We want our authors to succeed as much as possible, particularly where the marketing and promotion of an author’s own items are concerned. We also want to ensure our entire community has a fair and level playing field in which to operate and that customers have clear and consistent experience.
A quick summary of what this article explains can be neatly captured in Author Term #29 from our existing Terms & Conditions:
As an author, you warrant to us that you will not use Envato Market to offer non-Envato goods or services to buyers.
We have established some additional guidelines below to further assist you.
Keep in mind that what you choose to do to promote your items outside Envato Market is your responsibility. We don’t endorse any promotional activities outside Envato Market nor do we allow the use of Envato logos or trademarks unless they are in line with our affiliate rules.
Go for it! It’s OK to:
- Provide information relating to your item’s features and functionality on your item page, profile page and/or own website.
- Promote your items from your own website (and benefit from our referral program!).
- Promote your items on other external websites, forums or blogs.
- Promote your items through online advertising services, e.g., BuySellAds.
- Encourage external websites or blogs to giveaway purchased items (conditions apply).
- Cross-link to other related items/pages on Envato Market or other Envato sites on your item page, profile page and/or own website.
- Promote contests or competitions from your own website.
- Encourage general enquiries (e.g., feel free to contact me with any questions…) on your item page, profile page and/or own website.
- Provide installation, customization and premium support services above and beyond the Envato Market Item Support policy from your own website.
- Remember that whenever you link to an Envato site using your referral code, always make sure to follow our Affiliate Program Terms.
Woah! It’s not OK to:
Advertise or promote on either your Envato item page(s), Envato profile page, or your own website any additional incentives for the purchase of your item beyond its functionality and the Envato Market Item Support policy, if you support your item. Additional incentives include but are not limited to:
- Discounts or sales, except for items in Author-Driven Pricing categories. See here for more details on setting prices responsibly within Author-Driven Pricing categories.
- Rebates or gifts.
- Bonus files such as free content or a lite version of the item.
- Entry into contests or competitions.
- Promises for future incentives or bonuses.
- Promises of included support over and above the Envato Item Support policy.
- Promises of included installation and customization services.
- Offers of support services that may confuse or contradict the Envato Market support offering, e.g., promoting a support service on your item page when you have chosen to not support your item.
- Other tangible goods such as merchandise.
Why do we have these guidelines?
The aim of these guidelines is to create a fair market for all authors and customers and avoid a ‘race to the bottom’ where an author attempts to undercut the competition by giving away additional freebies based on the purchase of an item.
We also want to ensure that customers clearly understand what they are purchasing and aren’t confused by messages from authors on or off-site.
What happens if I break or ignore these guidelines?
We will contact you and give you an opportunity to correct the situation to avoid any potential disablement of your item(s) or worst-case scenario, your account.