Above BoardWhat agency websites tell creators, and what they don't
Before a creator signs, the agency's website is often the only thing they can check. We looked for 168 of them and read every one we could, page by page, to see what they disclose about who runs them and what they charge.
Of 168 sites we looked for, 31 were offline, blocked automated reading or returned errors, and 26 more responded but couldn't be read in full, mostly because they are built entirely in JavaScript. Percentages are of the 111 sites we read in full.
Findings
1. Most agencies are anonymous
Only 21 of 111 sites (19%) name a registered company, such as an LLC or a Ltd, as the business behind the brand. A creator handing over her account and income usually can't tell from the website who she would be contracting with, or in which country.
2. Price is almost never published
Only 9 sites (8%) state a commission rate or split. Rolling Stone reported agency cuts of 34% to 70%, and Human Rights Watch documented Colombian webcam studios keeping up to 70%, so the difference between two offers can be most of a creator's income. Most sites ask creators to "apply" or "book a call" before saying what they charge.
3. Basic paperwork is missing
37% publish terms of service or a privacy policy, and 51% publish a working contact such as an email address. Just 7 of 111 sites name a company, state a commission and publish terms or a privacy policy.
4. TikTok LIVE networks disclose a little more
Among the 20 TikTok LIVE networks we could read, 35% name a company and 20% state their commission or split, against 15% and 5% for the 91 OnlyFans-type agencies. The TikTok sample is small, so treat that gap with care.
Share of readable sites that…
By type of agency
| Readable sites | Fan-platform agencies | TikTok LIVE networks |
|---|---|---|
| Sites | 91 | 20 |
| Name a legal company | 15% | 35% |
| State commission | 5% | 20% |
| Terms or privacy | 37% | 35% |
Platforms named on the site
How we did it
- Which agencies. 168 agency and TikTok LIVE network websites found through public agency lists, directories and search results in October 2026.
- What we read. Each homepage plus the pages it links to for terms, privacy, pricing, about and contact. Only what the agency itself publishes.
- How we read. An automated reader that respects each site's robots.txt rules and waits between requests. Sites that block automated reading were left out, not marked down.
- What counts. A company counts as named only when the site names its own registered entity, not a payment processor or platform. A commission counts only when the site states its own rate or split. We checked borderline cases by hand.
- What we never do. We don't log in, fill in forms, contact agencies or collect anything about creators.
Limits
- A website is not a contract. An agency may disclose more privately, or less.
- Sites built entirely in JavaScript can hide text from automated reading. Where we could read too little, the site is excluded from the percentages.
- Agencies that recruit only through social media or apps have no website and are not in this sample.
- This is a snapshot. Sites change, and we will repeat the read.
What it means for creators
Ask any agency, in writing, for its registered company name, its commission and what it is calculated on, and a copy of the contract before any call. Then run the contract through the checker. An agency with nothing to hide will answer all three.
Press and researchers: download the aggregate figures (JSON), or write to hello@aboveboardstandard.com. We do not publish findings about individual agencies.