How to Disclose Affiliate Links the Way the FTC Expects

Why this matters

Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to start earning from content: you recommend something, someone buys it through your link, and you get a commission. It costs nothing to start, which is exactly why so many people do it carelessly.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255, revised in 2023) set the expectation. The idea is simple: when you have a connection to a brand that your audience would not expect, and that could affect how much they trust your recommendation, you have to tell them. A commission is that kind of connection. So is a free product.

This is not about being perfect. It is about being honest where people can see it. Here is what that looks like in practice.

What you have to disclose

The FTC calls it a “material connection.” In plain terms, disclose it if any of these are true:

• You earn a commission or fee when someone buys through your link.
• The brand paid you, or gave you something of value, to mention it.
• You got the product free or discounted.
• You have a family, personal, employment, or business relationship with the brand.

If you are not sure whether something counts, disclose it. Nobody has ever lost a reader’s trust by being too upfront about getting paid.

Wording that works

Use words a regular person understands on the first read. The FTC’s own examples are about as plain as it gets:

What does not work well: the phrase “affiliate link” on its own. The FTC points out that many people do not know it means you get paid. Vague shorthand like “sp,” “spon,” or “collab” is also on its list of things to avoid, as are stand-alone words like “thanks” or “ambassador.”

Write the disclosure in the same language as the rest of your post. If the review is in Spanish, the disclosure is in Spanish.

Where it goes

This is the part most people get wrong. The disclosure has to be where people will actually see it — with the recommendation, before they click.

That rules out relying only on:

• A line in the website footer.
• A separate “Disclosures” or “About” page.
• The very end of a long post, after all the links.
• Anywhere the reader has to click “more” to see it.
• The middle of a block of hashtags.

A site-wide disclosures page is fine as a backup. Just do not let it be the only place. The simplest habit: put one short sentence near the top of any post that contains affiliate links, and keep it close to the first link.

What that looks like on a real page

Say you write a post comparing three budgeting apps, and two of the links pay you. Right under the headline, before the first recommendation, one line in normal-sized text: “I get commissions for purchases made through some links in this post.” Then, next to each paid link, the words “paid link.” The unpaid link gets nothing. A reader skimming straight to the second app still sees the label beside it. That is the whole job, and it takes about a minute.

Video, stories, and live streams

The same rule applies everywhere: the disclosure goes with the endorsement.

• Video: say it and show it in the video itself. A note in the description is not enough on its own, because many viewers never read it.
• Stories and photos: put the disclosure on the image, and leave it up long enough to read.
• Live streams: repeat it periodically, since people join partway through.

Many platforms have a built-in “paid partnership” or branded-content label. Use it, but the FTC’s guidance is clear that you should not assume the platform’s tool is enough. Add your own plain disclosure too. Responsibility for disclosing sits with you and the brand, not the app.

Honesty is part of the rule

Disclosure is not the only expectation. Endorsements are supposed to reflect your honest opinion. If you say you use a product, you should actually have used it. If you did not like it, you do not get to say you did because the commission is good.

That is also just good business. Your audience comes back because they trust your recommendations. One bad product pushed for the money can cost you more than the commission was ever worth.

Read your program’s own rules

Affiliate programs usually have their own operating agreement, and many include specific disclosure language or placement requirements. Those are separate from the FTC’s expectations, and breaking them can cost you your commissions or your account. Read the agreement for every program you join, and reread it when they send an update.

A quick checklist before you publish

1. Does this post or video contain a link or mention I get paid for, or a product I got free?
2. Is there a plain-English disclosure a first-time reader would understand?
3. Is it near the top, close to the first link, and visible without clicking anything?
4. For video: is it said and shown in the video itself?
5. Is it in the same language as the post?
6. Does everything I say about the product reflect what I actually think?
7. Does the program’s own agreement require any specific wording?

The FTC publishes its guidance for influencers and businesses in plain language on ftc.gov. When in doubt, the current version there governs, not a blog post — including this one.

Once the commissions start coming in, they are taxable income. Here is how taxes work on side income.

This article is general information, not tax, legal, or financial advice, and reading it creates no professional relationship. We make no promise that you will earn any money; results depend on your own work, skills, and market. Laws, tax rules, and platform terms change — the current official source and a qualified professional licensed in your state govern.