Editorial policy

Last updated April 18, 2026

This page is the rule book that governs what we publish and how. It's mostly written for our future selves — the version of this team five years from now who'll need to know what the standards were. But anyone reading is welcome to hold us to it.

The non-negotiables

1. No affiliate compensation

We do not run affiliate links. We are not paid commissions when readers sign up for any of the apps we recommend. Our recommendation order would be identical whether we earned money or not. See the affiliate disclosure.

2. No sponsored placements

We have never published a piece on behalf of an app maker, written advertorial, or accepted compensation in exchange for editorial coverage. We do not let app vendors review or comment on a draft before publication. We do not have any "partnership" arrangements with apps in our recommendation set.

3. No anonymous bylines

Every piece is bylined by a real person on our team. Author profiles, credentials, and conflict-of-interest disclosures are at /about/. We do not buy bylined content from contractor pools.

4. Eating-disorder-aware framing

Pilar (RD, the editor-in-chief) reviews every piece before publication for eating-disorder-aware language. Specifically: we do not frame calorie tracking as morally good or bad. We do not present "weight loss" as the only valid reason to track. We surface the eating-disorder warning in any piece where the topic could plausibly be triggering. The NEDA helpline (1-800-931-2237) appears in our footer permanently.

5. Plain-language standard

No clinical jargon without a friendly translation. No acronyms used silently. The reading level target is roughly tenth grade. Wesley (Senior Writer, ex-Eat This Not That) is the gating editor on plain-language adherence.

What we publish

This site publishes:

• Beginner-focused guides to picking and using calorie counter apps.
• Plain-language glossary entries for the terms beginners encounter.
• Periodic updates to our keystone recommendations.
• A public changelog of every meaningful update.

This site does not publish:

• Sponsored content of any kind.
• Listicles whose ranking is determined by anything other than editorial judgment.
• Anonymous, ghostwritten, or AI-generated content.
• Diet-of-the-month coverage. We don't cover specific weight-loss diets except where it intersects with calorie tracking generally.
• Medical advice. We are an editorial publication, not a medical resource. For medical questions, talk to a clinician.

How we use AI

We use large language models in two specific ways:

1. Drafting outlines and structure. A writer might prompt an LLM for an outline before writing.
2. Editing assistance. Tightening sentences, suggesting clearer phrasings.

Every published piece is written by a human author, edited by another human, and reviewed for tone by Pilar before publication. AI does not write our content end-to-end. Every claim is verified against primary sources by a human.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the change on the changelog. For substantive factual errors, we add a correction note inline in the piece. For minor typos or formatting fixes, we update silently.

Corrections from readers are welcome. Email hello@whatsthebestcaloriecounter.app with the page URL, the specific claim, and (ideally) a primary source for the correction.

Updates and freshness

The keystone guide gets a major refresh annually, plus quarterly check-ins. Specific articles get updated whenever a free tier changes, a recommendation shifts, or new external data (like the DAI 2026 study) becomes available. Every update is logged on the changelog with a brief note about what changed.

Conflicts of interest

None of the editorial team has paid relationships with any calorie counter app, weight-loss program, supplement company, or pharmaceutical manufacturer. We disclose any incidental connections (a writer used the app personally, a writer's relative works in a related field) inline in any relevant piece.

What changes this policy

This policy is reviewed annually. Substantive changes (e.g., a shift in the no-affiliate stance) would be announced on the changelog and discussed openly. Minor wording updates are tracked in the document version.

If at any point we adopt affiliate compensation, we will:

1. Disclose it loudly, on every page.
2. Re-publish our recommendation set under the new framework, with a note about what changed.
3. Change our editorial review structure to ensure rankings remain unaffected by commission rate.

We currently have no plans to adopt affiliate compensation. We mention the procedure for transparency, not because we expect to change.

Reader contact

For corrections, feedback, or general inquiries: hello@whatsthebestcaloriecounter.app. Full contact page.