Since launching WebMD, we have consistently pursued sponsorships and advertisements from relevant commercial entities, manufacturers, and other leaders committed to delivering health and lifestyle information. These sponsorships, a form of advertising, allow us to offer you our award-winning content for free. WebMD provides sponsors with opportunities to share their marketing messages and information about their products and services by featuring their information or links on our site. We take several measures to ensure that you can clearly identify content that is provided by and controlled by our sponsors before you view it, enabling you to make an informed decision on whether to engage with it. For further details, please read our Advertising Policy.Identifying Sponsored Content on WebMDTo clearly differentiate between WebMD's own content and that which is created or provided by sponsors, we label sponsored content as "From Our Sponsor," "Sponsored by," "Promoted by," or "By (Sponsor's Name)." While sponsored content is governed by WebMD's Advertising Policy, it is not subject to our Editorial Policy. Sponsors are accountable for the accuracy and objectivity of their content, which is not reviewed by WebMD's Editorial Department for accuracy, objectivity, or balance.Here's how we identify sponsor content and some related points to note:- All content created or provided by sponsors on WebMD is marked with labels such as "From Our Sponsor," "Sponsored by," "Promoted by," or "By (Sponsor’s Name)."- At the top of each sponsor content page, we include text clarifying that the content is created or provided by the sponsor and is under their editorial control.- Links to sponsor content include the same distinguishing labels.- Sponsor content may contain links to the sponsor's website.- When links to a sponsor's website are present, WebMD informs you that you are visiting an external site, as outlined in our Privacy Policy.- Sponsored content is copyrighted by the sponsor or the rightful copyright owner.- A disclaimer at the end of sponsored content states that WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.Funding of WebMD Editorial Content by Third PartiesIn addition to providing their content, third parties might fund WebMD to create original editorial content for the WebMD Network. In these cases, while the third party may collaborate with WebMD on selecting a general topic, the content is produced following our Original Content Process described in our Editorial Policy, with no third-party control over the content. They may request attribution such as “Brought to you by,” “Supported by,” or “Funded by” on our editorial content during their funding period, which does not alter the editorial nature of the content.Collaborations with Third Parties for Educational ContentWebMD collaborates with government and other organizations or associations focused on public health education. We use specific criteria to select these organizations and work with them to create or choose content within certain topics. This content is reviewed by the third party and then edited and approved by WebMD’s editorial staff. This category of content follows WebMD's editorial policy and process for ensuring accuracy, balance, and objectivity.In these instances, you will find:- Descriptive text at the top of the page indicating that WebMD created or selected the content with help from the collaborating organization.- The term "educational collaboration" followed by the organization's name, with a hyperlink to its definition.- Information about additional funding from other third parties who do not influence the content.Last Updated: June 20, 2016 © 2016 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
