1. Straight up
This site contains affiliate links. Some of the links in the guides here will earn me a small commission if you click and make a purchase or booking. The guides themselves are always free, and they always will be.
I want to be clear about this upfront, not buried in small print. Transparency is how this site earns your trust, and trust is worth a lot more than commission.
Affiliate relationships do not influence what I recommend. Everything on this site is based on personal experience and honest opinion. That does not change because a link happens to be an affiliate link.
2. What affiliate links actually are
An affiliate link is a tracked link. When you click one and complete a purchase or booking, the retailer or platform pays me a small commission. The price you pay is exactly the same as if you had visited the site directly. No markup, no extra charge, nothing added.
The commission comes from the retailer's margin, not your pocket. You get the same deal either way. If you use an affiliate link, a small percentage of whatever the retailer earns goes to me instead of staying entirely with them.
That commission helps cover the costs of running this site, keeps the guides free to read, and funds future trips and content.
3. Programs I participate in
Amazon Associates
Do It Self Guided 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 advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
This site also participates in equivalent Amazon affiliate programs in other regions, including Amazon.com.au, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.de, where applicable.
Accommodation platforms
This site may earn commission when readers book accommodation through affiliate links to platforms including Booking.com, Hotels.com, Hostelworld, and similar services. Links to these platforms in guide pages may be affiliate links.
Outdoor gear retailers
This site may earn commission from outdoor gear retailers including REI, Backcountry, Patagonia, and similar brands. Gear recommendation links may be affiliate links.
Other programs
This site may participate in additional affiliate programs in future, including travel insurance providers, flight booking platforms, tour operators for activities I personally recommend, and other travel-related services. Any such relationships are subject to the same disclosure standards and editorial principles described on this page.
4. Advertising
This site displays advertising, which may include ads served through Google AdSense. Ads are placed by third parties and reflect advertiser demand, not editorial recommendations. I do not control which ads appear and do not personally endorse the products or services shown in them.
Advertising revenue, alongside affiliate commissions, helps cover the cost of running the site. Neither income stream influences what I write or recommend. For details on how data is collected when ads are served, see the Privacy Policy.
5. Editorial independence
Affiliate links and advertising do not change what I recommend. Here is what that means in practice:
- Destinations, routes, accommodation, and gear are recommended because I have used them personally and found them genuinely good, not because a commission is available
- If I had a bad experience with something that has an affiliate link, I say so
- If a recommendation later proves wrong or outdated, it gets corrected, regardless of whether an affiliate link is involved
- I do not recommend things I would not use myself or suggest to a friend
- No advertiser or affiliate partner has editorial input into any guide on this site
The whole point of this site is honest, first-hand information that helps you travel independently. That only works if you can trust it. Compromising that trust for commission would defeat the purpose of the site entirely.
6. Sponsored content and paid partnerships
Currently, no content on this site is sponsored or paid for by any third party. Every guide is written independently, based on personal experience and research.
If this changes in future, any sponsored content will be clearly labelled at the top of the relevant page with wording such as “Sponsored” or “Paid partnership”. Sponsored content will only be accepted from brands and services I would recommend regardless of payment, and it will be held to the same accuracy and honesty standards as all other content on the site.
Affiliate links and sponsored content are two different things. Affiliate links earn commission based on reader actions. Sponsored content is paid content produced in partnership with a brand. The two will always be clearly distinguished.
7. How to spot affiliate links
Each guide that contains affiliate links includes a short notice near the top of the page flagging this. Affiliate links may also be labelled inline where useful.
As a general rule: if a link points to a retailer, booking platform, gear brand, or similar commercial service, it may be an affiliate link. When in doubt, you can always search for the product or service directly rather than using a link from this site.
8. Your call entirely
You are never obligated to use affiliate links. Every product, service, or place linked to from this site can be found by searching for it directly. Using an affiliate link costs you nothing extra and supports the work that goes into the site, but it is offered as an option, not a requirement.
If you find the guides useful and want to support the site, using affiliate links when you do book or buy something is the easiest way to do that. If you would rather not, that is completely fine too.
9. Compliance
This disclosure is provided in accordance with:
- US FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): the Federal Trade Commission requires clear disclosure of material connections between content creators and the brands they recommend
- Australian ACCC guidelines: the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission requires disclosure of commercial relationships in online content
- UK CMA rules: the Competition and Markets Authority requires that commercial relationships are clearly disclosed to UK readers
- EU consumer protection regulations: including the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which requires disclosure of commercial intent to EU consumers
This site aims to meet or exceed the disclosure requirements of all jurisdictions where readers may access it. Use of the site is also governed by the Terms of Service.
10. Questions
If anything about how affiliate links or advertising works on this site is unclear, please get in touch. I am happy to answer any questions.
- Email: leo@doitselfguided.com