Affiliate Disclosure
Effective Date: March 17, 2026 | Last Updated: March 17, 2026
Proven Guide ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to full transparency about how we earn money and how that relates to the content we publish. This Affiliate Disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255) and the FTC's updated guidance on affiliate marketing disclosures.
How We Make Money
Proven Guide is a free-to-use product review and comparison website. We earn revenue through affiliate marketing, which means that when you click on certain links on our Site and make a purchase or complete a qualifying action (such as signing up for a service), we may receive a commission from the merchant or affiliate network at no additional cost to you. This commission is paid by the merchant, not by you — the price you pay is the same regardless of whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the merchant's website.
Affiliate commissions are our primary source of revenue and are what allow us to continue producing free, in-depth product research, reviews, and comparisons for our readers.
Material Connection Statement
In accordance with FTC guidelines, we are disclosing our "material connection" to the companies and products we review and recommend. A "material connection" means that we may receive compensation when you click on links to products and services on our Site and subsequently purchase or sign up for those products and services. This compensation may take various forms, as described below.
This material connection exists regardless of whether we explicitly label every individual link as an "affiliate link" in our content, though we strive to make this clear wherever possible.
Types of Compensation
We may receive compensation in the following forms:
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): We earn a one-time commission when you complete a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a trial, or creating an account.
- Cost Per Click (CPC): We earn a small payment each time you click on an affiliate link, regardless of whether you make a purchase.
- Cost Per Lead (CPL): We earn a commission when you submit your information through a form (e.g., requesting a quote, filling out a lead form).
- Revenue Share: We earn an ongoing percentage of the revenue generated by your account for as long as you remain a customer of the referred product or service.
- Flat-Rate Payments: In some cases, we receive a fixed payment for each referral.
- Free Products or Services: In rare cases, we may receive free access to a product or service for review purposes. When this occurs, it will be clearly disclosed in the relevant content.
The specific compensation model varies by merchant and affiliate network. Not all links on our Site are affiliate links — many links are provided purely for informational purposes with no compensation attached.
Affiliate Networks We Participate In
We are members of the following affiliate networks and programs. This list is representative and grows over time as we establish new partnerships:
- Amazon Associates — Amazon.com, Inc. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
- CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction) — A Publicis Groupe company connecting us with thousands of advertiser programs.
- Awin (including the former ShareASale network) — A global affiliate network with 25,000+ merchant programs.
- Impact (impact.com) — An enterprise partnership platform connecting us with major technology and SaaS brands.
- PartnerStack — A B2B SaaS-focused partner network.
- Rakuten Advertising — A premium affiliate network with major retail and finance brands.
- FlexOffers — A performance marketing network with a diverse range of advertisers.
- ClickBank — A global marketplace for digital products and online courses.
This list is not exhaustive. We may join additional affiliate networks and programs at any time. We also participate in direct affiliate programs offered by individual merchants and brands that are not part of the networks listed above.
How to Identify Affiliate Links
We strive to make affiliate links identifiable on our Site. Affiliate links may be identified through one or more of the following:
- Links that redirect through an affiliate tracking domain before reaching the merchant website
- Buttons labeled "Check Price," "Visit Site," "Get Deal," "Learn More," or similar calls to action that link to merchant websites
- Product names or brand names that link to merchant websites within review and comparison content
- Contextual disclosure statements near affiliate links (e.g., "This link earns us a commission")
- A general disclosure statement at the top of articles that contain affiliate links
If you are ever unsure whether a link is an affiliate link, you can hover over the link in your browser to see the destination URL. Affiliate links typically route through a tracking domain (such as those belonging to the affiliate networks listed above) before redirecting to the final destination.
Our Editorial Independence
We maintain strict editorial independence. Our reviews, rankings, and recommendations are based on our own research, analysis, and editorial judgment. Affiliate commissions do not influence:
- Which products or services we choose to review
- How we rate or score products and services
- The order in which products appear in our rankings and comparisons
- Whether we publish positive or negative assessments
- The content, tone, or conclusions of our reviews
We do not accept pay-for-placement. Merchants and advertisers cannot pay us to be included in our reviews, to receive a higher ranking, or to receive a more favorable review. Our editorial team operates independently from our business relationships with affiliate networks and merchants.
We publish negative reviews. If a product or service fails to meet our editorial standards, we say so — even if we have an affiliate relationship with the merchant. Our credibility depends on honest, unbiased assessments.
Our review methodology is standardized. We evaluate all products and services using the same criteria and scoring system, as described in detail in our Advertising Policy. This ensures consistency and fairness across all reviews regardless of affiliate relationship status.
Endorsement Guidelines
In accordance with FTC endorsement guidelines:
- Our reviews and recommendations reflect our genuine assessment of the products and services discussed
- When we express opinions about products, those opinions are based on actual research, testing, or analysis
- We do not make claims about products that we cannot support with evidence or personal experience
- If we have not personally tested a product, we will indicate that our review is based on publicly available information, manufacturer specifications, user reviews, and our editorial analysis
- We do not use deceptive or misleading headlines, thumbnails, or calls to action
- We do not use artificial intelligence to generate fake testimonials or endorsements
- All content on our Site is created or reviewed by human editors
What This Means for You
- You will never pay more for a product or service by using our affiliate links. The price is the same whether you use our link or navigate directly to the merchant's website.
- Our content is free because affiliate commissions fund our operations. Without these commissions, we would not be able to provide the research and reviews we publish.
- You are under no obligation to use our affiliate links. If you prefer, you can navigate directly to any merchant's website.
- If you use an ad blocker or cookie blocker, our affiliate links may not track properly, and we may not receive a commission. You are free to use these tools — we respect your privacy choices.
Updates to This Disclosure
We may update this Affiliate Disclosure from time to time to reflect new affiliate partnerships, changes in compensation models, or updates to FTC guidance. We will update the "Last Updated" date when changes are made. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Affiliate Disclosure, our affiliate relationships, or how our reviews and recommendations are produced, please contact us at:
Proven Guide
Email: editorial@provenguide.com
Website: https://provenguide.com