Should affiliate marketers disclose when a product recommendation is based on personal use versus research alone?

[Patricklewis]

Not every affiliate marketer gets the chance to personally try every product they promote. Some recommendations are based on actual experience, while others come from researching product details, watching demonstrations, or comparing customer reviews. Both can be helpful, but there's a difference between telling people how a product worked for you and sharing what you've learned about it from other sources. I'm curious if creators should be more upfront about how they arrived at their recommendations so their audience knows what to expect. Would knowing whether someone has actually used a product make you trust their review differently?

 

[clairemarketinghub]

I think this kind of transparency matters because audiences should know whether a recommendation comes from actual experience or research. There's nothing wrong with reviewing a product without personally using it, as long as the creator is honest about it. They can still provide useful comparisons and information, but they shouldn't make it sound like they've tested something they haven't. Being clear about the source of their opinions helps people set realistic expectations and builds more trust over time.