Our methodology
A practical framework, not a black box.
Our process is built to turn product information into a useful decision while keeping facts, judgment, and uncertainty visibly separate.
Last updated July 24, 2026
1. Define the shopping decision
We begin with the use case, not a product catalog. The editorial brief identifies the buyer, the problem, physical constraints, and the tradeoffs that could change the final choice.
2. Build a candidate set
Internal product-research tools can help identify candidates, but automated scores are not public ratings and do not make the final recommendation. Editors remove irrelevant variants, obvious mismatches, and products that lack enough information for a responsible comparison.
3. Verify stable facts
- Dimensions, materials, capacity, installation, and intended use.
- The source and access date for factual claims.
- Whether an image is owned, licensed, or otherwise permitted.
- Whether a page is research-based or includes genuine hands-on testing.
4. Apply an editorial rubric
Our scores reflect the criteria shown on the page, such as fit, access, ease of installation, versatility, and key limitations. They are editorial scores—not Amazon customer ratings—and should be read together with the written verdict.
5. Review before publishing
A human editor checks the answer summary, sources, claims, image rights, links, and compliance fields before manually publishing a page. A status change alone never pushes content live.