Affiliate disclosure isn't a formality you bury in an About page — it's a legal requirement, and the FTC has shown it's willing to enforce it. If you're promoting affiliate links anywhere — a blog post, a YouTube description, an Instagram caption, a newsletter — you need a disclosure that actually meets the bar. Here's what that bar is.
Why This Isn't Optional
The FTC's Endorsement Guides require anyone with a "material connection" to a product they're recommending — including earning a commission on the sale — to disclose that connection clearly. The logic is simple: a reader evaluates a recommendation differently if they know the recommender gets paid for it. Hiding that fact is considered deceptive, full stop, regardless of whether you believe your review was honest.
This applies no matter how small your audience is. The FTC has sent warning letters to influencers with modest followings, not just major publishers. "I didn't think it mattered at my size" is not a defense.
What "Clear and Conspicuous" Actually Means
The FTC doesn't require exact wording, but it does require the disclosure to be impossible to miss. In practice, that means:
Placement matters more than phrasing. A disclosure at the very bottom of a long article, after every affiliate link has already appeared, doesn't count. It needs to appear before or immediately alongside the recommendation — close enough that a reader sees it before they click.
It has to survive the format. If your content might get clipped, screenshotted, or excerpted — think social posts, short videos, embedded widgets — the disclosure needs to be part of the piece itself, not something that only lives on a separate page a viewer might never see.
Plain language beats legal language. "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases" is a real disclosure, but a generic link like "Affiliate Disclosure" that requires a click to a separate page, with nothing near the actual links, is a weak one. The clearer and more direct, the better: "This post contains affiliate links — I earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you."
One disclosure per platform, not one for your whole brand. A disclosure on your website's terms page doesn't cover your Instagram. Each place you publish affiliate content needs its own visible disclosure.
Platform-by-Platform Notes
Blog posts and articles: Put the disclosure near the top, before the first affiliate link — not just once at the very start of the site, but on every post that contains one. A short sentence right under the headline works well.
YouTube: Say it out loud in the video and put it in the first few lines of the description, not buried under timestamps and links. YouTube's built-in "includes paid promotion" label is a good supplement, not a substitute for your own disclosure.
Instagram and TikTok: Use the platform's branded-content tools where available, and still write it into the caption itself — don't rely only on a small platform tag that many viewers won't register. If the affiliate link is in your bio, say so directly ("link in bio, affiliate link").
Email newsletters: A line near the top of the email, not just a footer disclaimer buried after your unsubscribe link.
Comparison and "best of" content: This is where affiliate sites get the most FTC attention, because the entire format is a recommendation. Disclose once at the top of the page, and if the piece is long, consider repeating it near major sections.
Common Mistakes That Still Get Flagged
- Disclosure hidden in a hyperlink only — a word like "affiliate" that links out to a policy page, with no visible text nearby.
- Vague wording — "sponsored content" or "#ad" alone doesn't explain that you specifically earn a commission on purchases; it's better than nothing, but a direct statement is safer.
- Assuming a network's terms cover you — Amazon, ShareASale, Impact, and similar networks require you to disclose independently; their own terms of service aren't a substitute for what you tell your audience.
- Only disclosing once, at the very first post you ever published — every piece of content that contains affiliate links needs its own disclosure, not just the original announcement that you're part of a program.
A Simple Template You Can Adapt
For written content:
Heads up: this post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I've actually researched or used.
For video/audio, say the same thing in your own words near the start, not just in the description.
The Bottom Line
Disclosure rules aren't about discouraging affiliate marketing — the FTC has been explicit that affiliate marketing itself is fine. The requirement is just that your audience isn't misled about why you're recommending something. Put the disclosure where people will actually see it, say it plainly, and repeat it everywhere the links appear. It takes one sentence, and it's the difference between a compliant program and a real liability.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you have specific compliance questions, especially around a large audience or paid campaigns, talk to a lawyer familiar with FTC advertising rules.
