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Why Jetpack Stats Classifies Your Site as Commercial and How to Fix It

40 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Jetpack

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Many WordPress site owners rely on Jetpack Stats for valuable insights into their website traffic. A common and often frustrating issue occurs when the plugin incorrectly flags a site as 'commercial,' which restricts access to the free stats plan. This guide explains why this misclassification happens and the steps you can take to resolve it.

Why Does This Happen?

Jetpack uses an automated algorithm to scan websites for characteristics it associates with commercial activity. Based on user reports, common triggers for a false commercial classification include:

  • Business Contact Details: Listing a generic email (e.g., [email protected]) or a phone number on a contact page.
  • Mention of an Organization: Simply stating that your site is associated with a university, non-profit, or other entity, even if no money is exchanged.
  • Outdated or Misinterpreted Content: A page that previously mentioned a business idea, sold merchandise, or hosted ads, even if it has since been removed.
  • Ecommerce or Shopping Sections: This includes fictional stores for a game or hobby site that do not involve real currency.
  • Specific Domain Extensions: Some extensions (e.g., .ai, .io) can sometimes be flagged automatically.
  • Advertisements or Affiliate Links: The presence of any ads, including Google AdSense, is a clear commercial indicator.
  • Solicitations: Actively requesting donations, sponsorships, or partnerships, even for a non-profit.

How to Dispute the Classification and Get Re-verified

If you believe your site has been misclassified, follow this process to request a manual review.

Step 1: Perform a Self-Audit

Before requesting a review, carefully audit your site. Remove or modify any content that could be misconstrued as commercial, such as:

  • Any and all advertisements or ad code.
  • Pages for selling products or services, even if they are fictional or 'for fun'.
  • Language that explicitly promotes a business, organization, or entity.
  • Direct requests for donations, sponsorships, or membership fees.
  • Consider using a more personal email address (e.g., [email protected]) instead of a generic business one.

Step 2: Request a Manual Review

The official way to dispute the classification is to request a manual review by the Jetpack team. To do this:

  1. Visit your Jetpack Stats screen in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Look for a notice about your site's commercial status.
  3. There should be a link or button to 'request a reverification' or 'dispute the classification.' This can typically be done once every 24 hours.

If the in-plugin method does not work, many users have found success by posting a request for help on the official WordPress.org support forums for Jetpack. When you post, be sure to:

  • Clearly state that you are requesting a review of your site's commercial status.
  • Provide the full URL of your site.
  • Explicitly confirm that your site does NOT do the following:
    • Host advertisements or affiliate links.
    • Sell products or services.
    • Promote a business.
    • Solicit donations or sponsorships.

What to Expect

Based on user experiences, a member of the Jetpack team will manually review your site. If it meets their criteria for a non-commercial site, they will override the automated classification. They will then guide you to a specific URL (usually on wordpress.com/stats/purchase/) where you can formally certify your site's non-commercial status by checking the appropriate boxes.

Important Exceptions to Note

Be aware that some site types are almost always considered commercial by Jetpack's terms, and disputes for these are typically unsuccessful:

  • Educational Institutions: Websites for schools, colleges, and universities.
  • Business or Organizational Sites: Any site that promotes a business, NGO, non-profit, or other organization, regardless of profit status.
  • Sites with Ads: Any site generating revenue from advertisements, however small.
  • Sites Soliciting Funds: This includes non-profit sites that ask for donations or sponsorship.

If your site falls into one of these categories, you will likely need to upgrade to a paid Jetpack Stats plan to continue using the service.

Conclusion

A false commercial classification from Jetpack Stats is a common problem, often caused by an automated algorithm misreading website content. The most reliable solution is to request a manual review by clearly stating your case, either through the plugin's built-in dispute function or on the support forums. Always ensure your site is free of any commercial content before submitting your request to increase your chances of a successful reclassification.

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