Explained How believes readers should be able to understand when a commercial relationship may exist behind a link, recommendation, or product mention.

Some pages on Explained How may contain affiliate links.

This means that if you click certain links and make a qualifying purchase, Explained How may receive a commission from the retailer or affiliate program.

Our guiding principle is simple:

Affiliate relationships may support the publication, but they should not determine what we present as fact.

This page explains how affiliate links work, how they may affect our revenue, and how we approach recommendations, product information, testing claims, and editorial independence.

What Is an Affiliate Link?

An affiliate link is a link that contains information allowing a retailer or affiliate network to identify that a visitor was referred by Explained How.

If you:

click an affiliate link;
visit the retailer;
complete an eligible transaction;

Explained How may receive a commission.

The specific conditions depend on the retailer or affiliate program involved.

A regular editorial link does not necessarily mean we receive compensation.

Does Using an Affiliate Link Cost You More?

In most affiliate arrangements, clicking an affiliate link does not directly add an additional charge to the price you pay.

However, prices, shipping costs, taxes, discounts, availability, and retailer terms are controlled by the seller or platform—not by Explained How.

We therefore do not guarantee that:

a displayed price will remain unchanged;
a promotion will still be available;
a product will remain in stock;
every reader will see the same offer.

Always verify the final price and terms on the retailer’s website before purchasing.

How Affiliate Revenue Supports Explained How

Explained How is an independently owned educational publication.

Running the publication may involve costs associated with:

website hosting;
technical infrastructure;
research tools;
software;
security;
visual production;
video production;
editing;
content development.

Affiliate commissions may help support these activities.

You can learn more about how the publication is funded here:

[Ownership & Funding →](/ownership-funding/)

Affiliate Relationships and Editorial Independence

The existence of an affiliate relationship does not automatically determine:

which subjects we cover;
which factual claims we make;
how a mechanism is explained;
whether a product is recommended;
whether a criticism is removed;
whether an error is corrected.

Our editorial conclusions should be based on the evidence available.

We do not consider an affiliate commission to be evidence that a product is better than another product.

Our principle is:

Revenue may support the work. It should not decide the conclusion.

We Do Not Recommend Something Simply Because It Pays a Commission

Affiliate programs may offer different commission rates for different:

products;
categories;
retailers;
programs.

A higher commission does not make a product technically superior.

When Explained How compares products or services, we aim to base the comparison on factors relevant to the subject, such as:

specifications;
functionality;
compatibility;
features;
limitations;
official documentation;
value for the intended use;
reliable independent evidence where appropriate.

Commission rates should not be presented as product quality.

Amazon Associates

Explained How may participate in the Amazon Associates Program or other Amazon affiliate programs where applicable.

Amazon’s current Associates Program Operating Agreement requires participating sites to clearly and prominently identify themselves as an Amazon Associate and specifies the disclosure wording:

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Amazon also requires disclosures associated with affiliate links to be legally compliant, clear, conspicuous, and located where users can readily understand the commercial relationship. Amazon Associates

Important

The Amazon Associate statement above should be displayed on Explained How once the site is actually enrolled and participating in Amazon Associates.

We do not claim participation in a commercial program that we have not joined.

Other Affiliate Programs

Explained How may also participate in affiliate programs operated by:

retailers;
software companies;
service providers;
affiliate networks;
other relevant commercial partners.

Where appropriate, affiliate relationships are disclosed near the affected content.

Participation in an affiliate program does not imply that the company:

owns Explained How;
sponsors all Explained How content;
reviews our articles before publication;
controls our factual conclusions;
endorses the publication.

Where We Display Affiliate Disclosures

This policy page alone is not intended to replace disclosures within affiliate content.

When an article contains affiliate links, an appropriate disclosure should appear where readers can reasonably notice it before or near the commercial links.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission advises that material relationships should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously, and that affiliate disclosures should be placed close enough to the recommendation or link for consumers to understand the relationship. A disclosure hidden only on an About or general policy page is not sufficient by itself. Federal Trade Commission

For example, an article may include:

Affiliate disclosure: Explained How may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page. This does not affect the price you pay or our editorial standards.

For Amazon links, any Amazon-specific disclosure requirements must also be followed.

“Affiliate Link” Alone May Not Be Enough

We do not rely solely on labels such as:

Affiliate link

or:

Buy Now

when those words do not clearly explain that Explained How may receive compensation.

FTC guidance specifically notes that consumers may not understand that the phrase “affiliate link” means the publisher receives compensation from resulting purchases. Federal Trade Commission

Our disclosures should communicate the financial relationship in plain language.

Product Information

When Explained How publishes information about products, we may rely on sources such as:

official product specifications;
manufacturer documentation;
user manuals;
installation documentation;
warranty information;
standards documentation;
regulatory information;
independent technical sources.

Retail product listings can contain errors.

For that reason, a retailer listing should not automatically be treated as the definitive technical source when better documentation exists.

Product Testing

An affiliate relationship does not mean Explained How personally tested a product.

If we did not perform first-hand testing, we do not intend to write claims such as:

“We tested this product.”

“During our testing…”

“We found that…”

“In our experience…”

unless the statement describes genuine first-hand work.

If an article is based on research, specifications, documentation, or other published evidence, we aim to describe it accordingly.

Affiliate revenue cannot manufacture first-hand experience.

When We Actually Test Something

If Explained How conducts original testing in the future, we aim to distinguish that testing clearly from research based on third-party documentation.

Where relevant, we may explain:

what was tested;
how it was tested;
the conditions;
the equipment used;
limitations;
what the results do and do not establish.

Receiving a commission does not turn ordinary product research into testing.

Free Products and Samples

A manufacturer, retailer, or other organization may sometimes provide:

a free product;
a review unit;
temporary access;
a free subscription;
another material benefit.

If such a relationship is relevant to content, it should be disclosed.

FTC guidance treats free or discounted products and other benefits as potential material connections that can require disclosure when they may affect how audiences evaluate an endorsement. Federal Trade Commission

A free product does not guarantee:

positive coverage;
a recommendation;
publication;
a particular rating.

Rankings and Comparisons

Commercial relationships should not secretly determine product rankings.

For example, we do not intend to rank one product above another simply because:

its commission rate is higher;
its affiliate program pays more;
the seller offered a commercial incentive.

FTC endorsement guidance specifically addresses review sites receiving affiliate or manufacturer payments and emphasizes disclosure of material financial relationships. Federal Trade Commission

If a ranking uses a specific methodology, the methodology should reflect factors relevant to the comparison.

Prices and Availability

Product prices and availability can change quickly.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise:

prices are controlled by retailers;
availability is controlled by retailers;
promotions may expire;
regional pricing may differ;
taxes and shipping may vary.

A price mentioned in an Explained How article should not be interpreted as a permanent guaranteed price.

Always check the retailer’s current listing before purchasing.

No Guarantee of Product Performance

A product mention, affiliate link, or recommendation does not guarantee that the product will:

perform identically for every reader;
be suitable for every use;
remain available;
remain unchanged;
satisfy every buyer.

Readers should consider their own requirements and verify important technical requirements before purchasing.

For products involving installation, electrical systems, safety, health, or other consequential uses, appropriate professional or manufacturer documentation may also be necessary.

Affiliate Links and Our Mechanism-First Content

Explained How is primarily an educational publication about how things work.

Affiliate links should complement that purpose rather than replace it.

An article should not exist solely because a product has a commission opportunity.

Our first question remains:

What does this help the reader understand?

Commercial opportunities are secondary to the editorial purpose of the article.

No Paid Manipulation of Editorial Conclusions

Affiliate partners do not automatically receive the right to:

pre-approve independent articles;
remove legitimate criticism;
prevent factual corrections;
dictate scientific conclusions;
dictate technical conclusions;
create fabricated testing claims;
rewrite our editorial standards.

If a commercial partner provides evidence that something is factually incorrect, we can review that evidence like any other correction request.

The existence of a commercial relationship does not determine whether the correction is accepted.

Corrections to Affiliate Content

Affiliate articles are subject to the same correction standards as other Explained How content.

If we discover an incorrect:

specification;
measurement;
compatibility statement;
technical description;
warranty claim;
feature description;

we aim to correct it when reliable evidence establishes the error.

Affiliate revenue is not a reason to preserve inaccurate information.

Read:

[Corrections Policy →](/corrections-policy/)

AI and Affiliate Content

Explained How may use AI-assisted tools during parts of the editorial workflow.

AI does not allow us to fabricate product experience.

We do not knowingly use AI to invent:

testing results;
product measurements;
user experiences;
specifications;
customer feedback;
expert opinions.

Important product information should be checked against appropriate evidence.

Read:

[AI Policy →](/ai-policy/)

Affiliate Links on YouTube

Explained How also operates the Explained How YouTube channel.

Videos or video descriptions may contain affiliate links.

When a video contains a material affiliate relationship, appropriate disclosure should be made where viewers can reasonably notice it.

FTC guidance indicates that when affiliate commissions are connected with video recommendations, the relationship should be disclosed appropriately in the video as well as near relevant links in the description, depending on how the endorsement is presented. Federal Trade Commission

Explained How on YouTube →

Our Current Editorial Responsibility

Explained How is founded, owned, and primarily edited by Duc Nguyen.

Duc is responsible for maintaining Explained How’s editorial direction and for ensuring that commercial relationships do not replace the publication’s standards for sourcing, accuracy, and transparency.

Learn more:

[Duc Nguyen →](/authors/)

Questions About an Affiliate Relationship

If you have a question about whether a particular link, product mention, or article involves a commercial relationship, you may contact us.

Email:
30***********@***il.com

WhatsApp:
+84 909 942 697

Facebook:
Duc Nguyen

Or visit:

[Contact Explained How →](/contact/)

Our Affiliate Commitment

Our approach can be summarized in six principles:

Disclose material affiliate relationships clearly.

Do not disguise advertising as independent editorial content.

Do not invent product testing or first-hand experience.

Do not rank products solely according to commission rates.

Correct factual errors regardless of revenue.

Put reader understanding ahead of monetization.

Affiliate revenue can help make Explained How sustainable.

It does not change our responsibility to explain what the available evidence actually supports.

Affiliate Disclosure