It is a tracked link to a retailer such as Amazon. If you click it and buy something, the retailer pays SmokyHQ a small commission. The price you pay is the same as going to the retailer directly.
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The short version
When you click a retailer link on SmokyHQ and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. It costs you nothing extra. We buy every grill we review with our own money, and commissions never affect our scores or rankings.
How do affiliate links on SmokyHQ work?
Some links on our reviews, best-of lists and guides go to retailers that run affiliate programs. If you follow one and buy something, the retailer pays us a small percentage of the sale. The price you pay is the same whether you use our link or not. We review products; we don’t sell them — your purchase is always with the retailer.
This disclosure is made in line with the US Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides, and a short disclosure also appears near the top of every review, best-of list and guide.
Is SmokyHQ an Amazon Associate?
SmokyHQ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Who pays for the grills we review?
Every grill and smoker we review is bought at retail by SmokyHQ. We don’t accept free samples, loaners or review units from manufacturers, and no brand pays for coverage, placement or a score. That keeps us free to say what we actually found.
Do affiliate commissions change scores or rankings?
No. Commissions never affect:
- Scores, ratings and verdicts.
- Which products make a best-of list, and in what order.
- Which grills we choose to test.
- What we say about a product’s flaws.
A product that pays a higher commission, or none at all, is tested and scored exactly the same way.
How are our picks made?
Our picks come from hands-on grill reviews over live fire: heat-up, temperature stability, searing, smoking and build quality. The full process is on our how we test grills page, the people who run the tests are on our testers page, and the rules our writers follow are in our editorial standards.
How can I tell which links are affiliate links?
Retailer links appear as “Check Current Price” buttons and in product tables. They are tagged as sponsored for search engines. Links to our own reviews say “Read review” and never earn a commission.
Questions about how we’re funded?
Ask us anything about how we’re funded through our contact page. See also our privacy policy and terms of use.
FAQ
Common questions
01What is an affiliate link?
02Do commissions affect which grills you recommend?
No. Scores come from the same scorecard for every grill, and the rankings are set before any link is added. A grill that pays a higher commission does not score higher, and we publish the cons of every product we recommend.
03Why not just run ads?
Display ads reward page views, which pushes sites toward clickbait. Affiliate commissions only arrive when a reader is happy enough with a recommendation to buy, which keeps our incentive tied to giving accurate advice.
04How can I support SmokyHQ without an affiliate link?
Share a guide that helped you, send us a correction when we get something wrong, or tell us which grill you want covered next. All of that makes the site more useful for the next reader.
Transparency
More about how SmokyHQ works
- About SmokyHQWho we are, what we cover and why the site exists.
- Our testersThe people who write and fact-check every review and guide.
- How we testThe routine and scorecard behind every grill score.
- Why trust usThe safeguards that keep our verdicts independent.
- Editorial standardsAccuracy, sourcing, updates and our corrections policy.
- Contact & correctionsEmail the testers, report an error or suggest a grill.
- Privacy policyWhat data the site collects and how it is used.
- Terms of useThe rules for using SmokyHQ content.