Affiliate Disclosure: How Pin Guides Handles Affiliate Links
This Affiliate Disclosure explains how Pin Guides uses affiliate links, earns commissions, and handles commercial relationships while maintaining editorial standards. Pin Guides may use affiliate links in some content. This Affiliate Disclosure explains how commissions work, where affiliate relationships are disclosed, and how commercial relationships are handled alongside editorial judgment.
What Is an Affiliate Link?
An affiliate link is a trackable link that can allow a merchant or affiliate network to attribute a qualifying action to the referring publisher. Understanding how affiliate links work also makes this Affiliate Disclosure easier to understand.
A Link With Attribution
The link may contain tracking information that helps identify where a qualifying click, purchase, signup, or other action originated.
Possible Commission
If a qualifying action occurs through an affiliate link, Pin Guides may receive a commission depending on the terms of the relevant affiliate program.
No Extra Cost From Pin Guides
Where applicable, the commission does not mean that Pin Guides adds a separate affiliate fee to your purchase.
How We Disclose Affiliate Relationships
When Pin Guides includes an affiliate recommendation, we aim to make the commercial relationship clear before a reader makes a decision based on that recommendation.
A disclosure may appear near the beginning of an article, beside a relevant recommendation, within a comparison or resource section, or close to an affiliate call-to-action when additional context is useful.
As explained in this Affiliate Disclosure, when Pin Guides includes an affiliate recommendation, we aim to make the commercial relationship clear before a reader makes a decision.
The exact wording may vary depending on the type of content, affiliate program, and relationship involved. The purpose, however, remains the same: readers should be able to understand when Pin Guides may receive compensation.
Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase or take another qualifying action through one of these links, Pin Guides may earn a commission. Pin Guides does not add a separate affiliate fee to your purchase.
Close to the Recommendation
We do not rely only on a separate policy page when a nearby disclosure would give readers useful context. Where appropriate, the relationship should be explained close to the recommendation it relates to.
Written in Plain Language
Readers should not need to understand affiliate-industry terminology to recognize that a financial relationship exists. Disclosure language should be direct and easy to understand.
Easy to Notice
A disclosure should not depend on tiny text, weak contrast, vague labels, or a location readers are unlikely to notice before acting on a recommendation.
For additional guidance on affiliate and endorsement disclosures, see the FTC Endorsement Guides .
How Affiliate Commissions Work
An affiliate relationship allows a merchant or affiliate network to recognize when someone reaches them through Pin Guides. A commission is not automatically created just because an affiliate link appears on a page or receives a click.
This Affiliate Disclosure also explains how a referral may lead to compensation for Pin Guides.
Whether compensation is earned depends on the rules of the relevant affiliate program and whether an eligible action can be attributed to the referral.
You Follow an Affiliate Link
A recommendation on Pin Guides may contain a trackable link leading to a third-party product, service, platform, marketplace, or merchant.
The Referral May Be Recorded
The merchant or affiliate network may use a referral identifier, cookie, or similar technology to determine whether later activity can be connected to that visit.
An Eligible Action Takes Place
Depending on the affiliate program, an eligible action may be a purchase, signup, subscription, application, or another action defined by that merchant or network.
Pin Guides May Receive Compensation
If the program’s requirements are satisfied, Pin Guides may receive a commission or other compensation according to the terms of that affiliate program.
Affiliate programs control their own attribution rules, qualification requirements, tracking periods, commission rates, and payment terms. Pin Guides does not determine whether a particular click, purchase, signup, or other action qualifies for commission.
Affiliate Relationships Do Not Replace Editorial Judgment
Affiliate revenue can help support Pin Guides, but a commercial relationship should not be the reason a product, service, platform, or resource is presented as useful.
When Pin Guides includes a recommendation, the goal is to keep the recommendation connected to the topic, the reader’s likely needs, and the practical value of the option being discussed. Commission availability should remain separate from that judgment.
Reader Relevance Comes First
A product, service, or resource should have a reasonable connection to the subject being discussed and provide a genuine reason for readers to consider it.
Commission Does Not Equal Endorsement
The existence of an affiliate program does not automatically make an option worth recommending. Commercial availability and editorial usefulness are treated as separate questions.
Meaningful Limitations Still Matter
Where relevant, Pin Guides may discuss drawbacks, restrictions, trade-offs, alternatives, or situations where another option may be more appropriate.
The Final Decision Remains Yours
Pin Guides can provide information, comparisons, and recommendations, but readers remain responsible for deciding what best fits their goals, budget, needs, and circumstances.
Types of Relationships You May See on Pin Guides
Not every commercial relationship works in the same way. Pin Guides may use affiliate links, participate in partnerships, receive access to products or services, or publish content connected to a commercial arrangement.
When a relationship is relevant to how readers may evaluate a recommendation, we aim to identify it in a way that fits the context of the content.
Affiliate Links
Pin Guides may use trackable links that allow a merchant or affiliate network to attribute a qualifying action to our referral. If the relevant program requirements are met, Pin Guides may receive a commission.
Sponsored Content or Paid Collaborations
If Pin Guides publishes content as part of a paid sponsorship, promotional collaboration, or other direct commercial arrangement, that relationship should be identified separately from ordinary editorial affiliate content.
Free, Trial, or Discounted Access
A company may sometimes provide access to a product, service, software plan, trial, sample, or another benefit. When that access could reasonably affect how readers evaluate the recommendation, the relationship should be disclosed.
Non-Affiliate Links and References
Not every external link on Pin Guides is monetized. We may link to documentation, tools, merchant pages, research, services, products, or other useful resources without receiving any commission or compensation.
An external link does not automatically mean that a commercial relationship exists. Where compensation, sponsorship, free access, or another material benefit is relevant, Pin Guides aims to provide the additional context readers need to understand that relationship.
What Affiliate Compensation Does — and Does Not — Change
Affiliate relationships can affect how Pin Guides earns revenue, but they should not determine whether an irrelevant product, service, or resource becomes a recommendation.
The commercial side of a recommendation and the editorial reason for including it are treated as different things.
Help Support the Site
Affiliate revenue may help support publishing, editing, research, hosting, maintenance, and other costs involved in operating Pin Guides.
Generate Revenue From Qualifying Actions
Pin Guides may receive compensation when a reader completes an eligible action and the affiliate program attributes that action to our referral.
Help Keep Content Accessible
Affiliate revenue may contribute to supporting content that readers can access without paying Pin Guides directly for every article or guide.
Make an Irrelevant Option Relevant
The existence of a commission opportunity should not be enough to justify mentioning something that does not fit the topic or the reader’s likely needs.
Guarantee Positive Coverage
Affiliate compensation should not automatically lead to praise, endorsement, or the removal of useful limitations, trade-offs, or alternatives.
Pressure Readers to Use an Affiliate Link
Readers remain free to visit a merchant directly, compare other providers, choose another option, or decide not to purchase at all.
Affiliate compensation can support Pin Guides financially. It should not replace relevance, useful context, or the reader’s freedom to make an independent decision.
Prices, Availability, Tracking, and Third-Party Terms
Affiliate links can lead to products, services, platforms, or merchants that are operated by third parties. Details on those websites may change after Pin Guides publishes or updates a page.
For that reason, readers should verify important transaction details directly with the relevant merchant before making a purchase, subscription, signup, or other commitment.
Prices, Offers, and Availability Can Change
Product prices, discounts, promotions, stock levels, plans, fees, eligibility requirements, and availability are determined by the merchant and may change without notice.
The Merchant Controls the Purchase
Billing, checkout, subscriptions, renewals, refunds, returns, warranties, customer service, and account requirements are generally governed by the third party’s own terms and policies.
Affiliate Tracking May Be Used
Affiliate programs may use referral identifiers, cookies, or similar technologies to determine whether an eligible action can be attributed to a referral from Pin Guides.
Current Merchant Information Matters
If a price, feature, policy, or availability detail on Pin Guides differs from information shown by the merchant, readers should rely on the merchant’s current information for the transaction.
Review the final price, product or service details, recurring charges, renewal terms, cancellation rules, eligibility requirements, and other important conditions directly on the merchant’s website before completing a transaction.
Where You May See Affiliate Disclosures
Disclosure placement can vary depending on the format and type of content. The goal is to provide the commercial context where readers can reasonably notice it before acting on a recommendation.
A disclosure does not always need to look identical across every page, but it should remain understandable and connected to the relevant affiliate relationship.
Near the Beginning of an Article
A page containing multiple affiliate recommendations may include a disclosure near the introduction so readers can understand the commercial relationship before reaching the recommendations.
Close to a Relevant Recommendation
Where a specific product, service, or call-to-action needs additional context, an affiliate disclosure may appear close to that recommendation rather than relying only on a general notice elsewhere on the page.
Within Comparisons or Resource Sections
Comparison tables, resource lists, buying guides, or similar sections may explain that some of the featured links or offers can generate compensation for Pin Guides.
In a Format Appropriate to the Channel
If Pin Guides publishes affiliate recommendations in another format or channel, the disclosure may be adapted to fit that environment while still making the commercial relationship reasonably clear.
The disclosure should make sense in the same context as the recommendation. Readers should not have to search through a separate page or unrelated area of the site just to understand that a financial relationship may exist.
Affiliate Disclosure Questions
These answers explain some of the most common questions readers may have about affiliate links, commissions, recommendations, and third-party merchants on Pin Guides.
Affiliate arrangements can vary between merchants and networks, so specific tracking, qualification, and payment rules may differ from one program to another.
01 Does using an affiliate link cost me more?
Pin Guides does not add a separate affiliate fee simply because you use an affiliate link. Prices, taxes, shipping charges, subscriptions, and other transaction costs are determined by the merchant.
02 Does every external link earn Pin Guides a commission?
No. Pin Guides may link to products, documentation, tools, merchants, research, services, or other useful resources without receiving any compensation.
03 Does an affiliate relationship guarantee a positive recommendation?
It should not. The availability of affiliate compensation is separate from whether a product, service, or resource is relevant and useful enough to include in the content.
04 Does Pin Guides always know whether a commission was earned?
Affiliate attribution is generally handled by the merchant or affiliate network. Whether an action qualifies can depend on tracking, attribution periods, program rules, cancellations, returns, and other conditions controlled by that program.
05 Can affiliate programs and commission terms change?
Yes. Merchants and affiliate networks may change commission rates, attribution periods, qualification requirements, available offers, or other program terms over time.
06 What if a price or product detail changes after publication?
Pin Guides may update content when practical, but third-party prices, availability, features, plans, and policies can change between updates. Important details should be verified directly with the merchant before making a decision.
Questions About an Affiliate Relationship?
If a disclosure appears unclear, you believe a commercial relationship has not been identified properly, or information on this page needs correction, you can contact Pin Guides so the issue can be reviewed.
We may also update this disclosure when publishing practices, affiliate relationships, commercial arrangements, or relevant disclosure guidance changes.