those exist
We may also occasionally accept:
- Display advertising placed through ad networks. Ads are visually separated from editorial.
- Sponsored content: labelled as Sponsored in the headline and at the top of the body, and excluded from “best of” lists. (See Editorial Policy.)
We do not currently sell paid backlinks, paid guest posts, or any form of undisclosed advertising.
What an affiliate link looks like
In a typical review, you will see links like “Buy on Amazon” or “Check price at [retailer]”. When those links go through an affiliate program, they include a tracking parameter so the retailer can credit the sale to us if you buy. We do not use cloaking techniques to disguise that a link is affiliate.
You can identify an affiliate link in two ways:
- The article will say so — either in a top-of-article note, an inline disclosure, or both.
- Hovering over the link in a browser typically shows a tracking parameter in the URL.
What the commission does not affect
This is the part that matters:
- What we recommend: The product we pick as “best for most people” is picked because it tested best, not because it pays the highest commission. If the best product is sold by a retailer we have no affiliate relationship with, we still link to it.
- What rating we give: Editorial scores reflect our testing. We do not adjust them up for affiliate-friendly products or down for products we can’t earn commission on.
- What we leave out: When a product is bad, we say so, or we don’t cover it — not “best of” inclusion in exchange for a payout.
The decisions about *what to cover* and *what to recommend* are made before any affiliate link is added.
Why do we use affiliate links
Affiliate commissions let us:
- Pay writers fairly.
- Buy products to test rather than relying on samples.
- Keep the site free to read without selling intrusive ads, sponsored editorial, or your data.
If you want to support the site, the simplest way is to use our affiliate links when you would have bought the product anyway. There is no obligation to do so, and articles will always be accessible whether you click an affiliate link or not.
FTC compliance
The U.S. FTC’s Endorsement Guides require sites like ours to disclose material connections — financial or otherwise — between us and the products we cover. This page exists to make that disclosure clearly and in one place. Individual articles also include a brief inline disclosure where appropriate.
If you ever feel a disclosure is missing or unclear in a specific article, tell us — we’ll fix it.
Amazon Associates required statement
As an Amazon Associate, Heads of It Depends earns from qualifying purchases.
Pricing and availability
Prices, ratings, and availability of products linked from this site are accurate at the time of publication and may change. We are not the seller and have no control over the retailer’s pricing, shipping, returns, warranty, or customer service. For anything related to a specific order, contact the retailer directly.
Questions
For any questions about how affiliate links work on this site: support@headsofitdepends.com