Publication Changelog
This changelog is a public record of significant changes to Benchline Reports, new research publications, accepted corrections, methodology updates, policy changes, and coverage expansions. It exists to make the publication's development transparent and to give readers a way to track what has changed and when.
The changelog is updated when material changes occur. Minor copy edits, formatting improvements, and clarifications that do not change research conclusions are reflected in individual page update timestamps but are not necessarily logged here.
Why we publish this
A publication that cites research as evidence should itself be accountable to an evidence standard. The changelog makes Benchline's track record visible: what has been published, what has been corrected, and how the publication has developed since launch. Readers who want to verify the history of a specific claim or conclusion can use this page in combination with individual report update timestamps.
June 2026
Added structured data (JSON-LD) to all 22 previously bare static pages. Added HowTo schema to methodology page, FAQPage schema to about, methodology, and editorial policy pages. Added Speakable schema to report template targeting answer capsule sections. Added "How to Cite This Report" section to all dynamic report pages with APA, Chicago, and short-form citation formats.
Published research glossary defining 20+ key terms used across Benchline research. Published public changelog (this page). Published FAQ page with 20 questions. Published Marcus J. Whitfield founder profile page. Added BreadcrumbList schema to all static pages.
Complete visual redesign, white institutional aesthetic replacing warm parchment. Utility bar with contact information. 13-section homepage with research team cards, coverage grid, and research standards. Migrated all Netlify Functions to Cloudflare Pages Functions (ES modules). Removed analytics beacon (was burning function invocations on bot traffic).
Expanded all 15 core trust pages from placeholder length (200-300 words) to substantive content (800-2000+ words each). Total: 20,000+ words across core trust infrastructure. Editorial policy, disclosure policy, methodology, and reviewer standards pages fully documented.
Published Terms of Use (962 words) and Cookie Policy (522 words). Both pages were missing from the initial launch and are now included in all page footers and the sitemap.
Added Dr. Rachel Thornton (methodology reviewer) and Dr. Marcus Chen (technology reviewer) profile pages. Both marked "Profile pending confirmation", credentials and conflicts are under editorial review. Full activation pending.
Published four initial category benchmarks via CMS: AI Search Visibility Platforms, SEO Research Platforms, Local SEO Software, and Uptime Monitoring Tools. Also published six methodology and standards reports. All reports include answer capsule, comparison tables, source notes, disclosure, and correction pathway.
Benchline Reports established as an independent editorial research publication. Research methodology, editorial policy, disclosure policy, correction pathway, and reviewer standards documented and published. Publishing infrastructure (CMS, admin console, dynamic report pages) built and launched.
Ongoing changelog policy
New entries are added to this changelog when:
- A new category benchmark, comparative analysis, or research primer is published
- A correction that changes a research conclusion is accepted and applied
- Coverage expands into a new category or research area
- Methodology documentation is materially updated
- A new named reviewer is activated on the reviewer roster
- A significant policy change takes effect
Individual report update timestamps are recorded on each report page when changes occur. This changelog records publication-level changes that affect multiple pages or the research framework overall.
To report an issue with the changelog or request a correction, contact editorial@benchlinereports.com.