Advertising Disclosure — How WorldGeek Labels Paid Content

Quick answer: This advertising disclosure explains how WorldGeek labels paid content — sponsored articles, press releases, advertising and affiliate links — so you always know what is commercial. Paid placement never affects our independent reviews or ratings, and we follow the FTC endorsement guidelines throughout. Contact us with any questions about a specific piece.

Key takeaways

• What this covers: how every form of paid content on WorldGeek is disclosed.
• Labels: sponsored content, press releases and advertising are all clearly marked.
• Affiliate links: disclosed, at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
• Reviews: never for sale, and kept separate from commercial content.
• Standard: we follow the FTC endorsement guidelines.

Our commitment to disclosure

Transparency is not a footnote for us — it is the basis of trust with our readers. Whenever money, a product or a commercial relationship is involved in something you read on WorldGeek, we tell you. This page sets out exactly how we do that across each type of content, so you can read the site with full context.

Disclosure only works if it is easy to understand, so we avoid burying it in dense legal language or hiding it where nobody looks. Our aim is that any reader, at any point, can tell at a glance whether what they are reading is independent editorial or paid placement — and, where money is involved, who paid and for what. The sections below explain how each format is marked, so there is never any ambiguity about the content in front of you.

How we label sponsored content

Every sponsored article carries a visible “sponsored” or “paid” label at the top, identifying it as brand-funded rather than independent editorial. Sponsored content is written to be useful, but it is the brand’s message, clearly marked — never presented as our own reporting or as a review.

How we label press releases

Company-supplied press releases are published as clearly labelled announcements. A press release reflects the issuing company’s words and claims, marked as company-supplied so you never mistake it for independent journalism.

Publishing a company’s announcement is not the same as endorsing it, and we are careful that the labelling makes that clear. When we run a release, we are passing along the company’s news to readers who may find it relevant — not vouching for every claim inside it. Anything approaching an independent assessment of a product appears only in our own reviews, which are separate, tested and never supplied by the brand.

How we handle advertising

Display and sponsored advertising units are identifiable as advertising. Advertising buys reach and labelled placement only; it does not buy editorial coverage, a review or a score, and advertisers have no influence over our independent content.

How affiliate links work

Some articles contain affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We disclose this, and it changes nothing about our recommendations: affiliate commissions never change our verdict, and we do not favour products because a retailer pays more. Our full affiliate disclosure has the detail.

What paid placement never buys

The boundary is absolute: our reviews and ratings are never for sale. A review unit never guarantees coverage or a score, sponsored and advertising work is kept visibly separate from independent reviews, and we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links. No amount of spend earns influence over an independent verdict.

Why disclosure protects you

Clear labelling lets you weigh what you read appropriately — treating a sponsored explainer differently from a tested review. It also protects the brands we work with, because a placement on a publication readers trust is worth more than one on a site that hides its commercial ties. Honesty is good for everyone involved.

If you are ever unsure whether something is commercial, or want to know how a piece was produced, ask us. We would always rather answer a question directly than leave any room for doubt, and no query about how a piece was produced is too small to raise. Contact us through our contact page or email [email protected], and we will explain.

Disclosure across our formats at a glance

Because WorldGeek publishes several kinds of content, it helps to see how each is marked. Independent reviews and editorial features carry no sponsor and are decided by our team; they may contain affiliate links, which are disclosed. Sponsored content carries a prominent “sponsored” or “paid” label and represents the brand’s message. Press releases are labelled as company-supplied announcements. Advertising units are identifiable as ads. Whichever you are reading, the label tells you who stands behind the words.

If you would like the full picture of how the site is funded rather than just how individual pieces are marked, our how we make money page walks through every revenue stream and the rules that keep each one away from our editorial judgement. Read together, the two pages should leave no open questions about how WorldGeek earns, and about how we protect our independence while doing so. We would far rather over-explain our funding than leave a reader wondering whether something they valued was quietly bought.

We apply these labels consistently rather than case by case, so you are never left guessing. If a format ever combines elements — a sponsored feature that also carries affiliate links, say — we disclose each of them. The principle is simple: no reader of WorldGeek should ever be surprised to learn there was a commercial interest behind something they read.

How we apply the standard

Following the FTC endorsement guidelines is not a one-off exercise but an everyday practice. Our editors check that disclosures are present and clear before anything commercial goes live, that labels sit where readers will actually see them rather than buried at the foot of a page, and that no wording implies independence where a commercial relationship exists. When guidance evolves, we update our approach. Getting this right protects readers first and our commercial partners second, and both depend on it.

WorldGeek is an independent consumer-tech and geek-culture publication with a named editorial team and published standards. Learn more about us, meet our team, read our editorial guidelines and review methodology, and see how we are funded in how we make money. All disclosure follows the FTC endorsement guidelines.

Frequently asked questions

What does this advertising disclosure cover?

How WorldGeek labels sponsored content, press releases, advertising and affiliate links, and why none of it affects our reviews.

How will I know if content is paid?

Paid content carries a clear label — “sponsored”, “paid” or “press release” — per the FTC endorsement guidelines.

Do affiliate links change your recommendations?

No. Affiliate commissions never change our verdict, and links are at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Can advertisers influence your reviews?

No. Reviews and ratings are never for sale and are kept separate from commercial content.

Is a press release the same as your reporting?

No. A press release is company-supplied and labelled as such; our reporting is independent.

Do you sell links?

We do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links. Any commercial placement is clearly labelled.

Who do I contact about disclosure?

Reach us via the contact page or [email protected] with any question about a specific piece.