Terms of Service

1The service

Startups.media is a public, pay-to-rank listing platform. Products submitted to the platform are placed into a category and ranked publicly against other listings in that category based on total confirmed bid. There is no editorial review of rank, no algorithmic curation, and no account or login required to list.

2Category rule

Each URL (website) may only be registered under one category. Once a listing is submitted, its category is permanent — it cannot be changed, reassigned, or moved to a different category afterward, regardless of bid amount. Choose the category carefully before submitting.

3Ranking & bids

Rank within a category is determined solely by a listing's total confirmed bid. A new listing may start from $10. Every confirmed payment is added to that listing's total — the total bid never resets and never expires. A listing keeps its position until another listing in the same category reaches a higher total bid. "Today," "Week," and "Month" views reset periodically for display purposes only; the underlying all-time total bid is permanent.

4Payments & refunds

Payments are processed through Dodo Payments via secure checkout. There is no recurring or subscription charge — each payment is a one-time addition to your listing's total bid.

5Prohibited content

Sites with any of the following characteristics are not accepted on the platform:

• Tobacco, Cigarettes & Drugs — tobacco products, e-cigarettes, hookah/shisha supplies, illegal substances, and devices that facilitate their use.
• Weapons & Dangerous Materials — firearms, knives, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, and harmful chemicals.
• Drug & Health Product Sites — prescription drugs, unapproved dietary supplements, over-the-counter drug sales, and unregulated products making medical claims.
• Sexual Content Sites — adult-oriented content, pornography, sale of sexual devices/accessories, and platforms offering sexual services.
• Political Sites & Propaganda — political party propaganda, content aimed at manipulating the voting process, and biased political campaigns.
• Alcohol, Gambling & Betting Sites — sale/promotion of alcohol, unlicensed games of chance, casino sites, and betting platforms.
• Copyright Infringement & Pirated Content — pirated movie/TV streaming sites, unlicensed software and game download platforms, and torrent sites.
• Hate Speech & Violence — content promoting discrimination, racism, harassment, bullying, violence, cruelty, or animal abuse.
• Fraud & Dishonest Conduct — fake diplomas/documents, hacking software, academic essay/assignment services, and counterfeit product sales.
• Scams & Misleading Content — e-commerce sites selling nonexistent products, phishing platforms, and unrealistic get-rich-quick promises.

See the full Listing Guidelines for details.

6Removal & enforcement

Startups.media may remove any listing found to violate the category rule, the prohibited content policy, or any other part of these terms, at its own discretion and without prior notice. Removal does not entitle the listing owner to a refund of any amount already paid.

7No guarantees

Ranking is based on confirmed bid total. This payment does not guarantee traffic or how long a position will be held. Startups.media makes no representation or warranty regarding clicks, leads, sales, conversions, or any other business outcome resulting from a listing or its position on the leaderboard.

8Limitation of liability

The platform, its leaderboard, and all listings are provided "as is." To the maximum extent permitted by law, Startups.media is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of the platform, including loss of rank, loss of traffic, or loss of revenue.

9Changes to these terms

These terms may be updated from time to time. Continued use of the platform, or submission of a new listing or bid after a change is published, constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

10Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent through the contact page.