New guidelines for Trusted Updates

Envato Announcements
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Hi everyone!

We have recently launched new Trusted Updates Guidelines to ensure that authors who have the Trusted Updates privileges understand what they can & can’t do when submitting updates to already approved items.

Trusted Updates are a privilege that is granted to authors who meet certain criteria, which include having a high approval ratio for the items they submit. Trusted Updates allow authors to skip the review process when updating items that have previously been approved, allowing them to get updates onto the marketplace faster.

However, it is important that we ensure these updates are not used to game our rules - for example, using a Trusted Update to make changes that would not have passed an item review.

What do you need to do?

For authors who have Trusted Updates

Read through the new Trusted Updates Guidelines. These include helpful information that you should keep in mind when preparing updates, and they outline the Do’s and Don’ts of using this service.

For authors who don’t currently have Trusted Updates

Keep on submitting your best work! Trusted Updates are granted automatically when your account has met certain criteria, including (but not limited to) a high approval ratio. It is not possible to request Trusted Update status on your account - when you qualify, you’ll automatically receive these.

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It’s cool, how do you know you’re on that list or not?
Since we update our elements daily on the GraphicRiver and Envato Elements platforms, we try to update the previews and fix errors in the master files!

@BenLeong

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Thanks. I have two questions:

  1. What about changing title to a new one? For example music track can change abstract title to a descriptive one (e.g. “Sky is the Limit” to “Uplifting Orchestra”) or simply change keywords (e.g. “Retro Funk” to “Vintage Groove”). Is it allowed?

  2. There is lack of simple “description update” in the “what is allowed” section. E.g. we often update our visual branding, html catalog etc. Or simply change “old” description to a new, better one, which is not a simple grammatical correction or update describing new features.

In both points I am talking about changes which are ok with the guidelines and which would theoretically pass the review.

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hi I am sorry but approval ratio is anything but a good method if u ask me … we are talking about “updating” already approved items if I am correct , so why not allowing this for anyone who has a good rating on the concerned item(s) or a good rating overall instead pls (if this is easier technically)? the overall rating is showing an appreciation from buyers and insuring of a real quality of work - even if this is still underrated for all of us since most of the less satisfied buyers will usually come to rate when very satisfied ones may not take the required time to evaluate their purchase - such a thing based on evaluations / ratings is much more of a very legitimate way to open such a possibility indeed …

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I have personally never understood that keywords were not directly editable … I guess this is a SEO related issue but all the same , this is one of the most basic things that we may have to change and this is impossible, besides, not putting certain type of keywords is possible so that this would be a guaranty for the platform that authors do not play a dirty keyword game …

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@BenLeong

I think this is a great idea Ben and as you say Trusted Updates should be a privilege for authors meeting certain criteria. Myself personally (albeit I have not ever submitted any items yet) I would suggest the following as additional requirements -

  1. Website demos to use only https and to be checked to make sure that internet security programs such as Norton, or Malwarebytes do NOT flag the sites as being bad;
  2. Review how authors deal with comments on their products - are the authors trying their best to support or answer comments constructively, or are they being flippant and off-handed in their replies to customers.

High approval ratio is important.

If Envato go along the route of “trusted updates” then perhaps instead of simply suspending an authors right to carry out trusted updates, it would be more productive to say if an author is found to be abusing this privilege then they might face some kind of suspension from selling items on the marketplace.

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Hi all! Thanks for all the questions so far :slight_smile:

If you already have access to Trusted Updates for an item category, you’ll see the usual “Submit files for review” button has changed to simply read “Save changes.”

Otherwise, you’ll know if you submit an item update and it goes through immediately, without going back through the review queues again.

Title changes that are still in line with the item are fine, but updating the title to try to catch a seasonal trend, when it has nothing to do with the item is not okay.

For example, re-titling a track normally sold under a name like The Sky is the Limit to Christmas Orchestra during December to catch holiday traffic would not be allowed.

Updating an item description to add new visual branding, or changes to refresh the description are all allowed - as long as they’re in line with what we would otherwise allow, and don’t go against our Promotional Guidelines.

@n2n44 We don’t link this to something like item ratings (or sales) as it provides an important quality factor, separate to the commercial aspects of items.

Access to Trusted Updates means that for authors who consistently get their items approved, we don’t need to put all their item updates back in front of the review teams - freeing up capacity for them to review more items, bringing the average turnaround times down. That directly helps the authors with access to it (no waiting times!), and indirectly helps everyone else (fewer items in the queue).

However, allowing item updates to bypass that review step brings a risk that the marketplaces get content that would not have passed review - which damages the marketplace’s reputation when customers see it, harming everyone’s sales. High approval ratio isn’t the only factor involved in gaining access, but it’s an important part of that process.

@123Simples Thanks for the comments! These definitely aren’t the only way that our library management and integrity teams police our guidelines, and there are other rules and processes in place that are designed to catch those sorts of examples.

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Thanks for your information @BenLeong

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@BenLeong thanks for the clarification :slight_smile:

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How to submit new update for review when you’re on Trusted Update? Especially, when the item has new features? In that case, we don’t actually see any button like “Submit files for review”. There is only “Save changes” button.

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Authors with trusted updates unfortunately don’t have an option to submit for review.

However if it’s a functionality that improves the existing item and does not take away previous functionalities or affect existing customers negatively, that’s fine. As always any updates need to follow our Content Requirements for the relevant category.

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I think the point here is if you are on Trusted Updates then you do NOT NEED to have a review everytime you might make some changes (as long as those changes are within the remit of Envato policy)

Am I right???

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Sorry for the delayed reply - yes, @123Simples is correct here.

If you have access to Trusted Updates, then you don’t need your item updates to go through review - if you’re making changes that are covered in the scope of our new guidelines, you can save those changes to your item listings directly.

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To put things simpler, since I got a few messages on LinkedIn regarding this. ( please ping the forums, always the best place to get a reliable and fast answer )

If your item is HTML and you update it to WordPress that’s NOT okay. ( you just switched categories, big no no! )

If your item a PSD and you update to HTML or WordPress or anything code, that is NOT okay! (again, you just switched categories, big no no)

If your item is front end (let’s say Bootstrap), and you add an extra library, for example you have a HTML Admin and add React to it, or Vue, that’s all good. ( it’s still front end and serves the same purpose, and you’re in the same category therefore just bring extra value to the existing item )

Basically, a super simple summary. Don’t jump categories and don’t take advantage of this to release subpar updates and break existing features. Don’t make massive jump that your old buyers can end up not recognizing / not being able to use the purchase, and don’t try to circumvent the review process.

Correct me if I’m wrong @BenLeong and @KingDog.

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Yeah if it seems sneaky then it is :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: So changing categories would be considered a major change and not qualify under trusted updates.

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Category change of an item not possible through item update. for changing category author have to open a support ticket and request to change category then item reviewer will review and if eligible then the reviewer will change category from their side.

So category change is not an option for item update through both “Submit files for review” and “Save changes”.

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Not literally change the category, for that, you are right, you need to contact support. But, to “fake change” the category, it is. You could upload the files of a different category to the main zip and change the title. You would still be for example in the PSD category, but you would have a WordPress file there. Example, you upload WordPress files in the main zip, and add WordPress in the title. That’s what I was referring to by changing the category, and that’s a great way to have your item disabled. There were cases, quite recently as well… :man_facepalming:t2:

As Travis put it so elegantly. If it’s sneaky / you’re trying to game the review process, then you should not do it.

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Thanks, I got it!
Sorry! @KingDog I thought just category change of an item.

yes, this is a scam if an author does such thing like:
The author has an approved PSD item but the author add an HTML template/WordPress theme in the purchased download main zip and update the item title to mean it has included an HTML template/WordPress theme through “trusted updates”.

and definite that the author’s account should be disabled permanently.

Authors should know - The author has an option to submit another version (like HTML/WordPress version) of their approved Item (like PSD) as a separate item to get the review process for selling.

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Yep! That’s what we’re referring to. In some cases it is okay. For example, if your item is built on jQuery and you update it to run on Vanilla JS, while keeping the same design, same functions, same general product look and feel.

Another example if you have a front-end only HTML Admin Template and you add an update to give it Vue, React, Svelte (just the front end, no Mongo / SQL / server side languages because that would switch categories), that’s great! This adds and increases value while being in the same category and not confusing buyers. This for example is common practice to improve the front end library, most best sellers add extra libraries to compliment their existing version. Again, that’s great and adds value, however, when the change affects the item in such a way a buyer cannot recognize the purchase or the initial purchase is no longer available (i.e. I wanted to purchase a HTML Template and all of a sudden that’s no longer available because it’s now WordPress ) that’s not okay.

Basically, if the update you release creates confusion, misleads buyers, or is subpar in quality you should not do it. It’s funny that Envato had to release rules for this. They seem so logical to begin with, but, at the end of the day, better safe than sorry! :blush:

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yes under the same parent category changes to include latest tools or include new features/tools/technology will be okay but parent category change through scamming like we discuss above not accepted.

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