Editorial Policy

This page explains how ToolProof guides are researched, tested, and kept up to date. It applies to every guide and every News & Analysis column on the site.

Who we write for

We write for people who use AI features and everyday software but are not developers. Every method we recommend can be done with a built-in setting, a free app you install the usual way, or a website. We do not tell readers to type commands into a terminal, write code, or use developer tools, even when that would be faster.

How we choose topics

• Real questions first. We start from what people search for and ask in help forums: a setting that moved, an error that will not go away, a free tool that suddenly has a limit.
• Problems that last. We favor topics people will still need help with weeks or months from now, such as how to turn off a feature, how to convert a file, or what to do before a support end date.
• Something we can add. Each guide has to add something the existing answers miss, such as the exact menu name in the current version, a measured difference between tools, or a step that turned out not to work. If we cannot add anything, we do not write it.

How we test

• We run it where we can. When a guide says "we tested" or "in our test", we ran that app, website, or setting ourselves on the version and date stated in the guide.
• We show the setup. Guides that compare tools include a "How we tested" section with the files we used, the versions, and the criteria we judged them on, so you can tell whether the result applies to you.
• We report what failed. If a method did not work, lost data, or behaved differently from its documentation, the guide says so.
• We say what we could not test. Some features need a specific phone, a paid plan, or a certain country. In those cases we name the official source the steps come from instead of implying we tried them.

Charts and screenshots in a guide come from our own tests or from the official pages we link to. The illustration at the top of each guide is decorative and does not show test results.

How we check facts

• Feature details, menu paths, prices, plan limits, and dates come from primary sources: official help pages, release notes, pricing pages, and company announcements. We link to them in the guide.
• We keep copies of the sources we cite, so when we re-check a guide we can see exactly what changed.
• Prices and limits that change often are marked with the month we checked them.
• We do not publish rumors or leaks, and we do not invent experiences, quotes, or people.

News and analysis

We cover news only when a change affects people who use the product: a price change, a feature being added or removed, a privacy or security change, or the end of support. Each column explains who is affected and what you can do. Facts and opinion are kept apart: our view appears only in a section labeled "Our take".

Keeping guides current

AI features and apps change quickly, so we re-check guides after major updates, such as new Chrome releases and monthly Windows updates. When a step, menu, price, or date changes, we fix the guide and change its "Updated" date. We do not change the date for small edits that do not change the advice.

When a guide becomes outdated or overlaps with a newer one, we update it, merge it into the better guide, or remove it and send its address to the closest guide on the same topic.

Independence and advertising

ToolProof is not affiliated with or paid by the companies we write about. We do not accept payment for coverage, sponsored reviews, or paid placements, and our guides do not contain affiliate links.

The site is supported by display advertising. Ads are served by Google and are kept separate from our content. Advertisers do not see guides before they are published and have no say in what we recommend. See our privacy policy for how advertising cookies work.

Corrections

If you find a mistake or a step that no longer works, email us at toolproofblog@gmail.com with the page link and, if you can, the version or plan you are using. We check every report against the product and its official documentation, and we fix confirmed errors as soon as we can. More ways to reach us are on the contact page, and more about the site is on the about page.