Sponsored Content Policy

Standards

Sponsored Content Policy

In short: if someone paid for it, we say so, we name them, and the links they paid for carry rel="sponsored". Our news coverage is never for sale.

This policy covers paid placements on bostonmade.com and the other sites in the Boston Made network, including the Boston Made, Inc. Newsroom, BOSSTOX, the Boston Made Reader, Lumo, GrandStrand.app and Spot Check. It applies to sponsored articles, newsletter placements, featured directory listings and native ads.

1. Labeling

  • Every sponsored article opens with a visible disclosure that reads “Sponsored” and names the sponsor.
  • Sponsored articles live in our Sponsored section and are labeled in lists, feeds and newsletters, not just on the article page.
  • Native ads and featured listings carry a visible “Sponsored” or “Featured” label next to the unit.
  • Labels stay on the piece for as long as it is published.

2. Links

  • Every link a sponsor pays for, and every outbound link in a sponsored article, carries rel="sponsored". Links that readers add, such as comments, carry rel="ugc".
  • We do not sell followed links, link insertions in existing articles, or placements whose only purpose is a link.
  • We keep commercial links to a reasonable number, generally no more than two per 1,000 words, and they must be relevant to the article.
  • Affiliate links, if we use them, are disclosed and marked the same way.

3. Editorial independence

  • Our news desk decides what to cover. Sponsors do not see, shape or approve news stories before or after publication.
  • Buying a placement does not buy coverage, and it does not prevent coverage.
  • Sponsored articles are kept separate from news and opinion and are never presented as our reporting.

4. Accuracy and review

  • Sponsors may supply copy, but our desk edits every piece for accuracy, clarity and tone. Factual claims must be supportable, and we may ask for sources.
  • The sponsor reviews the final copy before it runs. We make the final call on headlines, labels and presentation.
  • Product claims about health, money or safety need evidence. We do not run testimonials or reviews we cannot verify.

5. What we do not accept

  • Placements that are misleading, deceptive or disguised as news.
  • Get-rich-quick schemes, unlicensed lending or investment offers, and unproven health or medical claims.
  • Weapons, tobacco and vaping products, adult content, and illegal products or services.
  • Political attack ads, or content that targets people on the basis of protected characteristics.

We may decline or remove any placement that does not meet these standards.

6. Structured data

Sponsored articles carry schema.org markup that identifies them as advertiser content and names the sponsor (an AdvertiserContentArticle with a sponsor property), so search engines and assistive tools can see the relationship.

7. Guidance we follow

This policy follows the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on native advertising and endorsements, and Google’s guidance on qualifying paid links with rel="sponsored".

8. Questions and corrections

To ask about a placement, use the Advertise page or write to sales@bostonmade.com. To report a problem with a sponsored piece, including a missing label, write to the same address and we will fix it.

Effective October 24, 2026. We may update this policy; the date above shows the latest version.