Key takeaways
- The FTC's Endorsement Guides require you to disclose whenever you have a financial relationship with a product you recommend — affiliate links included.
- Disclosures must be clear and conspicuous: placed near the link (ideally before it), in plain language a reader can't miss.
- Plain phrasing works best — say you “earn a commission,” not vague codes like “sp” or a lone “#ad” buried in hashtags.
- Use platform tools where they exist: Instagram's paid-partnership label, YouTube's description plus on-screen disclosure, and similar.
- This is best-practice guidance, not legal advice — check the current Endorsement Guides at ftc.gov and consult a professional for your situation.
If you earn a commission when someone buys through your link, US law expects you to tell your audience. The Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides treat affiliate relationships as a material connection that could affect how people weigh your recommendation — so it has to be disclosed. The good news: compliant disclosure is simple once you know the principles. The following is best-practice guidance, not legal advice.
Why disclosure is required
The FTC's core principle is that endorsements must be honest and not misleading. When you have a financial stake in a recommendation — an affiliate commission, free product, or sponsorship — that's a “material connection” your audience would want to know about. Disclosing it lets people factor it into their decision. The same rule applies whether the content is a sponsored post or an organic review that happens to contain affiliate links.
The two rules that matter: clear and conspicuous
The FTC repeatedly emphasizes two words: clear and conspicuous. A disclosure buried at the bottom of a page, hidden in a hashtag block, or written in jargon doesn't count. To meet the standard:
- Place it near the recommendation — ideally before the affiliate link, so people see it before they click.
- Use plain language: “I earn a commission if you buy through this link” beats ambiguous abbreviations.
- Make it easy to notice — don't bury it in a wall of text, tiny font, or a low-contrast color.
- Don't rely on people hovering, expanding, or scrolling to find it.
Avoid vague codes
The FTC has said terms like “sp,” “collab,” or a lone “affiliate” can be too vague for many audiences. Plain words are safest: “ad,” “advertisement,” “sponsored,” or a full sentence explaining you earn a commission.
How to disclose on each platform
The principle is the same everywhere; the mechanics differ. Match the disclosure to how people consume the content.
Blogs and websites
Put a plain statement near the top of the content and again close to the links themselves — not only in a footer or a separate disclosure page. A visible line like “This post contains affiliate links; I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you” placed before the recommendations is a common, defensible approach.
Instagram, TikTok, and short-form
Use the platform's paid-partnership or branded-content label where available, and also state it plainly in the caption early enough that it isn't hidden behind a “more” truncation. In video, a spoken and/or on-screen disclosure is stronger than caption text alone. Don't hide it in a cluster of hashtags.
YouTube and long-form video
Disclose verbally in the video and on-screen when links appear, and repeat it in the description near the top — not only in a link list at the bottom. Many creators say something like “the links below are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you buy through them” early in the video.
Build it into your workflow
The safest habit is to make disclosure automatic: a saved snippet you paste near every affiliate link, a template line in your video scripts, and the platform's built-in label toggled on. Because guidance evolves, review the current Endorsement Guides at ftc.gov periodically, and consult a qualified professional for anything specific to your business.
Do I legally have to disclose affiliate links?+
In the US, the FTC's Endorsement Guides require you to disclose a material connection — including affiliate commissions — clearly and conspicuously. This guide is best practice, not legal advice; check the current guidance at ftc.gov and consult a professional for your specific situation.
Where should the disclosure go?+
Near the recommendation and ideally before the affiliate link, so people see it before they click. On blogs, place it close to the links rather than only in a footer. In video, disclose verbally and on-screen and near the top of the description.
Is putting #ad in my hashtags enough?+
Often not. The FTC expects disclosures to be hard to miss, and a single tag buried in a block of hashtags can be too easy to overlook. Put a clear disclosure in the caption itself, use the platform's paid-partnership label, and disclose on-screen in video.
What wording should I use?+
Plain language works best. A statement like “I earn a commission if you buy through this link” or a clear “ad” / “sponsored” label is clearer than vague abbreviations like “sp” or “collab,” which the FTC has said many audiences don't understand.
Does disclosure apply to organic reviews, not just sponsored posts?+
Yes. Any time you have a financial stake in what you recommend — an affiliate commission, a free product, or a paid sponsorship — the material connection should be disclosed. It's not limited to formal sponsored content.
Where can I read the official rules?+
The FTC publishes its Endorsement Guides and plain-language explainers at ftc.gov. Because guidance is updated over time, review the current version there, and consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your business.