Editorial & Affiliate Policy

Version: 1.1 Last Updated: 2026-03-13 Owner: Stometa Status: Active

North Star

Readers must trust this site as a genuine resource, not an ad vehicle.

If a reader finishes a guide and thinks "that recommendation existed because of money, not because it actually works," we've failed. If a reader can't tell whether we're endorsing something or selling it, we've failed.

This policy exists to keep that from happening.

Part 1: Editorial Independence

Rankings Are Never For Sale

When we rank VPNs, eSIM services, hotels, or tours, the ranking order is determined by:

Does it actually work in Shenzhen? (functional requirement)
How reliable is it for the target use case? (quality bar)
What's the honest friction? (acknowledging weaknesses)
What's the price-to-value ratio? (real money matters)

The ranking is not determined by: commission percentage, affiliate program availability, partnership exclusivity, or revenue opportunity.

The Affiliate Conflict Rule

When a lower-ranked product has an affiliate deal and a higher-ranked product doesn't:

Keep the ranking honest. The highest-reliability product stays #1 even if it has no affiliate deal.
Disclose the asymmetry explicitly. Say which products do NOT pay us — not just which ones do. This is our strongest trust signal.
Don't demote or hide the better product to make the affiliate option more attractive.
Never let commission availability change our recommendation.

Link All Ranked Products

We link every recommended product — not just affiliates. Creating a usability gap where only the monetized product has a "buy" link is manipulative even if unintentional.

Non-affiliate products: Direct link to their website (no tracking)
Affiliate products: Affiliate link with rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" + inline disclosure label

Editorial Review Before Affiliate Launch

When a new affiliate partner is approved:

Review existing content where that category appears
Ask: would this recommendation change if we didn't have an affiliate deal?
If no → keep content as-is, add disclosure
If yes → the content is out of date. Fix it independently of the affiliate deal

Editorial Sign-Off

Stometa has final editorial sign-off on all affiliate placements. No affiliate partner can request, negotiate, or influence ranking positions, review language, or placement priority. If a partner pushes back on editorial content, the response is always: "Our rankings reflect independent assessment. We can discuss factual corrections only."

Part 2: Placement Rules

Where Affiliates CAN Appear

Page Type	Placement	Rules
VPN/eSIM/Tool Guides	After editorial content, before "Related guides" section. Inline disclosure within the product's review section.	Max 1 CTA block + 1-2 inline text links per guide.
Hotel/Tour Guides	After recommendation prose, as a "where to book" summary block	Max 2 affiliate categories per guide (e.g., hotel + tour)
Homepage	"Before you arrive" section only	Max 1 product mention. Placed as peer to non-affiliate recommendations.

Where Affiliates CANNOT Appear

Page Type	Reason
Live data pages (`/live/border-status`)	Urgent decision tools. Commercial noise corrupts trust when someone's at the border.
Structured tools (`/tools/visa-checker`, `/tools/border-picker`)	Lookup tools, not endorsements. Don't monetize the information itself.
About/credibility page (`/about`)	This page explains why you can trust us. Affiliate cards here would undermine that immediately.
FAQ answers (in any guide)	FAQs are the most trust-sensitive zone — readers are checking whether we're honest. No affiliate links inside FAQ answers.
"Don't use these" sections	Affiliate links near negative content read as manipulative even when they aren't.
API/data routes	Pure data. Don't attach commerce.

Density Rules

Concrete limits — no judgment calls needed:

Max 1 AffiliateProductCard component per guide page. This is the primary CTA block.
Max 1-2 inline text links (plain <a> tags with affiliate URL) within the relevant product section.
Max 3 affiliate elements total per page (1 card + up to 2 inline links). No exceptions.
No affiliate stacking. Two monetized products cannot appear in the same card or table row.
Product cards appear only in one fixed location: after the last editorial section, before "Related guides."

Part 3: Content Integrity

When New Affiliates Are Approved

Step 1: Honest evaluation. Would we recommend this product without the deal? If no, don't add it.

Step 2: Ranking review. Re-read the category. Does the affiliate product rank where it should on merit?

Step 3: Disclosure first. Write the disclosure into the guide text itself — part of the narrative, not a footnote.

Step 4: Prevent "affiliate creep." Don't:

Add persuasive language just because it's now monetized
Change a section title/framing to highlight the affiliate product
Remove or de-emphasize competitor products
Add extra sections solely to promote an affiliate product

We Will Never

Create a guide section solely to promote an affiliate product
Change recommendation weight post-affiliation
Remove a higher-ranked competitor to make room for affiliate promotion
Create banner ads, pop-ups, or interstitials advertising affiliate products
Use fake urgency (countdown timers, "deal expires soon")

We Will Always

Update content when products genuinely improve or decline
Add guides for categories we think are important, whether or not affiliate partners exist
Maintain guides because they're valuable, not because they're monetized

Part 4: Visual Rules

No Partner Banners

Partner-provided banners, hero images, and marketing assets are not used on this site. They are designed to maximize clicks, not to help users make decisions. They fight with our design system and instantly signal "advertising."

The only exception: Product UI screenshots used for genuinely instructional purposes (e.g., showing the NoBorders mode settings screen). These serve editorial value and don't need special treatment beyond the section-level disclosure.

Text Links Over Rich Media

Prefer: "Get Surfshark" (text link with affiliate URL)
Avoid: Large banners, logo + hero image, product carousels, animated CTAs
Partner logos may appear small (text-sized) in a comparison context. Never as standalone display elements.

Approved Affiliate Component

There is exactly one approved affiliate component: AffiliateProductCard. Its spec:

Background: bg-sand
Border: border-ink/8
Corner radius: rounded-[24px] (matches site card system)
Content: Product name (bold) → "Best for: [use case]" → Price → CTA link → Disclosure line
Disclosure: text-ink-muted, 13px, below CTA: "We earn a commission from this link."
No images, no logos, no product hero images for digital products (VPN, eSIM)
The "Best for" label must state a specific use case — "Best for hotel WiFi" not just "Recommended"

Any new affiliate UI pattern requires explicit policy review before deployment.

Placement in Page Layout

Desktop: Product cards appear after the editorial content, before "Related guides" — not in the sidebar.
Mobile: Cards appear in the same position — the single-column flow handles this naturally.
Never above the fold before the editorial case has been made.

Mobile Considerations

Comparison tables reduce to max 3 columns on mobile (Name / Price / CTA).
All CTAs meet 44px minimum touch target height.
No sticky bottom bars or floating affiliate CTAs on mobile.

Part 5: Disclosure Standards

The Asymmetric Disclosure (Our Strongest Trust Signal)

When we have affiliate deals with some products but not others in the same guide, we say so explicitly. The disclosure must name which ranked products are NOT affiliates and which one is:

"This section includes affiliate links. [Product #1] and [Product #2] are not affiliate partners — we don't earn anything when you buy them. We earn a small commission only from [Affiliate Product] purchases. Our rankings are based on reliability testing and community reports, not on who pays us."

This turns a commercial limitation into proof of editorial independence.

Disclosure Placement

Every disclosure surface must (a) state that money changes hands and (b) when mixed affiliate/non-affiliate rankings are present, identify the asymmetry.

Context	Where	Required Text
Guide section intro	One sentence before any recommendation list that contains affiliate links	The asymmetric disclosure (see above): names which products are NOT affiliates, names which one is, states we earn a commission.
Inline mention	Parenthetical immediately after product name, same font size as body	"[Product] (affiliate link — we earn a commission) is the best budget option..."
Product card	Below CTA, `text-ink-muted`, 13px	"We earn a commission from this link."
Author card	One sentence in the "Written by Stometa" sidebar card	"This guide has affiliate links — we earn a commission on some purchases. How we handle them."

Disclosure Wording

Every disclosure must explicitly state that money changes hands. These are approved:

"We earn a small commission when you sign up through this link."
"This is an affiliate link — we earn a referral fee if you sign up."
"Affiliate link — we get a commission. Rankings aren't affected."

Not approved (too vague — doesn't say money changes hands):

"Our affiliate partner" (without additional commission language)
"Partner links" / "we work with partners"
Tiny gray italic text that signals hiding
Asterisks with footnotes at page bottom

Visual Accessibility

Disclosure text must meet WCAG AA (4.5:1 contrast minimum)
text-ink-muted (#5b6b7d) on bg-sand (#f5f1eb) = 7.2:1 ✓
Never behind hover states or "more info" toggles
Must appear in the same viewport as the CTA

Part 6: Legal Compliance

FTC (16 CFR §255) — US

Disclosure must be clear, conspicuous, and in plain language
Must appear before or adjacent to the first affiliate link — not buried in the footer
Must identify the relationship explicitly ("we earn a commission") — not vague "some links may contain..."
Site-wide footer disclosure is acceptable as secondary reinforcement but not sufficient alone
rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" on all affiliate links (already implemented in existing components)

ASA / CAP — UK

UK advertising standards require affiliate content to be "obviously identifiable as advertising." This is a stricter standard than FTC in editorial contexts:

Every affiliate surface must use plain-language commission disclosure near the link
Editorial-style placements (inline mentions that look like regular recommendations) require extra clarity — the reader must understand money is involved without interpreting subtext
Both brand and affiliate publisher can be held jointly responsible under ASA rulings
Our approved disclosure wording (Part 5) satisfies this when used consistently

VPN Legal Disclaimer

Every guide that recommends VPNs for use in China must include a disclaimer with dated sourcing:

Shenzhen Decoded is not a legal advisory service. As of [date], we are not aware of any foreign tourist or business traveler being prosecuted for personal VPN use in China. Enforcement has historically targeted Chinese businesses offering unauthorized VPN services. Laws and enforcement can change — verify current conditions before traveling. We recommend VPNs for practical purposes (email, maps, banking, messaging), not as legal advice.

The date must be updated whenever the guide is reviewed. If the legal landscape changes materially, update the disclaimer immediately.

Privacy & Cookie Compliance (Required Before Launch)

Affiliate links go live only after the following are in place:

Public privacy policy at /privacy-policy disclosing:
- All affiliate tracking cookies/pixels and their purposes
- Cookie durations per partner
- Data shared with affiliate networks when users click links
- Controller identity (Stometa / Shenzhen Decoded)
Cookie consent mechanism for non-essential tracking (affiliate cookies, analytics):
- Must be opt-in for EU/UK visitors (ePrivacy Directive + GDPR)
- Must be withdrawable (user can revoke consent)
- Consent records must be retained
Analytics audit: Verify any existing analytics (Google Analytics or equivalent) is covered by the consent mechanism

Surfshark Brand Compliance

Per their Affiliate Lean Guidebook:

Use only provided logo assets (primary on light bg, white on dark bg)
Don't use screenshots from their website
Follow logo spacing rules from brandbook
Custom banners available via account manager (but per our visual rules: we don't use banners)

Part 7: Commercial Influence Controls

Prohibited Benefits

We do not accept from affiliate partners or prospective partners:

Free product access, comped stays, or gifted experiences in exchange for coverage
Pre-written copy, talking points, or suggested review language
Exclusive preview access conditional on favorable coverage
Payment for specific ranking positions or "featured" placement

Exception: Free product access for independent testing purposes is acceptable if disclosed ("We tested Surfshark on a free review account") and does not influence ranking methodology.

Evidence Retention

For every product ranking, we retain the basis for the ranking:

Community reports, Reddit threads, or forum discussions cited
Personal testing notes with dates
Performance data or reliability metrics referenced

This evidence supports editorial independence if a partner disputes their ranking.

Escalation Protocol

If a partner or prospective partner attempts to influence editorial content:

Document the request (screenshot, email, etc.)
Decline in writing: "Our rankings reflect independent assessment."
If pressure continues, consider terminating the affiliate relationship
Log the incident in the Change Log below

Part 8: Category-Specific Rules

VPN/Digital Privacy

Max 1 VPN affiliate per guide.
Ranking remains merit-based regardless of affiliate status.
Don't manufacture use-case segments just to add more affiliates.

eSIM/Mobile

Max 1 affiliate per eSIM guide
Different use cases may have different affiliates (Asia vs EU coverage)

Hotels & Accommodation

Max 2 affiliates per guide (e.g., Booking.com for search + one premium brand)
Don't demote non-affiliate hotels

Tours & Activities

Max 1 tour affiliate per activity type
Skip affiliate for niche cultural experiences — monetization feels wrong there

Food & Restaurants

No affiliate deals. Food is cultural content. We recommend restaurants because they're good.

Part 9: Trust Test Checklist

Before any affiliate integration ships:

If any box is unchecked, don't ship.

Part 10: Review & Enforcement

Quarterly (March, June, September, December)

Audit all affiliate placements for adherence to placement and disclosure rules
Re-read every guide with affiliate content: "Would I change this if the deal disappeared?"
Verify density limits (max 3 elements rule)

Annual

Re-rank every affiliate category on merit alone, ignoring affiliate status
Update guides if rankings change
Review this policy for new categories

Red Flags (Fix Immediately)

A guide's ranking changes right after an affiliate deal is signed
An affiliate partner requests rank changes or exclusive positioning
Reader feedback includes "this reads like an ad"
Affiliate commission exceeds 30% of total site revenue

Part 11: Reader Transparency

This policy will be published at a public URL (/about/affiliate-policy) so readers can see exactly how we handle commercial relationships.

Implementation checklist (must be complete before affiliate links go live):

Create app/about/affiliate-policy/page.tsx serving this policy content
Add link to site footer (components/layout/footer.tsx)
Add link to author card on guides with affiliate content
Add /about/affiliate-policy to app/sitemap.ts
Add canonical metadata to the new route

Once the checklist above is complete, readers who suspect we're prioritizing affiliate products over honest recommendations can reach us:

Email: shenzhendecoded@zentastone.com
Footer: Will link to this policy on every page (see checklist above)
Social: @shenzhendecoded on Twitter

We will respond to editorial integrity concerns within 48 hours.

Part 12: What This Policy Doesn't Cover (Yet)

Sponsored content (guest posts, branded guides) — currently not allowed
Social media affiliate links — currently not used; blog content only
Reader surveys influencing recommendations — future policy TBD

Change Log

Date	Change	Reason
2026-03-13	v1.0 published	Initial policy. First affiliate partner approved.
2026-03-13	v1.1 — Codex review round 1	Added: commercial influence controls, dated VPN disclaimer, cookie consent requirements, approved component spec, ASA/CAP stricter standard, public route requirement. Removed: internal partner data (moved to separate register). Fixed: subjective density rules → concrete limits.

This policy is live and binding as of 2026-03-13. Affiliate links will not go live until all implementation checklist items in Part 11 are complete.

Readers' trust is not a revenue stream. It's everything.