# Editorial Policy > Every Seattle Tattoo guide is written to answer a real question accurately. Facts are checked against primary sources, which we link on the page. AI-assisted drafts are researched from cited sources, fact-checked against them and approved by the publisher before publication. Featured listings never influence editorial content, and when we get something wrong, we correct it and update the page. - Published: 2026-10-18 · Updated: 2026-10-18 - Canonical: https://seattle-tattoo.org/editorial-policy ## Key takeaways - Facts about law, health and prices are checked against primary sources such as the RCW, the WAC, state agencies, the FDA and the American Academy of Dermatology. - AI assists with research and drafting. Every AI-assisted guide is checked against its cited sources, passes automated quality checks and is approved by the publisher; guides individually reviewed by a named editor say so. - Studios can't pay for coverage, better descriptions or Editor's picks. Featured listings are always labeled, and our one Featured studio shares ownership with Seattle Tattoo. - We correct errors promptly, update the date on the page, and note corrections that change advice. These are the standards behind every guide on Seattle Tattoo. They apply to our neighborhood guides, style guides, price and law pages, and blog posts. ## What sources do we use? We go to the primary source whenever one exists: - **Laws and licensing:** the Revised Code of Washington, the Washington Administrative Code, and guidance from the Department of Licensing, Department of Health and Department of Revenue. - **Health and aftercare:** the FDA, the CDC, the American Academy of Dermatology and major academic medical centers. - **Studios:** each studio's own website and official profiles, plus public licensing records. - **Prices:** rates and minimums that studios publish, which we cite by URL. We link sources inline and list them at the end of each guide. When a fact can't be verified, we leave it out or label it clearly. We don't invent statistics, quotes, studio details or experts. ## How do we use AI? AI tools may help draft guides, structure information and summarize public studio information. Every AI-assisted piece is marked internally as AI-assisted. Before it goes live, each factual claim is checked against the cited source in a separate fact-check step, automated checks reject unsupported numbers, filler and invalid links, and the publisher approves it. Guides individually reviewed by a named editor show "Reviewed by". AI is never the only source for a fact, and it never chooses Editor's picks. ## How are guides reviewed? Before publication, an editor checks that the guide answers the reader's question in the first few sentences, that every number and legal or medical claim has a source, and that the advice reflects current guidance. Safety advice follows established medical guidance, not shop folklore. Guides about law and health include a note that they are general information, not legal or medical advice. ## How do we keep guides up to date? Each guide shows the date it was last updated. We review law, price and aftercare guides whenever an underlying source changes, such as a new statute, new agency guidance or a change in published studio rates. When a guide is substantially rewritten, we say so on the page. Our 2026 trends guide, for example, notes that it replaced the 2024 edition. ## How do we handle conflicts of interest? Seattle Tattoo and Cleopatra Ink Seattle share ownership. That studio is the directory's one Featured listing, and wherever we promote it, it carries the disclosure "Featured: Seattle Tattoo and Cleopatra Ink Seattle share ownership." It is never an Editor's pick, and our guides don't recommend it because of that relationship. If a guide ever mentions it, the guide carries the same disclosure. Read [how featuring works](https://seattle-tattoo.org/methodology#featured). Featured placement is handled separately from editorial work. No studio can get coverage in a guide, a better description, an Editor's pick or the removal of accurate information by paying or through any other relationship with us. If a writer or editor has a personal or financial connection to a studio they're writing about, we disclose it on the page or assign the piece to someone else. ## How do we correct mistakes? Report an error through our [contact page](https://seattle-tattoo.org/contact) and include a source if you can. We review every report. When we confirm an error, we correct the page and update its date. If the correction changes advice, such as a legal requirement, a price range or a health recommendation, we add a brief correction note. Studio owners can fix listing details at [/add-your-studio](https://seattle-tattoo.org/add-your-studio). For more on how the directory is built, see our [methodology](https://seattle-tattoo.org/methodology). ## FAQ **Does Seattle Tattoo use AI to write articles?** AI tools help with research and drafting, but they never publish on their own. Each AI-assisted guide is grounded in sources we link, fact-checked against those sources in a separate step, checked for quality and originality, and approved by the publisher before it goes live. Guides that a named editor has reviewed line by line show a “Reviewed by” note. **Is the information on this site legal or medical advice?** No. Our guides summarize laws and health guidance and link to the primary sources, but they are general information. For legal questions, talk to a Washington attorney. For a reaction or infection, see a doctor or board-certified dermatologist. ## Sources - [Revised Code of Washington (RCW)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/) — Washington State Legislature - [Washington Administrative Code (WAC)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/) — Washington State Legislature