Editorial Standards
How we ensure accuracy, independence, and responsibility in every piece of content we publish.
Our 4 Pillars
Accuracy
Every data point is sourced from verifiable origins — Google Places, official KvK registries, and direct website analysis. We cross-reference multiple sources before publishing and continuously re-verify through automated checks.
Independence
No shop can pay for favorable coverage, higher rankings, or premium placement. Our Smartshop Score is purely algorithmic. We have zero financial relationships with any shop in our directory.
Transparency
Our scoring methodology, data sources, and content creation process are fully documented. When we use AI to generate content, we say so. When data has limitations, we acknowledge them.
Harm Reduction
Substance information always includes safety warnings, legal status, contraindications, and emergency contacts. We never promote substance use — we provide factual information to help people make safer decisions.
Content Creation Process
Data Collection
Automated agents gather data from Google Places API, business registries (KvK), shop websites, review platforms (Google Reviews, Trustpilot), and social media profiles. This runs every 6 hours.
AI Enrichment
Claude Sonnet analyzes collected data to generate structured descriptions, extract product categories, identify shipping options, and create FAQ items. All AI-generated content is clearly labeled in our system.
Human Review
Flagged content, new substance information, and legal status updates are reviewed by our team before publication. Edge cases and sensitive topics always get human oversight.
Publication
Verified content is published with appropriate metadata, JSON-LD structured data, and canonical URLs. Pages are revalidated through ISR to ensure freshness.
How We Handle Substance Information
Substance guides are among the most sensitive content on Smartshop.nl. We take this responsibility seriously and follow strict principles:
We never encourage substance use. Guides are written for people who have already decided to use a substance, helping them do so more safely.
Every substance page includes safety warnings, contraindications, drug interactions, and emergency information. The Dutch emergency number (112) is always prominently displayed.
Every substance page clearly states its legal status in the Netherlands, including the distinction between legal, tolerated (gedoogd), and prohibited substances under the Opiumwet.
Dosage information, effect profiles, and interaction data are sourced from published research and established harm reduction resources. We cite sources where possible.
Data Verification
We cross-reference multiple data sources to ensure accuracy:
| Data Point | Primary Source | Cross-Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Shop location & contact | Google Places API | Shop website, KvK registry |
| Customer reviews | Google Reviews | Trustpilot |
| Business registration | KvK (Chamber of Commerce) | Website footer, terms page |
| Products & categories | Website scraping | Google Places categories |
| Photos | Google Places photos | Google Street View |
| Opening hours | Google Places | Shop website |
| Social media | Website links | Platform search |
Independence
No paid placements. No affiliate influence. No exceptions.
Our independence is non-negotiable. Here is what this means in practice:
- No shop has ever paid us for a listing, ranking boost, or favorable review.
- We do not use affiliate links that could incentivize us to recommend one shop over another.
- The Smartshop Score algorithm applies identically to every shop — there are no manual overrides.
- Shop owners can claim their listing for free to correct factual data, but this has zero effect on their score.
- If we ever introduce monetization (e.g., ads or premium features for shop owners), it will be clearly separated from editorial content and will never influence rankings.
Corrections Policy
We strive for accuracy, but errors can occur — especially with >800 shops in our database. Here is how we handle corrections:
Email [email protected] with the page URL and a description of the error. Include correct information if you have it.
We verify the correction against our data sources. For factual errors (wrong address, phone, etc.), we aim to fix within 12 hours. For content disputes, we investigate thoroughly.
Significant corrections are noted. We do not silently alter historical data or retroactively change scores without documentation.