PostEaseThe short answer
The paid partnership label is the line that reads “Paid partnership with” a brand’s name above an Instagram post, story, reel or Live. It is Instagram’s built-in way to disclose branded content, and Instagram’s Help Center is clear that it is required: “All branded content must be disclosed using the paid partnership label.”
Branded content, in Instagram’s definition, is content for which the creator has been compensated “either with money or something else of value,” which may include products or services gifted for free. You turn the label on once in your settings, then add it, and tag the brand, every time you post branded content.
When you need it
From Instagram’s Help Center:
| Situation | What Instagram says |
|---|---|
| Paid by a brand | Branded content; disclose with the paid partnership label |
| Gifted products or services | Can count as compensation, so the content is branded content |
| Affiliate link | Should have the Paid partnership label, without needing a business partner tagged |
| Boosted or run as an ad | Shows an Ad label, like any other ad |
| Formats | Feed, Stories, broadcast channels, Live, Reels and Instagram videos; added in the mobile app only |
Turning it on
In the Instagram app, open your profile, tap Menu, then Business tools and controls or Creator tools and controls, then Branded content, then Set up branded content tools, and tap Enable if you are eligible. If you are not, you can request a review. Eligibility depends on following Instagram’s Branded Content Policies and eligibility requirements, the Community Standards and the Content Monetization Policies.
Tagging the brand
The brand must have a professional Instagram account. What happens after you tag it:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| First tag | A request goes to the brand; the label shows without the brand’s name until it approves |
| Brand approves | The brand’s name appears in “Paid partnership with”, and you can tag it on later posts |
| Brand denies | The label is removed; Instagram suggests checking you tagged the right brand and contacting it |
| After publishing | The brand is notified and can see the content’s insights |
| Removing the tag | The brand is notified and stops seeing that content’s insights |
| Brand pre-approves you | A business can approve creators in advance under Approved content creators, and use their content for partnership ads |
What the label does and does not do
The label covers Instagram’s own policy. Instagram notes it is up to you to agree the terms of a partnership with the brand, including payment, the content and the date to post. Advertising law in your country may ask for more than Instagram does, so read the rules where you and your audience are; our guide to disclosure rules covers the main ones.
Tagged posts can also become partnership ads. When you allow it, a brand can boost your branded post as an ad, or create a partnership ad from it in Meta Ads Manager, and it then carries an Ad label.
Questions
Do I need the paid partnership label for gifted products?
Instagram defines branded content as content the creator was compensated for with money or something else of value, which may include products or services gifted for free. Branded content must use the label.
Do affiliate links need the paid partnership label?
Instagram says content featuring an affiliate link should have the Paid partnership label, but does not need a business partner tagged.
Why does my paid partnership label not show the brand’s name?
The brand has not approved your tag request yet. The name appears once it approves; if it denies the request, the label is removed.
Can I add the paid partnership label on a computer?
No. Instagram says adding the label is only available in the Instagram mobile app.
Sources
- Instagram, How to use the paid partnership label to tag organic branded content on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Get started with branded content on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Give a creator permission to tag your business in branded content, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, About labels on paid partnership posts, checked October 2026.