Methodology
How We Investigate Supplements
What Clearline actually does before publishing a review, and what we deliberately don't do.
What we check for every review
- Label and marketing claims. We read the official product page, label images, and linked policy pages word for word.
- Ingredient disclosure and consistency. We note exactly which ingredients are named, whether doses are published, and whether the ingredient list is consistent across a brand's own materials over time.
- Testimonial honesty. We check whether a brand discloses its customer quotes as illustrative or verified, and we treat that disclosure as a real transparency signal, positive or negative.
- Math and consistency checks. We verify that stated serving sizes, bottle counts, and day-supply claims are internally consistent.
- Guarantee terms. We read the actual refund policy, including any minimum-use conditions, not just the marketing headline.
- Unverifiable claims. Where a brand makes a specific, checkable claim (like third-party lab testing) without naming the lab or linking a certificate, we note that as unverified rather than confirmed.
What we do not do
- We do not run a formal, controlled multi-week clinical trial ourselves.
- We do not invent statistics or user quotes we cannot trace back to a real source.
- We do not accept payment from a brand in exchange for a favorable score, and no brand gets to see or edit a review before it publishes.
Our scoring criteria
Every review scores the same six weighted categories:
- Ease of use — how simple the actual daily routine is
- Guarantee clarity — how plainly refund terms are stated, including any conditions
- Ingredient naming — whether active ingredients are named on the label at all
- Manufacturing standards — disclosed facility certifications
- Value for money — price per serving relative to comparable products
- Label & marketing transparency — dosage disclosure, internal consistency, and whether marketing claims hold up to a direct check
Why we disclose affiliate links
Clearline earns revenue when readers click through to an official store and buy. This does not change how we score a product. Full detail is in our advertising disclosure.