Editorial Policy

Tierlyn exists to help small teams make audit and access decisions with checked facts. This policy states how we pick tools, how we handle money, and how we correct errors. It applies to every page signed by the Tierlyn Editorial Team.

Independence

Editorial decisions are made by the editorial team alone. A vendor cannot buy a rank, a best pick, or a favourable conclusion. Sponsored placements are labelled "Sponsored" and are kept apart from ranked lists. If a sponsored product also appears in a ranked list, its rank rests on the published criteria for that category, not on payment. Paid status never decides rank.

We do not accept payment to remove a con, soften a limit, or hide a missing feature. When a vendor disputes a fact, we check the vendor's own documentation and the original source. We change the page only when the evidence supports a change.

How picks are made

We start with a defined buyer problem, such as a first ISO 27001 certification for a 10 to 100 person SaaS team. We list tools that claim to serve that problem, then we narrow the list with the criteria published on our scoring page. Those criteria differ by category, and their weights add to 100. We review vendor documentation, pricing pages, changelogs, public reviews, and published benchmarks. We do not run our own product tests. Our pages are researched comparisons, and we use that label in full.

We name what a tool does not cover. A password manager that lacks shared vault permissions for a client portal, a compliance tool that does not map a specific Annex A control, or a backup tool that does not restore a Teams channel are facts a buyer needs before purchase. Vague praise does not help a team facing an auditor, so we avoid it.

Money pages and re-checks

Pages that carry prices are re-checked every 45 days. A re-check means we open the vendor's own pricing page again, confirm the price and the billing terms, and update the check date. If a price is hidden on the vendor page, we write "Quote only" and link to the pricing or contact page. We do not copy a price from a reseller and present it as a vendor list price. If a price has changed, we update the figure and the date. If we cannot confirm a price, we say so.

Corrections

If you find an error, contact us with the page, the sentence, and the source that shows the correct fact. We check the claim, correct the page, and note the correction where the change affects a price, a feature, or a recommendation. Small typographical fixes do not need a note. A correction to a material fact does. We do not silently change a ranked conclusion.

AI assistance, stated honestly

AI helps draft Tierlyn articles. Editors check every fact and price against the source before publication. AI does not decide ranks, invent sources, or replace source checks. If a draft contains a claim we cannot verify, we cut the claim. The editor, not the draft tool, is responsible for the published page.

What we will not publish

We will not invent people, quotes, test results, user counts, awards, credentials, or photos. We will not present a researched comparison as our own product test. We will not publish numeric product scores on researched pages. Some product categories fall outside our editorial values, and we do not cover them. If a product's main use falls in one of those categories, we skip it.