Affiliate Disclosure
Last Updated: April 20, 2026
The Short Version
The Desk Brief participates in affiliate programs. When you click a link on this site and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This is how we keep the site running.
Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations. We link to the product that is best for the job, not the one that pays the highest commission.
The Longer Version
What “affiliate links” means
An affiliate link is a URL that includes a tracking code identifying us as the referrer. When you click one of these links and buy something from the retailer, the retailer pays us a small percentage of the sale. You pay exactly the same price you would have paid without using our link.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. Others are not. We don’t mark each individual link, but you should assume that any link pointing to a retailer, manufacturer, or online store where a purchase can be made may be an affiliate link.
Which programs we participate in
We participate in various affiliate programs for retailers and manufacturers in the workspace, ergonomics, and home office categories. These programs change over time as the site evolves.
Commission rates vary by program and product category, typically ranging from a few percent to double-digit percentages of the sale price.
How we choose what to recommend
The product that gets recommended is the product we believe best solves the problem the reader is trying to solve. We consider:
- Quality of construction and materials
- Price relative to what the product delivers
- Specifications and suitability for the intended use
- Real-world user feedback and long-term reliability
- Our own experience where applicable
- Independent reviews and test data from trusted sources
We do not consider:
- Which retailer pays the highest commission
- Whether a brand has an affiliate program at all (we’ll still recommend products without one if they’re the right answer)
- Whether a brand has asked us for coverage
If a product we recommend doesn’t have an affiliate program available to us, we still recommend it and link to it without any commercial relationship.
What We Don’t Do
We don’t publish sponsored posts disguised as editorial content.
We don’t accept payment in exchange for positive reviews or rankings.
We don’t rewrite reviews because a brand asked us to.
We don’t link to low-quality products just because they pay well.
If any of these ever changes, we will disclose it clearly and prominently on the relevant content.
Legal Basis for This Disclosure
This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines on endorsements and testimonials (which apply to content that reaches U.S. readers) and the Competition Act and Canadian advertising standards.
We believe full transparency about how we make money is the right thing to do regardless of what the law requires.
Questions
If you have questions about any specific recommendation, our commercial relationships, or how we decide what to cover, email us at:
thedeskbrief1@gmail.com
We’ll answer honestly.
The Desk Brief
Ontario, Canada