Editorial Policy

Readers come to On Dating Journal to make decisions about their money, their safety and their private lives. That places a duty on us to get things right, to show our working and to own our mistakes. This policy sets out how we meet it.

Accuracy comes first

Every fact, figure, price, date and ownership detail we publish must be verified against a source an editor has checked. If a claim cannot be verified, it does not run. We would rather leave a gap than fill it with a guess.

We do not invent people, quotes, testers or experiences. Our reviews are editorial assessments of verified information, and we never imply first-hand testing that did not take place. Phrases such as “according to the company” mark claims we are reporting rather than confirming independently.

Prices for dating apps vary by country, age and promotion, so we attach the market and source to any price we quote.

Sourcing standards

We prefer primary sources: company help centres and pricing pages, official app store listings, investor reports and annual filings, regulators and government statistics, universities and peer-reviewed studies. Established survey organisations and reputable news outlets provide context.

We link to our sources inline so readers can check them, and longer articles end with a list of the sources used.

Surveys commissioned or funded by dating companies can be informative, but they are also marketing. When we cite one, we say who paid for it. Where a figure comes from a small or self-selecting sample, we make that clear too.

Corrections policy

When we get something wrong, we fix it promptly and say so. A correction note at the foot of the article records what changed and the date. Minor slips that do not alter the meaning, such as a typo, are corrected without a note.

If an error affects a score or ranking, the correction note explains the change. To report an error, use the CORRECTION route on our contact page.

Independence from advertisers and partners

On Dating Journal earns money through affiliate commissions, as set out in our affiliate disclosure. Commercial partners have no say over what we write. They do not see articles before publication, cannot request changes to a review and cannot buy a score or a position in a ranking.

Commercial and editorial decisions are kept separate. Our review methodology applies to every app equally, whether or not we have a commercial relationship with it.

We do not accept payment for news coverage. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be clearly labelled as advertising before readers engage with it.

How we use AI tools

We use AI tools to help with parts of our work, such as research, summarising long documents and drafting. Any AI assistance is reviewed and fact-checked by our editors before publication. An AI tool is never treated as a source in its own right: every fact must trace back to a verifiable original.

Editors remain responsible for everything we publish, and judgements about scores, rankings and recommendations are made by people.

External links policy

We link generously to the sources behind our reporting, because readers should be able to verify what we say. Linking to a site is not an endorsement of everything on it.

Outbound editorial links carry a nofollow attribute. Commercial links to dating services run through our /visit/ redirects and are labelled as described in our affiliate disclosure.

Keeping articles up to date

Dating apps change prices, features and owners often. Every article shows the date it was last updated, and we review our scored pages at least every six months, or sooner when something significant changes. News articles reflect the facts at the time of publication and are updated only when new information changes the story, with an update note added.

Questions about this policy

If you think we have fallen short of these standards, we want to hear about it. Write to us at [CONTACT EMAIL], and we will look into it.