editorial guidelines

Discover ZDNET's editorial mission, how we evaluate products and our commitment to transparency about our business practices.

ZDNET is committed to building trust with its audience through transparency. This document shares our core mission and editorial values, our process for drawing conclusions about the latest products and our disclosures about how we do business.

our editorial values

From stone tools to Google search, technology has empowered the human race and moved civilization forward. ZDNET is always on the lookout for today's most innovative new tools - as well as information on how we can use them to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.

We're keenly aware that technology can also be put to many destructive uses and can have negative effects on us, our families and our communities. We work to keep our audience informed by challenging assumptions, asking difficult questions and shining lights in dark corners. (Tip us off, if you have info.)

We live in a noisy world with a lot of people and groups shouting from rooftops to get your attention. ZDNET is a place professionals can trust to filter down to only the best stuff. We pick the most important news stories on innovation, explain why they matter and what you can do about it. And when it comes to products, we focus on the ones we most recommend, and filter out the rest.

In telling these stories, ZDNET is committed to fairness and accuracy, and we strive to be balanced, comprehensive and complete in our coverage. We have editorial independence from our advertisers and the companies whose products we cover. We seek out diverse voices. We disclose conflicts of interest. We correct errors and we welcome feedback and suggestions from our audience.

how we evaluate products

ZDNET's global team of writers and editors test hundreds of products every year, looking for the best ones to recommend. We don't write about every product we test. We respect your time, and so we only write about the ones that are worth your attention. We look for innovation and we value products that solve problems. We're less interested in speeds and feeds, and more focused on real-world experience and how the products measure up for common use cases. In a sea of sameness and copycat products, we help you find the stuff that rises above the crowd and is worth your hard-earned money.

affiliate links for products

When you see a product you're interested in and you click through from our site to a retailer to buy a product, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but it does not affect what products we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay.