Editorial policy

This page describes the rules that govern what is published on hamptons.ie and how. It is a living document; the version below is the one in force for the first milestone.

The indexability gate

Every place page must pass a quality gate before it is published and indexed. A page is indexable only when:

• its editorial status is published;
• the body is at least 240 words of original, natural writing (not template filler);
• the summary, “when to go”, “how to get there” and cost are all present;
• a “last checked” date is recorded;
• if it has an image, that image has a complete rights record (see below).

Pages that do not yet pass the gate may still exist in the system (as drafts or in review), but they are never indexed and they carry a visible “editorial preview” banner when viewed.

Freshness

Practical information — access, fees, opening times, event dates — changes. Every record carries a last checked date, and important pages record when they were last reviewed. We do not present a stale fact as a current one.

Events: expiry, cancellation, sold out

Events have a lifecycle. Upcoming and happening-now events appear in discovery. Once an event has passed, its page remains reachable (so shared links keep working) with a clear “has ended” banner, but it never reappears in discovery. Cancelled events show a cancellation banner and the reason. Sold-out events stay visible and are labelled.

Sensitive locations

We do not publish precise locations for fragile habitats, unsafe access, or land that local communities do not want promoted. These places get a protected view: the page explains the place and how to enjoy it responsibly, but withholds the pin on the map and turn-by-turn detail, and says why. This is a deliberate editorial choice, not a technical limitation.

Commercial transparency

Some outbound links are affiliate links. They are always labelled, and our relationship is disclosed on the affiliate disclosure page. Sample or test commercial records are always marked test data and never presented as live offers.

Image rights

Every published image has a recorded licence or permission basis, the creator, a credit line, the source URL, and the date the licence was verified. Images that do not permit the intended commercial use are not used.

Corrections

If you find something inaccurate, please report it. We correct, re-check, and update the “last checked” date. Repeated or significant errors are logged so they are fixed at the source, not just patched on the page.