Fact-Checking Policy
Every guide, review, and troubleshooting walkthrough published on LightCheckup is personally tested and verified before publication. We do not publish based on manufacturer claims alone.
Our Commitment to Accuracy
LightCheckup is built on one principle: if we haven't tested it in a real home, we won't tell you how it works. That means every product teardown, every fix guide, and every automation recipe starts with us actually setting up the hardware, breaking things, and figuring out what actually happens — not what the manual says should happen.
Accuracy is not a nice-to-have for us — it is the entire point of this site. Smart home problems are real problems. Getting bad advice can mean hours of wasted time, wasted money, or gear that simply doesn't work. We take that seriously.
How We Test and Verify
Our verification process follows a consistent multi-step approach:
- Hands-on testing first: Every product reviewed or referenced in a guide is physically set up in our home testing environment before a word is written. We test under real conditions: older wiring, mixed-brand ecosystems, and intentionally unreliable Wi-Fi.
- Reproduce before publishing: Troubleshooting guides are only published once we have successfully reproduced the problem and confirmed the fix works. We don't publish theoretical solutions.
- Cross-reference with official documentation: Technical claims are checked against manufacturer documentation, firmware release notes, and official support channels. When official docs conflict with real-world behaviour, we note both.
- Version and firmware tracking: Smart home products update frequently. We record the firmware version and app version used during testing, and flag content that may be version-specific.
- Community feedback integration: Reader comments and corrections are reviewed. Verified corrections are incorporated into articles with a transparent update note.
Corrections and Updates
Smart home technology moves fast. Firmware updates, app redesigns, and discontinued hardware mean that accurate advice from six months ago can become outdated. We handle this in two ways:
- Proactive updates: When we become aware of a significant change that affects published advice, we update the relevant articles and mark the update date at the top.
- Reader corrections: If you spot an error, outdated information, or something that doesn't match your experience, please contact us. All correction requests are reviewed within 5 business days. Verified corrections result in an update with attribution if the reader wishes.
Found an error? Use our Contact page to report it. Choose "Content Correction / Feedback" as your reason.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not publish sponsored content disguised as editorial reviews.
- We do not accept payment to change ratings, rankings, or conclusions.
- We do not rely solely on press releases or manufacturer-supplied data for technical claims.
- We do not publish guides for products we haven't been able to personally test or verify through a reliable third-party source.
- We do not use AI to fabricate testing experiences or product interactions.
Affiliate Links and Independence
Some articles may contain affiliate links to products we have tested. Clicking these and making a purchase may earn LightCheckup a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships never influence our testing results, ratings, or recommendations. Products are evaluated the same way whether or not an affiliate link exists.
Affiliate relationships are always disclosed in the article in which they appear, in accordance with FTC guidelines.
Contact Our Editorial Team
Questions about our editorial process, fact-checking standards, or a specific article? We welcome scrutiny.
This policy was last reviewed on September 30, 2026. It may be updated as our editorial practices evolve. Significant changes will be noted above.
