Legal · Transparency

Affiliate Disclosure

Last updated: January 2026

Sheets & Cells ("we," "us," "our," "the site," "sheetsandcells.com") believes in full transparency about how we make money. This page explains our affiliate relationships and how they may — or may not — influence what you read on this site.

The short version: Some links on Sheets & Cells are affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships never influence our editorial recommendations. We only recommend products we genuinely believe help our readers.

What Are Affiliate Links?

An affiliate link is a special URL that tracks when a reader clicks from our site to another company's website. If that reader then makes a purchase within a set time window (typically 24 hours to 90 days depending on the program), we receive a small commission from the retailer or service provider — usually between 3% and 30% of the purchase price.

Affiliate commissions are paid by the retailer or service provider, not by you. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our affiliate link or navigate to the product directly.

Where You'll See Affiliate Links on This Site

Affiliate links may appear in:

Product reviews — when we review Excel-related tools, books, courses, or software
Roundup posts — "best of" comparisons of Excel add-ins, training courses, or productivity tools
Blog posts — when we reference a specific tool or resource that helped solve a problem
Resource pages — curated lists of recommended tools
Newsletter — occasional recommendations, always clearly disclosed

We do not place affiliate links in:

Function reference pages (VLOOKUP guide, SUMIF guide, etc.)
Error fix pages
Template descriptions
Pillar guides (unless directly relevant to the topic and clearly disclosed)

Affiliate Programs We May Participate In

The specific programs change over time, but common examples include:

Amazon Associates — for Excel books, computer accessories, monitors, ergonomic equipment
Software affiliate programs — for complementary Excel add-ins, alternative spreadsheet tools, and productivity software we've tested and recommend
Course platforms — for Excel training courses on platforms like Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning
SaaS partner programs — for tools that integrate with Excel (data visualization, project management, CRM software)

Where a specific affiliate relationship influences a review or roundup, we disclose that relationship directly on the page in question, in addition to this general disclosure.

Our Editorial Commitments

Affiliate revenue helps keep our content free for everyone. To make sure that revenue doesn't corrupt our recommendations, we hold ourselves to these standards:

1. Recommendations come first, revenue second

We only recommend products we have actually used, tested, or thoroughly researched. If we haven't personally evaluated a product, we say so. We turn down affiliate offers regularly when the product doesn't meet our quality bar — even when the commission is high.

2. Honest reviews, including the bad parts

Every review includes both what works and what doesn't. If a product has limitations, quirks, or better alternatives, we say so — even when it costs us the affiliate revenue from that specific product.

3. Better alternatives get equal coverage

When a product has a strong non-affiliate alternative (free tool, open-source software, built-in Excel feature that does the same thing), we mention it. Our job is to help you make the best decision, not to funnel you toward the highest-commission option.

4. Clear disclosure on every affiliate page

Any page containing significant affiliate content includes a disclosure at the top so you know before you read. This site-wide affiliate disclosure is linked from the footer of every page.

5. Our own products come with the same standards

When we recommend our own Sheets & Cells Add-in, we hold ourselves to the same honesty standard — including telling you when a different tool (Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Python in Excel) is a better fit for your specific use case.

How This Site Makes Money

For full context, our revenue comes from:

The Sheets & Cells Add-in — our own commercial Excel Add-in (Basic $12, Pro $29 one-time, Team and Enterprise subscriptions)
Affiliate commissions — as described on this page
Display advertising — small, non-intrusive banner ads on some pages (never on core reference pages)
Sponsored content — very selective and always clearly marked as "Sponsored"
Future courses — Excel Mastery Bootcamp launching in 2026

The vast majority of content on Sheets & Cells will always be free. Affiliate and advertising revenue helps us keep it that way.

FTC Compliance

This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." It also aligns with disclosure requirements in the UK (Advertising Standards Authority), EU, Canada, Australia, and other jurisdictions where our readers are located.

If you have any questions about how affiliate relationships work on Sheets & Cells, or want to report a page where you feel a disclosure is missing or unclear, email us at info@sheetsandcells.com.

Affiliate disclosure