Check ads and posts for claims you cannot back up

Fields

• Market (US, UK or EU)
• Channel (email, text, paid ad, creator post, site banner, product copy)
• Product or offer advertised
• The draft copy, with any disclaimers and terms

Questions

1. Does the copy call the product the best, first, strongest or cheapest, or compare it with other brands? Yes / No

   Our rule: a superlative or a comparison needs evidence on file. Count "best", "No. 1", "unbeatable", "strongest", "better than", and comparisons with a named or unnamed competitor, including in a creator's own words. Yes: The copy makes at least one superlative or comparative claim. No: The copy makes no such claim.

2. Does the copy claim a result, a saving, a return, a level of performance or how long the product lasts? Yes / No

   Count claims about what the product does or achieves: durability ("lasts a lifetime"), battery life, weather or water resistance, safety, money saved, returns or rewards, and promises such as "guaranteed" or "never fails". Plain descriptions such as size, colour or material do not count. Yes: The copy makes at least one such claim. No: The copy makes none.

3. Does the copy make a factual claim about the product that is not on the approved claims list, or goes beyond one? Yes / No

   Compare each factual claim about the product or the offer with the approved claims in the context. Count a claim with no match, and one that stretches an approved claim, such as "lasts forever" against a 5-year warranty. Opinions such as "I love it" do not count. Yes: At least one claim is missing from the list or goes beyond it. No: Every factual claim matches the list, or the copy makes none.

4. Does the copy claim the product treats, prevents or cures a condition, or improves a body function? Yes / No

   Count claims about illness, pain, sleep, stress, immunity, allergies or any body function, however soft the wording ("helps you sleep better"). Yes: The copy makes a health claim. No: The copy makes no health claim.

5. What kind of environmental claim does the copy make, if any? Choice

   Use the environmental rules in the context. When the copy makes more than one, pick the first that applies in this order: Offset-based, Own label, Generic, Part as whole, Specific.

   • No environmental claim Nothing about the environment, the climate or sustainability.
   • Offset-based Says the product, the delivery or the company is climate neutral, carbon neutral or lower impact because of offsets, tree planting or similar schemes.
   • Own label Uses a sustainability label, badge or programme name that is not a named third-party certification.
   • Generic A broad claim such as "eco-friendly", "green", "sustainable", "planet-friendly" or "conscious", without naming the specific aspect it refers to.
   • Part as whole A specific claim about one part, such as the packaging or one material, presented as if it applied to the whole product.
   • Specific Names a specific, checkable aspect, such as "FSC-certified teak frames" or "60% recycled polyester", and claims no more than that.

6. Does the copy compare the price with an earlier, usual or other price? Yes / No

   Count "was", "now", "compare at", "RRP", "% off", "save $", "half price" and any other reference price. Code checks the price history. Yes: The copy states or implies a reference price. No: The copy states no reference price.

7. Does the copy offer something free, and if so, does it state the conditions next to the offer? Choice

   Count free delivery, free gifts, free trials and anything "on us". Conditions include a minimum spend, an area, a time limit or a purchase required. Free delivery always has conditions under our rules, the area and the minimum spend, and they must appear next to the offer whatever the price. Pick one option.

   • No free offer Nothing is offered free.
   • Conditions stated A free offer is made and its conditions appear next to it, or the offer has no conditions.
   • Conditions missing A free offer is made that has conditions under our rules, and they are missing or only in a footnote.

8. Does the copy use a deadline, a stock limit or fear of missing out to push the reader? Yes / No

   Count "today only", "ends tonight", "only 3 left", countdowns and "don't miss out". Code checks that a stated deadline is real. Yes: The copy uses urgency or scarcity. No: The copy uses neither.

9. If the copy is an endorsement by someone we pay or gift, does it disclose that clearly at the start? Choice

   Use the channel field and the copy. Count creator and influencer posts, testimonials and employee posts. Our rule: the disclosure appears at the start, such as "#ad" or "Paid partnership with Brambling"; a tag buried among other hashtags at the end does not count.

   • No endorsement The copy is in our own voice, with no creator, customer or employee endorsing.
   • Disclosed An endorsement with a clear disclosure at the start.
   • Not disclosed An endorsement with no disclosure, or one that is vague or buried at the end.

10. Does the copy carry the risk warning or terms line the context requires for this product? Choice

    Use the required statements and the financial products rules in the context for the market field. The endorsement disclosure is judged separately and does not count here.

    • None required No required statement applies to this product and this copy, for example because it states no rate.
    • Present A required statement applies and appears in the copy.
    • Missing A required statement applies and is missing, cut short or changed.

11. Does the copy state a financial benefit, such as a rate, a reward, a return or easy credit, without its main risks or conditions? Yes / No

    Use the financial products rules in the context. Compare how the benefit is stated with how the risks and conditions are stated. Yes: A financial benefit is stated, and its main risks or conditions are missing or much less visible. No: The benefit is balanced by its risks and conditions, or the copy states no financial benefit.

12. What should happen to this draft before it is published? Choice

    Judge the draft as a whole against every rule in the context for the market field. When the draft has both problems the writer can fix and a claim that needs legal judgment, pick Needs legal review.

    • Ready for sign-off No claim or wording problem found; it goes to the approver as usual.
    • Send back for edits Problems the writer or creator can fix alone, such as adding a disclosure or offer conditions, or removing a superlative or an unapproved claim.
    • Needs legal review A claim that needs counsel to judge the evidence or the rules, such as a price comparison, an environmental claim, a health claim or a financial promotion.
    • Do not publish as written The main message is a claim the rules ban outright and editing cannot save, such as a guaranteed return, an incentive to invest in cryptoassets, a cure claim, or an offset-based climate claim in the EU.

Lens columns

superiority_claim, superiority_claim_probability, performance_claim, performance_claim_probability, claim_not_approved, claim_not_approved_probability, health_claim, health_claim_probability, environmental_claim, environmental_claim_probability, price_comparison, price_comparison_probability, free_offer, free_offer_probability, urgency_pressure, urgency_pressure_probability, endorsement_disclosure, endorsement_disclosure_probability, required_statement, required_statement_probability, benefits_without_risks, benefits_without_risks_probability, verdict, verdict_probability