An affiliate disclosure is a clear statement telling your audience that certain links, posts, or recommendations earn you a commission when readers buy through them. Skip it or bury it, and you risk fines, program bans, and lost credibility with readers you spent years earning.
This guide breaks down what a proper affiliate disclosure looks like and where to place it across every platform. See real examples that work and learn how to stay compliant with FTC guidelines from day one.
What is an affiliate disclosure?
An affiliate disclosure is a plain-language statement informing users that a piece of content includes affiliate links from which you earn a commission.
It applies whenever you have a monetary connection to a brand – whether that's a commission, free product, sponsored placement, or any potential financial gain tied to a recommendation.
The goal is simple – legal compliance and transparency about your professional financial relationships so your audience can make informed decisions about your recommendations.
Why affiliate disclosures matter
Affiliate disclosures do three jobs at once – protecting you legally, establishing your credibility, and building the kind of trust that keeps your audience coming back.
Legal protection. The FTC requires disclosure of any earning connection between a creator and a brand under FTC endorsement guides. Based on current FTC regulations, maximum civil penalties reach $53,088 per violation.
Beyond fines, non-compliance can trigger program bans from affiliate networks. Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and CJ all require clear disclosure as part of their affiliate partnership terms. Disclosure isn't just a legal requirement – it's business protection that keeps you in good standing with programs and platforms.
Reader trust. 71% of consumers say transparency and honesty about brand relationships increases their trust in an influencer, while seven out of 10 dislike it when creators fail to disclose partnerships. Proper disclosures make you look more credible, not less – protecting consumers and your personal brand at the same time.
Better recommendations. When you're upfront about affiliate partnerships, your audience trusts your picks more. This means higher conversions on the affiliate products you actually recommend, stronger long-term engagement, and less risk of losing readers.
Read more
To dive deeper into finding solid programs to promote, check out our guide to the best affiliate marketing programs for beginners.
Affiliate disclosure requirements
Requirements around deceptive marketing practices vary by region and platform, but the core principle stays the same everywhere – be clear, conspicuous, and honest. Here's what you need to know.
FTC (US requirements). The Federal Trade Commission enforces disclosure through the FTC Endorsement Guides. Disclosures must be clear and conspicuous, placed close to the recommendation, and written in plain English. Vague terms like "partner" or "collaborator" don't satisfy FTC compliance. Hashtags like #ad work as long as they’re prominent and hard to miss.
UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Requires clear labeling – #ad, "sponsored," or "paid partnership" – on any content where a creator receives compensation. The ASA has taken enforcement action against dozens of UK-based influencers for undisclosed affiliate relationships.
EU regulations. The EU's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive requires transparent disclosure of commercial intent. GDPR may also apply when affiliate marketing involves processing personal data, such as cookie IDs or other online identifiers used for tracking.
Platform-specific rules. The Amazon Associates program requires very specific wording: "As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Meta all have built-in disclosure tools you're required to use for paid partnerships. Check the community guidelines of every platform where you promote your content.
Don’t forget to check your affiliate program's terms – many programs terminate accounts that skip required disclosures. Legal compliance and program compliance are two separate things you need to cover.
How to write an affiliate link disclosure
A proper affiliate link disclaimer doesn't need lawyer-speak – it just needs to be clear, honest, and visible. Follow these rules for a solid, FTC-compliant affiliate disclosure statement.
- Use plain language. No legal jargon, no ambiguous terms – just straightforward language that any reader can understand at a glance.
- State the affiliate relationship explicitly. Say clearly that you earn a commission when readers buy through your links.
- Mention there's no extra cost. This detail matters as long as it’s true (check with your affiliate program) – readers care that clicking your link doesn't inflate the price they see.
- Keep it under 50 words. Inline disclosures should be short and readable. Save the detailed explanation for a dedicated disclosure page.
- Match your brand voice. Formal or casual – whatever fits. Just make sure the legal disclaimer is clear and follows the above guidelines.
Solid affiliate disclaimer example:
"This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.”
You can also add a line stating, “I only recommend products I've personally used and trust," but FTC requirements say you can't claim experience with products you haven't tried.
Writing affiliate disclosures for the first time? Save the sample above and adapt it to your content and specific affiliate relationship.
Where to place affiliate disclosures
Placement decides whether your affiliate business disclosure is actually compliant. A proper disclosure strategy across every touchpoint protects you and your audience.
- Before the first affiliate link on the page. Non-negotiable per FTC rules. The disclosure must appear before any affiliate link, ideally in the same paragraph or immediately above it.
- Inline next to each recommendation. For long posts featuring multiple products, add short inline notes ("This is an affiliate link") near each mention. This satisfies the "close to the recommendation" rule.
- A dedicated affiliate disclosure page. Link a full disclosure page in your footer, About page, or navigation. This gives you room to list every affiliate program you participate in and provide a detailed explanation for legal transparency.
A dedicated affiliate disclosure page becomes your go-to reference when partners or platforms ask for proof of compliance. Keep the disclosure link in your site footer for easy access.
- Add a sitewide disclosure. For blogs and affiliate websites, a short sitewide disclosure banner or footer note visible on every page adds an extra layer of visibility.
- Repeat in long posts. Add a reminder affiliate link disclosure mid-content – readers scrolling deep may miss the first disclaimer.
- Never rely on the footer alone. Footers hide disclosures behind additional clicks and fail FTC visibility requirements.
Maximum visibility wins. If website visitors have to search for your affiliate disclosure, it doesn’t work. The disclaimer needs to be front and center.
Platform-specific affiliate disclaimer guide for different types of affiliate content
Each platform has its own requirements. Here are some best practices to disclose properly across every channel where you promote products.
Blogs and websites
Top-of-post disclosure with inline reinforcement is the gold standard for affiliate websites.
Add a clear disclosure box or paragraph at the top of every blog post that includes affiliate links – something like "This post contains affiliate links. See our disclosure page for details."
Then, add short inline notes near each product mention throughout the post. Link to a full disclosure page for detailed transparency about specific affiliate programs you participate in.
YouTube and video content
State the disclosure verbally within the first 30 seconds of any video containing affiliate links. Add written disclosure at the top of the video description – above the fold, before viewers click Show more.
Enable YouTube's built-in paid promotion toggle when applicable for sponsored content. Skipping any of these steps can trigger FTC scrutiny and potentially violate YouTube's guidelines.
Instagram, Facebook, and Meta
Enable the Paid Partnership label under Advanced Settings for any sponsored post – it’s Meta's built-in transparency tool. For affiliate links, add a clear disclosure text at the start of the caption, like "This post includes affiliate links" or "#affiliate."
Never hide disclosures below the More fold. For Stories, place text overlays at the top of the frame – not the bottom. Reels and grid posts follow the same rule – visible, clear, and immediate.
Quick tip
Want to explore other channels? Check out our guide on how to do affiliate marketing on Pinterest and earn from a search-driven source.
TikTok and short-form video
Enable TikTok's Branded Content toggle for any paid partnership. For affiliate links specifically, display on-screen text stating "affiliate link" during the clip – ideally within the first few seconds.
Include disclosure in the visible portion of the description (the part that shows before users tap "more"). TikTok's community guidelines can penalize creators who skip proper disclosures, so use both platform tools and clear captions.
X (Twitter) and short text platforms
Character limits mean you need to be straightforward. Include #ad or "This is an affiliate link" at the start of the post – not buried at the end.
For Threads, add a clear affiliate disclosure at the top. Short-form platforms leave less room for nuance, so lead with the disclosure and make it unmissable.
Email, podcasts, and newsletters
For email marketing, place disclosure immediately before affiliate links – in the same paragraph, ideally in bold or italics for visibility.
For podcasts, state the disclosure verbally in the intro or ad read – something like, "This episode includes paid promotion of [brand]." Add the same disclosure to episode show notes and any newsletter that references affiliate content.
Effective affiliate disclosure across audio and email should have both the spoken and written versions.
Affiliate disclosure examples
Real-world examples make the rules easier to apply. Here's how established publishers handle their disclosures.
Printify: Clear, at the top of the article, and simple to understand by any reader.
Wirecutter (The New York Times): "When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission." Short, plain, unmissable. Placed at the top of every product recommendation article and on their social media pages.
Cookie and Kate: Displays a full disclosure statement both before the affiliate links appear in each recipe and again in the site footer. Dual placement for maximum visibility.
The Beauty Look Book: Uses a fixed disclosure statement in its sidebar, always visible regardless of what page the reader lands on. Great for image-heavy blogs where inline disclosures might get missed.
Dappered: Lists every specific affiliate program the site participates in – Amazon Associates, ShareASale partners, and more – on its dedicated affiliate disclosure page. Program-specific transparency at its clearest.
Here’s a simple, effective affiliate disclosure example to adapt:
"[Your site name] participates in affiliate programs, including [Program 1], [Program 2], and [Program 3]. When you buy through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely use and trust."
Swap in your programs, adjust the voice, and paste it on your dedicated affiliate disclosure page. This is a good example of an affiliate disclaimer that meets requirements.
Common mistakes to avoid with affiliate link disclosures
Even seasoned affiliate marketers might slip up on the basics. An undisclosed affiliate link – even accidentally left out – can trigger FTC action, program termination, and reader distrust. Steer clear of these traps and stay on top of your affiliate marketing niche.
- Burying disclosures in the footer alone. Fails the FTC's "clear and conspicuous" test. Footers are supporting infrastructure, not primary disclosure.
- Using vague phrases like "partner links" or "may benefit." These don't satisfy disclosure requirements. Be explicit – affiliate link, commission, paid partnership.
- Hiding disclosures behind additional clicks. Anything requiring users to click "read more" or open another page fails the visibility standard.
- Skipping platform-specific tools. Not enabling Instagram's Paid Partnership label or YouTube's paid promotion toggle looks like deceptive advertising, even if you have written disclosure elsewhere.
- Inconsistent disclosures across your own site. If some posts disclose, while some don’t, that creates a pattern regulators can point to as intentional.
- Deceptive marketing practices. Overpromising results, hiding negative reviews, and pushing products you haven't tested increase disclosure violations and create real legal exposure.
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Affiliate disclosure: FAQ
Is your affiliate disclosure ready?
Participate in affiliate marketing as a transparent and honest affiliate. Let your followers, readers, or customers know about the affiliate links beforehand and disclose the cooperation in a simple, honest way.
Don't forget to join the Printify Affiliate marketing program to generate easy passive income and gain benefits as a Printify affiliate. Sign up, get your affiliate link, use these affiliate disclosure examples as a guide to write the perfect statement, and drive traffic to your website.
For any questions or assistance, contact the Printify Affiliate Manager via email – [email protected]. Get creative and succeed with Printify!
Conclusion
Getting your affiliate disclosure right protects your business, respects your audience, and satisfies the affiliate programs you work with. Use simple language, place clear disclosures before your affiliate links, adapt them to each platform, and never bury them behind extra clicks.
Proper disclosure isn't a barrier to affiliate income – it's the foundation for long-term reader trust that makes affiliate marketing sustainable.
Ready to earn transparently? Join the Printify Affiliate Program and start building affiliate partnerships with a brand that plays by the rules.
