Sponsored Post Disclosures: Before “More”

If a brand pays you, gives you a product or has another material connection to your endorsement, make that relationship clear where people encounter the endorsement. The FTC’s influencer guide advises placing disclosures with the endorsement, where they are hard to miss. If the endorsement appears in a shortened caption, put the disclosure before the “more” control.

Use words viewers understand, such as “Ad,” “Paid ad” or “Sponsored by [brand],” and match the placement to the post’s format. The FTC’s Endorsement Guides give an example in which a disclosure hidden behind “more” is inadequate because the endorsement is already visible. They also give an example of a built-in platform label that is too easy to miss. A label’s presence alone does not establish that viewers will notice and understand the connection.

Which relationships need disclosure?

The question is whether an unexpected connection with the seller could affect how much weight people give your endorsement. Payment, employment, family or personal ties, free or discounted products, and other benefits can qualify. A gift can matter even when the brand did not require a post and your opinion is sincere. The disclosure should communicate the nature of the connection; it need not list every detail of what you received.

An endorsement can be a recommendation, a favorable demonstration or a tag that conveys approval. Merely featuring a product does not automatically make every post an endorsement, so consider the message viewers take from the whole post. If you bought a product yourself and have no relationship with its seller, there is no brand connection to disclose. Creators posting outside the United States should also consider these rules when their content can reasonably affect US consumers.

Disclosure placement by format

Use this matrix when the connection is material and viewers would not reasonably expect it. The wording should describe the actual arrangement, and the disclosure should be visible at the point where the endorsement is made.

Feed post or caption: For a paid recommendation, put “Ad,” “Paid ad” or “Sponsored by [brand]” in the visible portion near the recommendation. Avoid burying it after “more,” among hashtags or in comments. If the image conveys approval before anyone reads the caption, a readable disclosure on the image may also be needed; a brand tag identifies the brand but does not explain the relationship.
Short or long video: Put the disclosure in the video when the endorsement begins, rather than relying on its description. If you endorse a product both visually and aloud, disclose the connection visually and aloud. An end card may be missed by viewers who leave early, while text that is tiny, low contrast or shown too briefly may not be noticed.
Story or disappearing post: Place disclosure text over an endorsed image and leave enough time for viewers to read it. For a Story video, disclose through the same visual or audible means used for the endorsement. A profile disclosure cannot tell someone who sees only this Story which relationship applies to it.
Live stream: Disclose a paid endorsement when it begins and repeat the disclosure periodically, because viewers may join midway through. A continuous, clear and readable notice is another option. A single announcement at the start will not reach someone who enters later.
Affiliate recommendation: Say that you earn a commission if someone buys through the link, with the explanation close to the recommendation or link. If you recommend a product in a video and put its affiliate link in the description, disclose the commission in both places. “Affiliate link” alone may leave the payment unclear.
Gifted or discounted product: Identify who provided the benefit, in whichever format carries your endorsement. “Gifted by [brand]” can describe a free product when that is all you received; “Gifted” alone leaves the giver unclear. If you were also paid, describing only the gift conceals part of the arrangement.

Choose words that explain the connection

The FTC’s endorsement FAQ distinguishes clear descriptions from labels that may confuse viewers: “Gifted by [brand]” can work for a free product alone, while “Gifted” by itself is ambiguous. As a conditional example, a creator sent a free skincare bottle could say, “The brand sent me this bottle for free.” If the brand also paid for the post, the disclosure must make that payment clear.

For a paid post, “Ad” or “Sponsored by [brand]” is clearer than “sp,” “collab,” a stand-alone “partner” or a thank-you to the brand. For a commission, “I earn a commission if you buy through this link” explains what happens. “Paid link” immediately beside an affiliate link can also communicate its nature; “affiliate link” and “commissionable link” may not.

A personalized discount code may suggest that you have a relationship with the brand, but it may not tell viewers that you earn money when they use it. State the financial connection when it matters. Use the same language as the endorsement so the people receiving the recommendation can understand the disclosure.

What a platform label can and cannot do

A built-in paid-partnership label can help viewers, but its wording, position, size, contrast and time on screen determine whether it works in the finished post. A generic “contains paid content” notice can also leave viewers unsure which product is sponsored when several appear. Adding your own clear disclosure beside the relevant endorsement addresses that ambiguity.

Check the post in the form viewers will receive: a collapsed caption, an image viewed without its description, a video played without sound or a stream joined midway through. Make the connection clear in each separate endorsement, since viewers may never see an earlier post. These are practical placement guidelines, not legal advice or a guarantee that a particular post complies.