Editorial policy

How topics are selected

We choose topics from the problems Mac users actually run into: questions readers send us, recurring issues in Apple's support communities, and gaps we find when we try to solve a problem ourselves. We don't choose a topic because a product pays well. Commercial pages, such as best-of lists, reviews, comparisons and alternatives, are only started for products we can obtain and test or properly research.

How troubleshooting guides are researched

• We start from Apple's own documentation for the current version of macOS.
• Every step is performed on a real Mac before the guide is marked published. The least risky steps come first.
• Steps that can lose data are marked, and a backup is recommended before them.
• Where behaviour differs between Apple silicon and Intel Macs, or between macOS versions, the guide says so.

How software recommendations are evaluated

Software is evaluated using the criteria in our review methodology. We distinguish clearly between hands-on testing (we installed and used the product) and research-based evaluation (we read the vendor's documentation and independent sources). Pages state which applies. Products that haven't been tested carry no rating.

How articles are updated

Every article shows when it was published and when it was last updated. We revise a guide when macOS changes the steps, when a price or feature changes, or when a reader reports a problem. The updated date changes only when the content changes, not when a typo is fixed.

How factual errors are corrected

If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page and choose “Editorial correction”. We verify the claim, correct the page, and update its “last updated” date. Significant corrections are noted on the page.

How affiliate relationships affect editorial content

• Commercial relationships never decide what we recommend or where a product sits in a list.
• Affiliate links are labelled and tagged sponsored; links to official sites that earn us nothing are not labelled as affiliate links.
• We cover products we can't recommend, and say why.
• Our affiliate disclosure lists how the relationships work.

Drafts

Pages that haven't completed research or testing are labelled as drafts and hidden from search engines. We don't publish placeholder text as though it were a finished article.