FTC disclosure rules for sponsored posts, explained simply

Disclosure feels like a small thing until a brand's legal team rejects your draft, a follower calls you out in the comments, or you realise you've been tagging "#sp" for two years and it may not have counted.

The good news is that the core idea is simple: if you have a connection to a brand that your audience wouldn't expect, tell them, clearly, in a place they'll actually see it. Everything else is detail about how to do that well.

This guide covers the US rules from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It's general information, not legal advice. Other countries have their own rules, which I'll touch on at the end. If you're working on a big campaign or something unusual, a lawyer familiar with advertising law is worth a call.

Why disclosure exists

The FTC's view is that people weigh a recommendation differently when they know the person recommending it is being paid or has some other connection to the brand. That's not a judgement on sponsored content. It's about letting your audience make an informed decision.

The FTC calls this a material connection: any relationship with a brand that might affect how people view your endorsement. That includes:

• Being paid to post
• Receiving free products or services
• Earning affiliate commissions
• Discounts, perks, or free travel
• Being an employee, a relative of the owner, or an investor
• Being part of a brand ambassador or seeding programme

If any of those apply, you disclose. The brand is also responsible for making sure you do, which is why disclosure language shows up in contracts.

The one principle: clear and conspicuous

The FTC's standard is that disclosures must be clear and conspicuous. In plain terms, that means a normal viewer scrolling at normal speed should notice it and understand it.

Break that into four questions:

1. Is it hard to miss? Not buried in hashtags, not hidden behind a "more" button, not in a faint font.
2. Is it easy to understand? Plain words, not codes or jargon.
3. Is it where the endorsement is? On the post itself, not only in your bio or a separate page.
4. Is it in the same format as the content? Spoken in audio, shown and said in video, written in text.

If you can answer yes to all four, you're in good shape.

What words to use

Simple is best. These are widely understood:

• "Ad" or "#ad"
• "Sponsored" or "#sponsored"
• "Paid partnership with [Brand]"
• "[Brand] paid me to make this"
• "Thanks to [Brand] for the free product"
• "I get a commission if you buy through my link"

These are not good enough on their own, because many people won't understand them:

• "#sp" or "#spon"
• "#collab" or "#partner" (a partner could mean a friend)
• "#ambassador" alone
• "Thanks [Brand]" with no indication of payment or free product
• "#[Brand]" or tagging the brand
• Just a discount code

If you'd have to explain what your disclosure means, it's not clear enough.

Where to put it

At the start, where people see it before the "more" cut-off. On most platforms, captions get truncated. A disclosure at the end of a long caption, after twenty hashtags, is effectively invisible.

Good placement:

#ad I've been using this serum from Glowline for a month and here's what happened...

Bad placement:

I've been using this serum for a month and here's what happened... [300 words] ... #skincare #glow #routine #morning #beauty #ad

Not in your bio. A line in your profile saying "some posts are sponsored" doesn't count, because people see individual posts in their feeds, not your bio.

Not only in a link. "Click here for disclosures" asks people to do work they won't do.

On every sponsored post, not just the first. If you're doing a five-post campaign, each post needs its own disclosure.

Video, stories and livestreams

For video, the safest approach is to say it and show it. Your audience might be watching without sound, or listening without looking.

Short video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts)

• Put a text disclosure on screen early, ideally in the first few seconds.
• Say it out loud too: "This video is sponsored by Glowline."
• Add it to the caption as well.
• Make sure the on-screen text stays up long enough to read and isn't covered by platform buttons.

Longer video (YouTube and similar)

• Mention the sponsorship near the start, not just at the ad read in the middle.
• If there's a dedicated sponsor segment, disclose at the start of it too.
• Include it in the description above the fold.
• If the whole video is sponsored, say so at the top.

Stories

Each story frame is seen on its own, and people tap through quickly. Put a disclosure on each frame that features the brand, in text large enough to read and placed where stickers and interface elements won't cover it.

Livestreams

People join and leave throughout. Disclose at the start and repeat it periodically during the stream, especially whenever you're actively talking about the product.

Podcasts and audio

Say it clearly at the start of the endorsement: "This episode is sponsored by..." Written show notes alone aren't enough for an audio medium.

Gifted products

If a brand sends you something for free and you post about it, disclose it, even if they didn't ask for a post. The free product is the material connection.

Glowline sent me this for free. I wasn't paid to post, but here's my honest take...

That's a clear, honest disclosure that also builds trust. Some creators worry that saying "gifted" makes their content look less authentic. In practice, being upfront usually does the opposite.

If you received a product with no connection and genuinely bought it yourself, there's nothing to disclose. If you received it a year ago in a PR box and now mention it, the connection still exists, so disclose.

Affiliate links

Affiliate commissions are a material connection. Disclose them near the link, in plain language:

I earn a commission if you buy through my links, at no extra cost to you.

A few specifics:

• Put the disclosure before or right next to the link, not at the bottom of a description or on a separate "affiliate disclosure" page.
• On video, if you verbally recommend something and point to a link, mention that you earn from it.
• "Affiliate link" alone may not be clear to everyone. Saying you earn a commission is clearer.
• Storefronts and link-in-bio pages with affiliate links should also make the commission clear on the page itself.

Platform disclosure tools

Most major platforms offer a built-in branded content or paid partnership label. Use it. It's often required by the platform's own policies for sponsored content, and many brands will ask you to.

But don't assume the tool alone always covers you. Some labels are small, easy to miss, or appear in places people skim past. The FTC has indicated that platform tools may not always be sufficient by themselves. The safest approach is to use the platform tool and add your own clear disclosure in the caption, on screen, or out loud.

Good vs bad: side by side

Situation	Weak disclosure	Strong disclosure
Paid Reel	"#sp" at the end of the caption	"#ad" at the start of the caption, on screen text, plus the paid partnership label
Gifted item	Tagging the brand	"Glowline sent me this for free" at the start
Affiliate link	"Link in bio!"	"Link in bio. I earn a commission if you buy"
YouTube sponsor	Disclosure only in the description, below "show more"	Spoken at the start, on screen, and at the top of the description
Story set	Disclosure only on the first frame	Disclosure on every frame featuring the brand
Livestream	Said once at the start	Said at the start and repeated during product segments
Brand trip	Beautiful travel posts, no mention	"Glowline flew me out for this trip" in each post

What doesn't count

A quick list of disclosures the FTC has said, or strongly suggested, aren't adequate:

• Disclosures only in your bio or profile
• Disclosures hidden behind "more" or "see more"
• Disclosures buried among a string of hashtags
• Disclosures only at the end of a long video
• Vague terms like "#sp", "#collab", or "#thanks"
• Disclosures in a language your audience doesn't speak
• Disclosures on a separate page or link
• Relying only on a tag of the brand's account

Honesty rules that go beyond disclosure

Disclosure isn't a licence to say anything. A few related rules:

• Only endorse products you've actually used. Saying you love something you haven't tried is a problem, disclosed or not.
• Don't make claims the brand couldn't make. If a supplement brand can't legally say it cures anything, you can't either.
• Share your honest opinion. A brand can't require you to say you love it if you don't.
• Don't post fake reviews or reviews of things you haven't experienced.

If a brief asks you to make health, financial or "results" claims, push back or ask the brand to confirm the claims are substantiated. Your name is on the post.

Outside the US

Many countries have their own rules, and they're often similar in spirit: advertising must be obviously identifiable as advertising. In the UK, for example, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have both published guidance for influencers, and labelling ads clearly and upfront is a central theme. Canada, Australia and many EU countries have their own versions too.

If your audience is international, or you're working with a brand in another country, check the rules that apply there. When the rules differ, following the stricter standard is usually the safest path.

A quick checklist before you post

1. Does this post involve money, free product, a commission, or any brand connection?
2. Is the disclosure in plain words ("ad", "sponsored", "paid", "free", "commission")?
3. Is it at the very start, above any "more" cut-off?
4. For video, is it on screen and spoken?
5. For stories, is it on every relevant frame?
6. Did I use the platform's paid partnership tool if one exists?
7. Are any claims I'm making ones I can honestly stand behind?
8. Does the contract have specific disclosure requirements I need to follow?

Wrap-up

Disclosure rules sound intimidating, but they come down to one habit: tell people about the connection, plainly, where they'll see it. Put "ad" or "sponsored" at the top, say it out loud on video, use the platform label as well, and treat gifted products and affiliate links the same way as paid deals.

Your audience trusts you because you're straight with them. Clear disclosure is just being straight with them about the business side too.

FAQ

Do I need to disclose if I only got a free product?

Yes. A free product is a material connection under FTC guidance, whether or not you were asked to post.

Is "#ad" enough on its own?

Usually, if it's clearly visible at the start of the post. On video, pair it with on-screen text and a spoken mention.

Can I put all my disclosures in one pinned post?

No. Each sponsored post needs its own disclosure, because people see posts individually.

What if the brand tells me not to disclose?

Don't agree to it. Both you and the brand can be responsible, and hiding a sponsorship puts you at risk with regulators, platforms and your audience.

Does disclosure apply to small creators?

Yes. The rules apply regardless of follower count.