Affiliate Disclosure
How we fund this site, why we use affiliate links, and what that means for you — explained without the fine print or the corporate jargon.
The Short Version
When you click a link on this site and buy something, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. That commission comes from the retailer, not from your pocket. It’s how we pay for testing gear, hosting the site, and the coffee that fuels long review sessions. It does not influence what we recommend, what we criticize, or where a product lands in our rankings.
How Affiliate Links Work
An affiliate link is a standard URL with a small tracking code appended to it. When you click that link and make a purchase — either immediately or within a certain window (typically 24 hours for Amazon, up to 30 days for some other retailers) — the retailer recognizes that you arrived from our site and credits us with a small commission on the sale.
Here’s what matters:
- Your price doesn’t change. The commission comes out of the retailer’s margin, not your total. You pay the same price whether you use our link or go directly to the retailer’s site.
- We don’t see your personal information. We see that a purchase was made through our link and the total commission earned. We don’t see your name, address, payment details, or what specific items you bought beyond the product category.
- You can skip the link. If you’d rather not use affiliate links, you can search for the product directly on the retailer’s site. We’ll never know either way, and our feelings won’t be hurt.
Common Myths About Affiliate Links
Myth: Affiliate sites always recommend the highest-commission products.
Some do. We don’t. We recommend products based on shop testing — period. If a product with a lower commission rate outperforms a higher-commission competitor, we recommend the better product. Our reputation with readers matters more to us than squeezing an extra percentage point out of a recommendation.
Fact: We’ve recommended products that earn us nothing.
When we link to a product we tested and liked that isn’t available through an affiliate program, we link to it anyway. The review is what matters — the commission is a byproduct, not the purpose.
Myth: Brands pay for positive reviews on affiliate sites.
Some do. We don’t accept payment for reviews, and we don’t let brands review or approve our copy before it goes live. No manufacturer has ever seen a draft of one of our reviews before publication.
Fact: We’ve published critical reviews of products from brands we link to.
Read through our reviews and you’ll find plenty of criticism alongside the praise — specific pocket layout complaints, durability tradeoffs, fit issues for certain body types. That honesty is the whole point of this site.
Myth: Affiliate commissions make products more expensive for buyers.
The retailer’s price is the same either way. Affiliate commissions are a marketing expense for the retailer — similar to running an ad — not a surcharge added to your cart.
Fact: Using our links supports the site at zero cost to you.
If you find our reviews useful and want to support the work, clicking through our links when you buy is the simplest way to do that. It costs you nothing and helps us keep testing and writing.
Which Affiliate Programs We Participate In
WoodworkingGuides.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
We may also participate in affiliate programs from other retailers and manufacturers. When we do, the same principles apply: we link to products we’ve actually tested and would recommend regardless of commission structure. Any current affiliate relationships beyond Amazon will be noted here as they’re added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I pay more if I use your affiliate links?
No. The price is identical whether you use our link, search for the product directly, or find it through an ad. The commission is paid by the retailer out of their own margin.
Can you see what I bought?
No. We see aggregated, anonymized data — total orders, total commission, and sometimes product categories. We never see your name, address, payment information, or specific items purchased.
Do affiliate commissions influence your recommendations?
No. Our recommendations are based on hands-on testing in a working shop. We evaluate products against the same criteria regardless of whether we earn a commission on them — pocket usefulness, strap comfort, dust handling, adjustability, and whether the price matches the build quality.
What if I don’t want to use affiliate links?
You can search for the product directly on the retailer’s site. We won’t earn a commission, and that’s completely fine. Our reviews are here to help you make an informed decision regardless of where you ultimately buy.
Do you accept free products for review?
Occasionally, yes. When a manufacturer sends us a product for review, we disclose that in the review itself. Receiving a free product doesn’t guarantee a positive review — we’ve criticized and declined to recommend products we received for free when they didn’t hold up in testing.
How much money do you make from affiliate links?
Enough to fund more testing, cover hosting costs, and justify the time spent writing detailed reviews. Not enough to quit our day jobs. WoodworkingGuides.com is a labor of genuine interest in shop gear, not a get-rich-quick scheme. Most product review sites aren’t the cash cows people imagine them to be — we do this because we care about getting the right gear into the right shops.
Do you use affiliate links in every review?
Most of our reviews include affiliate links to products we recommend, because that’s how the site sustains itself. But when a product we tested and liked isn’t available through an affiliate program, we link to it anyway. The review comes first.
Where This Fits With The Rest Of Our Policies
This disclosure is part of a larger commitment to transparency. If you want to understand how we handle your information when you click those links, read our Privacy Policy. If you want to know more about who’s behind the site and how we test, our About Us page covers that. And if you have questions about any of this, our Contact page is the fastest way to reach us directly.
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