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Monetization & Affiliate Policy — Ritual & Reason
Stage 5 (id 24) · 2026-09-22 · publish-ready · linked from the site footer
This page exists so you know exactly how Ritual & Reason makes money — and what money can never buy here.
How this site earns money
Ritual & Reason may earn a commission when you buy through some links on this site, at no extra cost to you. That’s the entire business model: affiliate links on products we cover. There are no paywalls and no sponsored articles.
What money can never buy
- Rankings and verdicts are never for sale. A product’s placement in a comparison, a “best pick” call, or an “avoid” verdict cannot be bought at any price. One instance of a verdict changing for money is a policy violation, full stop.
- No affiliate link on anything we rate “avoid.” If our research says don’t buy it — counterfeit decks, copper bracelets for pain, Tier 3 items — there is no buy link. Period.
- No undisclosed sponsorship. If money changed hands for placement, it says so on the page, in plain words.
- Sponsored content is banned outright on this site. We do not publish paid articles dressed as editorial. If that ever changes, this policy changes first, publicly.
Disclosure — where and how
Every page that carries an affiliate link opens its link section with this exact wording, placed directly above the first link:
How we make money: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never affect our verdicts — products we rate “avoid” carry no buy links.
The disclosure lives on the page, next to the links — never buried in a footer maze or three clicks deep.
Ads
- Allowed: clearly labeled, static display placements in the sidebar and below article content.
- Banned: pop-ups, interstitials, auto-play anything with sound, anything that breaks the mobile layout.
- Ads never appear inside verdicts, comparison tables, or the research library.
Why this is strict
This site covers products people buy when they’re vulnerable — health worries, grief, big life questions. That is exactly when trust matters most. The policy is strict because the subject demands it.