This page explains how Rookipedia guides get made, what we will and will not do, and how to hold us to it.
We publish beginner guides, which means our readers are by definition not in a position to spot it when we get something wrong. That puts the burden on us. These are the rules we work to.
How we choose what to cover
We cover a topic when three things are true: someone genuinely wants to start it, the existing guides skip the beginning, and we can go through the beginning ourselves. If we cannot do the third one, we do not publish the guide.
We do not publish based on what pays best. That would be an obvious way to wreck the only thing that makes this site worth reading.
How guides get written
- We do the thing. Someone on the team starts the hobby, sets up the tool, or works through the process from zero, and takes notes while it is still confusing.
- We check the numbers. Every price, timing, and specification is verified at the time of writing, and we date it on the page so you know how stale it is.
- We draft. We use AI tools to help structure and tighten drafts. We are open about that — see below.
- A human edits every word. Nothing is published straight from a generator.
- We add what only we can add. Every guide must contain our own images, our own verified numbers, and at least one judgement call we are prepared to defend.
Our position on AI
We use AI writing tools. Plenty of sites do and do not admit it, so here is exactly where the line sits for us.
- ✅ We use AI to outline, to tighten clumsy sentences, and to check we have not left an obvious step out.
- ✅ A human decides what goes in, verifies every factual claim, and signs off on the final text.
- ❌ We do not publish generated text that nobody has read.
- ❌ We do not generate guides for things we have not done.
- ❌ We do not mass-publish. We cap ourselves at one guide per day, deliberately.
- ❌ We do not use AI-generated images of people, or fabricate photographs of results we did not get.
The test we apply before publishing: could this page have been produced by someone who never actually did the thing? If yes, it is not finished.
What we will never do
- Invent a reviewer. No fake experts, no fake credentials, no stock-photo bylines, no purchased qualifications.
- Publish a testimonial we did not receive. If a quote from a reader appears on this site, a reader sent it to us.
- Hide a paid relationship. Disclosure appears above the link, not in the footer.
- Let a sponsor approve copy. If we ever run sponsored content, it will be labelled as such at the top of the page.
- Give advice we are not qualified to give. See the next section.
Health, money, and safety
These topics can hurt people when handled badly, so we handle them narrowly and on purpose.
| We will explain | We will not tell you |
|---|---|
| How an ETF works, mechanically | What to invest in |
| How a bank’s fee structure is built | Which bank to choose |
| How to set up a desk so you are comfortable | What to do about your back pain |
| How to build a walking habit | What to take, or whether exercise is safe for you |
Guides in these areas carry a disclaimer at the top pointing you to a qualified professional. That is not legal throat-clearing; it is a genuine limit on what an enthusiast site should be doing.
Corrections
We will get things wrong. Prices move, software changes, and sometimes we simply make a mistake.
- Factual errors are fixed as soon as we can confirm them, and the page is marked with the date it was corrected.
- Substantive corrections — anything that changes the advice — get a visible note on the page. We do not quietly rewrite history.
- Prices and specifications are re-checked when a guide is updated, and every guide shows when it was last reviewed.
If you spot something wrong, please tell us. Corrections are genuinely the most useful message we can receive, and we would rather be embarrassed than inaccurate.
Independence
Rookipedia is independently owned. No brand, retailer, or manufacturer has any ownership stake, editorial input, or right of review over anything published here. We buy the things we test unless we say otherwise on the page.
Last reviewed: 9 August 2026