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.