PostEaseThe short answer
Disclose every time you have a “material connection” with a brand you mention: it paid you, gave you something free or discounted, employs you or someone close to you, or you have a family or personal tie. Put the disclosure in the post itself, where people see it before they could miss it, in plain words such as “ad” or “sponsored”. That is the FTC’s guidance for influencers in the US; other countries have similar rules.
Disclosure protects your audience’s trust as well as you. Trust is what a creator sells: in Signs.com’s survey of 1,000 US consumers, reported by Net Influencer, 30% of Gen Z named influencer content as the content they trust most. A hidden ad that is found out spends that trust; a clear label keeps it.
When to disclose
The FTC’s guidance treats each of these as a material connection:
| Connection | Example | Disclose? |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | A fee for a post or video | Yes |
| Free or discounted product | A gift box, even with “no obligation to post” | Yes |
| Employment | You work for the brand | Yes |
| Family or personal relationship | The brand belongs to a relative or close friend | Yes |
| Commission | An affiliate link or discount code that pays you | Yes |
| None | You bought it yourself and have no tie to the brand | No |
Where the disclosure goes
With the endorsement, where it is hard to miss. The FTC says disclosures are likely to be missed if they appear only on an about or profile page, at the end of a post or video, or anywhere that needs a tap on “more”. In a video, say it and show it on screen, near the start. In a caption, put it in the first line. On a live stream, it is good practice to repeat it during the stream, since people join late.
What Meta requires on Facebook and Instagram
The platforms have rules of their own on top of the law. Meta’s Branded Content Policies define branded content as “a creator or publisher’s content that features or is influenced by a business partner for an exchange of value, such as monetary payment or free gifts”, so a gifted product counts. They add that “Branded content may only be posted with the use of the branded content tool”, the paid partnership label, used to tag the brand with its permission, and that creators must still provide any disclosures the law requires.
Each platform’s own label
Each of the big video platforms has a built-in disclosure, and each says it does not replace what the law asks of you:
| Platform | The tool | What it shows | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram and Facebook | Paid partnership label, tagging the brand | “Paid partnership with” and the brand’s name, once the brand approves | Content with an affiliate link should carry the label too |
| TikTok | Content disclosure setting | Paid partnership, or Promotional content for your own brand | The label cannot be changed once the post or LIVE is published |
| YouTube | Paid promotion box in YouTube Studio | A disclosure at the start of the video | YouTube may add the label itself if it detects undisclosed branded content |
Words that work, and words that do not
Use plain words people understand at a glance:
| Works | Avoid |
|---|---|
| “Ad” or “advertisement” | “Sp” or “spon” |
| “Sponsored” | “Collab” |
| “Brand ambassador” with the brand name, such as “Acme ambassador” | A stand-alone “thanks” or “ambassador” |
| The disclosure in the first line, or the first seconds of a video | A disclosure only in your bio, at the end, or behind “more” |
Honest claims
Disclosure is half the rule; honesty is the other. The FTC says you cannot talk about your experience with a product you have not tried, and you cannot make claims about a product that would need proof the brand does not have, such as health claims. If you tried it and did not like it, do not say you did because you were paid.
Questions
Do I need to disclose a free product?
Yes. The FTC’s guidance counts free or discounted products as a material connection, even if the brand said there was no obligation to post.
Is a paid-partnership label enough?
Use it, and add your own plain words such as “ad” in the caption or video. The FTC asks that disclosures be clear and hard to miss.
Is “#sp” or “#collab” an acceptable disclosure?
No. The FTC lists “sp”, “spon” and “collab” as vague terms to avoid. Use “ad” or “sponsored”.
Sources
- TikTok, Branded Content Policy (effective 31 August 2026), August 2026.
- YouTube, YouTube Branded Content Policies, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, About labels on paid partnership posts, checked October 2026.
- FTC, Disclosures 101 for social media influencers, checked October 2026.
- Net Influencer, UGC tops trust rankings as AI posts face consumer skepticism, survey shows, December 2025.
- Meta, Branded Content Policies, checked October 2026.