Our Editorial Process

Here’s how an article on The Online Service goes from idea to page.

1. Picking the topic

We start with questions readers actually have. No one pays us to cover a topic, a company or a product.

2. Research

Our guides draw on guidance from the Australian Cyber Security Centre, Scamwatch and the National Anti-Scam Centre, the ACCC, the OAIC and IDCARE.

3. Drafting

AI tools write a first draft from the sources gathered in step 2.

4. Checking

Before anything is published, an automated fact-check compares each specific fact, figure and rule in the draft with those sources. Claims that can’t be verified are taken out, and a draft that still doesn’t pass isn’t published. Articles aren’t individually reviewed by a person before they go live.

5. Publishing and updating

We correct articles when we learn that rules, figures or products have changed. Our guides are research-based, and we don’t claim to have tested anything unless an article says so.

6. Corrections

If you spot an error, email contact at theonlineservice dot net. We look into every report and correct confirmed mistakes promptly.

How the site is funded is explained on our disclosure page.