Affiliate Disclosure

1. Our Commitment to Transparency

The Good Fruit believes readers should be able to understand when our work may generate revenue.

Some articles, product recommendations, reviews, buying guides, newsletters, social media posts, videos, and other materials published by The Good Fruit may contain affiliate links or reflect another material relationship with a company.

When such a relationship exists, we will seek to disclose it clearly and in a location where readers are reasonably likely to notice it before acting on the recommendation.

We do not want a reader to discover only after making a purchase that The Good Fruit may have benefited financially from that decision.

2. What Is an Affiliate Link?

An affiliate link is a specially formatted link that may allow a retailer, affiliate network, service provider, or other company to recognize that a visitor reached its website through The Good Fruit.

When a reader clicks an affiliate link and completes a qualifying purchase or other specified action, The Good Fruit may receive:

• A commission;
• A referral fee;
• Account credit;
• A performance-based payment;
• A free or discounted service;
• Another financial or commercial benefit; or
• Another form of compensation disclosed in connection with the relevant content.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, using an affiliate link generally does not increase the price paid by the reader.

However, prices, promotions, discounts, taxes, shipping costs, and other purchase terms are controlled by the applicable retailer or service provider and may change without notice.

3. Affiliate Compensation

The Good Fruit may participate in affiliate programs operated by:

• Individual retailers;
• Manufacturers;
• Online marketplaces;
• Software providers;
• Subscription services;
• Affiliate networks;
• Travel or booking services;
• Financial or business-service providers; and
• Other companies whose products or services may be relevant to our readers.

Our participation in an affiliate program means that we may receive compensation when readers complete qualifying actions through designated links.

The specific affiliate programs and partners used by The Good Fruit may change over time.

Affiliate Programs and Networks

The Good Fruit may participate in affiliate programs in the future. A current list of active affiliate partnerships will be maintained and updated as relationships are established. Where individual affiliate programs require specific disclosure language (such as Amazon Associates), that language will appear on relevant pages once those programs are active. Contact affiliate@thegoodfruit.site for inquiries about our affiliate relationships.

Amazon Associates:

The Good Fruit is not currently representing active Amazon Associates participation unless stated on a specific page. If and when Amazon Associates participation becomes active, required Amazon disclosure language will appear where applicable.

4. Material Relationships

An affiliate commission is one type of material relationship, but it is not the only type.

The Good Fruit may also have a material relationship when:

• A product was provided without charge;
• A service was provided at a discount;
• Travel, lodging, or event access was provided;
• A company sponsored an article, video, newsletter, or project;
• We received payment to produce content;
• We received early or exclusive access;
• A founder, writer, reviewer, or contributor has a personal, family, employment, investment, advisory, or business relationship with a company;
• We hold a financial interest that could reasonably affect—or appear to affect—our judgment;
• A company provided research materials, testing equipment, or production assistance; or
• Another benefit exists that a reasonable reader might consider relevant when evaluating the recommendation.

When a material relationship may affect how readers evaluate content, The Good Fruit will seek to disclose it clearly.

5. Editorial Independence

Affiliate compensation does not purchase a favorable conclusion.

The Good Fruit intends to preserve meaningful editorial independence and may:

• Recommend a product that does not offer an affiliate program;
• Decline to recommend a profitable affiliate product;
• Criticize a current affiliate partner;
• Identify disadvantages, risks, or limitations;
• Rank a non-affiliate product above an affiliate product;
• Remove an affiliate link;
• Withdraw or revise a recommendation;
• Refuse a sponsorship;
• End a commercial relationship; or
• Publish concerns about a company's conduct.

A company may not purchase a guaranteed favorable review presented as independent editorial judgment.

If a company has exercised meaningful control over sponsored content, that control should be disclosed and the material should not be presented as entirely independent editorial work.

6. Our Recommendations

The Good Fruit seeks to recommend products, services, and companies based on factors such as:

• Product quality;
• Usefulness;
• Durability;
• Safety information;
• Price and value;
• Customer treatment;
• Warranty and return practices;
• Accessibility;
• Environmental or social considerations;
• Business conduct;
• Available evidence;
• Direct testing or experience;
• Independent research;
• Reader needs; and
• Alignment with our editorial standards.

Affiliate availability may affect whether a link is monetized, but it should not be the sole reason a product receives a positive recommendation.

We will not knowingly describe a product as tested or personally used when it was not.

We will not knowingly present a company's marketing claim as independently verified fact without appropriate qualification.

We will seek to distinguish among:

• Products personally tested;
• Products researched but not personally tested;
• Recommendations based primarily on third-party evidence;
• Sponsored content;
• Advertisements;
• Company-supplied information; and
• Preliminary or developing evaluations.

7. No Additional Cost Does Not Mean No Financial Relationship

A reader may not pay a higher price merely because an affiliate link was used, but The Good Fruit may still receive compensation from the transaction.

Therefore, phrases such as "at no additional cost to you" should not replace a clear explanation that The Good Fruit may earn a commission.

Where used, such a statement should appear only after the financial relationship has been plainly disclosed.

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, The Good Fruit may earn a commission, generally at no additional cost to you.

8. Where Disclosures Will Appear

This full Affiliate Disclosure page provides general information about our practices, but it does not replace disclosures placed near individual recommendations.

When affiliate links or other material relationships appear in content, The Good Fruit will seek to place a clear disclosure:

• Near the beginning of an article containing affiliate links;
• Before or close to the first relevant affiliate recommendation;
• Near a sponsored recommendation;
• In a video itself, not solely in the written description;
• In an audio presentation where listeners can reasonably hear it;
• Within an email containing affiliate links;
• Within or immediately adjacent to a social media endorsement;
• On mobile displays as well as desktop displays; and
• Wherever else necessary to prevent confusion.

Readers should not be required to:

• Search through the Website footer;
• Visit an unrelated page;
• Hover over an icon;
• Interpret an unclear abbreviation;
• Open an inconspicuous menu;
• Read to the end of a long article; or
• Infer the relationship from vague language.

A link to this full policy may provide additional detail, but the initial disclosure should still plainly communicate the material relationship.

9. Disclosure Language

The wording used may vary according to the content and relationship involved, but it should be understandable to an ordinary reader.

Examples include:

Social Media Disclosure

Appropriate language may include:

• Paid partnership with [Company].
• Sponsored by [Company].
• Ad — [Company] compensated The Good Fruit for this post.
• Affiliate link — The Good Fruit may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

The disclosure should not rely solely on vague phrases such as:

• "Thanks to our partners";
• "In collaboration with";
• "Supported by";
• "Partner link";
• "Ambassador";
• "Commissionable";
• "More information here"; or
• An unexplained abbreviation.

Such phrases may be used only when the actual nature of the relationship is also made clear.

10. Reviews and Personal Experience

When a review describes personal experience, the experience should reflect the honest opinion and actual experience of the reviewer.

The Good Fruit will not knowingly publish:

• A fabricated product experience;
• A false testimonial;
• A review written by someone who never used the product when the content claims otherwise;
• A material claim that contradicts the reviewer's actual experience;
• A review whose negative findings were removed solely because a sponsor objected;
• A paid endorsement that conceals the payment; or
• A misleading representation that ordinary results are guaranteed.

When a reviewer received a free product, payment, discount, or other material benefit, that relationship should be disclosed.

11. Free Products and Samples

Receiving a product without charge may create a material relationship even when no money changes hands.

When a company provides a product for testing, review, photography, demonstration, or another editorial purpose, The Good Fruit will seek to disclose that fact.

Unless a separate agreement provides otherwise:

• Receiving a product does not guarantee coverage;
• Coverage does not guarantee a positive recommendation;
• The company may not require us to conceal material limitations;
• The company may not describe the review as independent if it controlled the conclusion;
• We may return, retain, donate, dispose of, or otherwise handle the product according to the applicable arrangement and our internal standards; and
• The value and disposition of products should be documented when appropriate for tax, accounting, or conflict-management purposes.

12. Sponsored Content

Sponsored content is content for which The Good Fruit receives payment or another material benefit connected with its creation, placement, or distribution.

Sponsored content should be labeled using clear language such as:

• "Advertisement";
• "Sponsored";
• "Paid partnership";
• "Paid content"; or
• Another description that plainly communicates the commercial relationship.

Sponsored content should not be designed to mislead readers into believing it was produced without commercial involvement.

When relevant, the disclosure should explain:

• Who sponsored the content;
• What compensation or support was provided;
• Whether the sponsor reviewed the content;
• Whether the sponsor had approval rights;
• Whether the product was provided without charge; and
• Whether affiliate compensation may also be earned.

13. Advertisements

Advertisements are separate from independent editorial recommendations.

The Good Fruit will seek to identify advertisements in a manner reasonably understandable to visitors.

The presence of an advertisement does not necessarily mean that The Good Fruit has independently tested, verified, or endorsed every advertised claim.

Advertisers remain responsible for their products, representations, offers, and legal obligations.

The Good Fruit may reject or remove advertisements that we reasonably believe are:

• Deceptive;
• Harmful;
• Inconsistent with our standards;
• Unsupported by adequate evidence;
• Presented in a misleading format;
• Unlawful; or
• Likely to undermine reader trust.

14. Discounts, Coupons, and Promotional Codes

The Good Fruit may provide discount links, coupons, or promotional codes.

We may receive compensation when a reader uses such a link or code.

A discount should not be described as exclusive unless it is genuinely exclusive under the applicable arrangement.

Promotional terms may be controlled by the retailer and may include:

• Expiration dates;
• Product exclusions;
• Purchase minimums;
• Geographic limitations;
• New-customer restrictions;
• Limited availability; or
• Other conditions.

Readers should review the retailer's current terms before making a purchase.

The Good Fruit does not guarantee that a code, discount, price, or promotion will remain available.

15. Pricing and Availability

Prices and availability may change at any time.

The Good Fruit may use affiliate tools, retailer feeds, automated systems, or manual updates to display pricing information. Such information may occasionally be delayed, incomplete, or inaccurate.

The price shown by the retailer at the time of purchase governs the transaction unless applicable law provides otherwise.

Readers should verify:

• Current price;
• Shipping cost;
• Taxes;
• Subscription obligations;
• Return policies;
• Warranty terms;
• Product specifications; and
• Availability

before completing a purchase.

16. Third-Party Responsibility

When a reader purchases through an affiliate link, the transaction is generally between the reader and the third-party retailer or service provider.

The third party is responsible for matters such as:

• Payment processing;
• Order fulfillment;
• Shipping;
• Delivery;
• Returns;
• Refunds;
• Exchanges;
• Warranties;
• Product support;
• Subscription management;
• Customer service;
• Product safety;
• Privacy practices; and
• Compliance with its own representations.

The Good Fruit is not the seller merely because it publishes or monetizes a link to a third-party product.

Questions regarding a third-party transaction should ordinarily be directed to the relevant retailer or provider.

17. Privacy and Affiliate Tracking

Affiliate links may use cookies, referral codes, device information, or similar technologies to attribute a qualifying action to The Good Fruit.

The applicable retailer, affiliate network, or service provider may independently collect information after a visitor clicks a link.

Their collection and use of information are governed by their own privacy policies and terms.

The Good Fruit's treatment of visitor information is explained in our Privacy Policy.

Our use of affiliate programs does not change our commitment that personal information collected directly by The Good Fruit will not be sold.

18. Conflicts of Interest

The Good Fruit will seek to identify and appropriately manage conflicts of interest.

A writer, reviewer, editor, contractor, or other contributor should disclose relevant relationships involving a company or product covered in the content.

Potential conflicts may include:

• Employment;
• Consulting;
• Advisory work;
• Investments;
• Ownership interests;
• Close personal or family relationships;
• Gifts;
• Travel;
• Payment;
• Free products;
• Referral arrangements;
• Prior business disputes; or
• Other circumstances that could reasonably affect—or appear to affect—judgment.

Depending on the circumstances, The Good Fruit may:

• Disclose the conflict;
• Assign the content to another person;
• Require additional review;
• Limit the contributor's role;
• Decline the coverage; or
• Take another appropriate step.

19. Affiliate Relationships Do Not Equal Endorsement of Everything a Company Does

A recommendation of one product does not mean that The Good Fruit endorses:

• Every product sold by the company;
• Every action taken by the company;
• Every claim made by the company;
• Every executive, owner, investor, or commercial partner;
• Every workplace, environmental, political, or social practice; or
• The company's future conduct.

Likewise, criticism of one practice does not necessarily mean that every product or action of the company is without value.

Our evaluations should be understood within the scope and date of the relevant content.

20. Changes to Recommendations

A recommendation may change when:

• Product quality changes;
• A formula, ingredient, material, or specification changes;
• Ownership changes;
• New evidence becomes available;
• Safety concerns emerge;
• A company's conduct changes;
• Customer service declines;
• Pricing changes substantially;
• A product is discontinued;
• Better alternatives become available;
• An affiliate relationship begins or ends; or
• Our original evaluation is found to be incomplete or mistaken.

We may revise, annotate, downgrade, withdraw, or remove a recommendation.

Where appropriate, material corrections will be handled according to our Corrections Policy.

Ending an affiliate relationship does not automatically require removal of accurate historical content. Beginning an affiliate relationship does not convert earlier independent content into sponsored content, but the current relationship should be disclosed when relevant.

21. Reader Choice

Readers are never required to use our affiliate links.

A reader may:

• Navigate directly to a retailer;
• Search for the product independently;
• Purchase from another seller;
• Select a non-affiliate alternative;
• Decline to purchase; or
• Conduct additional research.

Using an affiliate link is one way readers may support The Good Fruit's work, but it should remain a voluntary and informed choice.

22. Questions and Reporting Concerns

Questions about affiliate relationships, sponsored content, or possible disclosure failures may be directed to:

Please include:

• The title or location of the content;
• The product or company involved;
• The nature of the concern;
• Any relevant screenshots or supporting information; and
• Your contact information if you would like a response.

We will make a good-faith effort to review credible concerns.

23. Platform-Specific Social Media Disclosure Requirements

Different social media platforms have their own built-in disclosure tools and requirements. The Good Fruit will use the appropriate platform mechanism in addition to clear written disclosure language. The following requirements apply when content is published on each respective platform.

YouTube

When a video contains paid promotion, sponsorship, or an affiliate relationship, The Good Fruit will use YouTube's built-in "Contains paid promotion" disclosure tool, which causes a notice to appear to viewers at the start of the video. This platform disclosure does not replace verbal or on-screen disclosure within the video itself. Both should be used when a material relationship exists.

Instagram

When a post, Story, or Reel reflects a paid partnership, sponsorship, or gifted product, The Good Fruit will use Instagram's "Paid partnership" label, which displays the brand's name directly beneath the account name. This label should be applied to all content where a material commercial relationship exists, including gifted products and affiliate arrangements where required by applicable guidance.

TikTok

When a TikTok video contains branded content, a paid partnership, or a sponsored arrangement, The Good Fruit will enable TikTok's Branded Content toggle, which automatically adds a "Paid partnership" label to the video. This toggle must be activated before publishing. Affiliate content that meets TikTok's branded content threshold must also use this tool.

X (Twitter)

When a post on X reflects a paid partnership, sponsorship, or compensated endorsement, The Good Fruit will include a clear disclosure such as #ad or #sponsored in the post text itself, placed prominently and not buried among other hashtags. The disclosure should appear early enough that a reader sees it before engaging with the recommendation.

These platform-specific requirements supplement, and do not replace, the general disclosure standards described elsewhere in this policy. When platform tools are unavailable or insufficient, written disclosure in the content itself remains required.

24. Regulatory Grounding

The disclosure practices described in this policy are informed by applicable law and regulatory guidance, including:

• The Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce;
• The FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, 16 C.F.R. Part 255, as updated effective September 1, 2023, which address endorsements, testimonials, material connections, and the disclosure obligations of endorsers and advertisers in digital and social media contexts;
• The FTC's guidance on .com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising; and
• Any applicable state consumer protection laws, including those of the State of California.

The 2023 updates to 16 C.F.R. Part 255 clarify that material connections between endorsers and advertisers must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed, that consumer reviews must reflect honest opinions, and that platforms and intermediaries share responsibility for ensuring disclosures are made. The Good Fruit's practices are designed to comply with these requirements and to exceed them where our editorial standards demand it.

This policy does not constitute legal advice. The Good Fruit is responsible for its own compliance and encourages contributors and partners to seek independent counsel regarding their own obligations.

25. Changes to This Disclosure

The Good Fruit may update this Affiliate Disclosure when:

• Affiliate programs change;
• New forms of compensation are introduced;
• Our publishing formats change;
• Laws or regulatory guidance change;
• New services are offered; or
• Our editorial standards are strengthened.

The "Last Updated" date will identify the most recent revision.

Material relationships should be disclosed according to the practices in effect when the relevant content is published or updated.

26. Relationship to Other Policies

This Affiliate Disclosure should be read together with our:

• Terms of Use;
• Privacy Policy;
• Corrections Policy;
• AI Use Disclosure;
• Copyright Notice;
• Editorial Standards Manual; and
• Any specific disclosure displayed within the relevant content.

A content-specific disclosure may provide more detail about a particular relationship. If it conflicts with a general statement in this policy, the more specific and accurate disclosure should govern that particular content.

27. Governing Principle

The Good Fruit does not believe compensation is inherently dishonest.

Concealed compensation, manipulated judgment, misleading recommendations, and the exploitation of reader trust are inconsistent with the work we are seeking to build.

Affiliate revenue may help sustain our research and operations, but the reader must never be reduced to a mere means to a commercial end. Every editorial decision must be made as if no financial relationship existed, and every disclosure must be made as if the reader were a trusted friend who deserves the full truth.

Our responsibility is to disclose material relationships plainly, preserve meaningful editorial independence, acknowledge limitations, and recommend only what we can responsibly place before the people we serve.

Trust is not earned by claiming that financial incentives do not exist.

Trust is earned by bringing those incentives into the light and refusing to let them rule the truth.