Social media
How to disclose sponsored social media posts: a plain label, up front
Published by Zubair Afzal, responsible editor
First published Updated 6 min readWe check this page every three months. Next check: .
The rule behind the rules
Disclosure depends on the relationship, not the size of the payment
The three regulators covered here word it differently but apply the same test. The amount paid does not decide whether a post needs disclosing. What decides it is whether a "material connection" or "commercial relationship" exists between the influencer and the brand.
That connection can be a payment, but need not be. Free product, a discount, an affiliate commission, a family tie to the brand, or being an employee or owner all count, with or without a signed contract.
Getting this wrong is rarely deliberate. It usually comes from copying a hashtag another account uses, or assuming a gift with no strings attached does not count. The FTC, the ASA and Canada’s Competition Bureau each reject that assumption.
How the rule is applied in the US, UK and Canada
The wording differs by regulator. The underlying test is the same in every case.
| Dimension | What triggers disclosure | What is not adequate disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| United States (FTC) | Any financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand, including free or discounted product not specifically requested. | Vague or abbreviated terms such as "sp", "spon" or "collab", and a disclosure buried at the end of a post or behind a "more" click. |
| United Kingdom (ASA/CAP) | Payment or any incentive, a personal or commercial connection to the brand, editorial control by the brand, or an affiliate link or code. | Labels such as "#Gifted", "#aff", "#BrandAmbassador" or "I work with them" used alone, and a label placed after the point where a reader has to interact to see it. |
| Canada (Competition Bureau) | A material connection including payment, free product or services, discounts, free trips or event tickets, or a personal or family relationship with the brand. | A disclosure buried in a long caption, a hashtag group or a bio, one that requires a click or tap to view, or one missing on a platform where the content was reshared. |
A disclosure checklist that satisfies all three regulators
The three regulators do not require identical wording, but a disclosure built to this checklist meets the core test in each.
- Place the disclosure at the start of the post, not the end, and make sure it is visible without a click, a tap or a "see more" expansion
- Use a plain word such as "Ad", "Advertisement" or "Sponsored", not an abbreviation like "sp", "spon" or "collab"
- Add the disclosure to the content itself for video and Stories, not only to the caption underneath it
- Disclose every paid or gifted post individually. A bio statement or a single past disclosure does not cover future posts
- Repeat the disclosure if the same content is reposted or shared to a second platform
- Treat an affiliate link, a discount code or a brand tag as something in addition to a clear disclosure, never as a substitute for one
What gets flagged
The disclosure mistakes regulators call out most often
- Relying on a hashtag like "#gifted" or "#ambassador"
- The ASA rules these labels inadequate on their own, and the FTC applies the same standard: the label has to make the commercial relationship clear, and these do not.
- Putting the disclosure at the end of a long caption
- All three regulators flag this directly. A reader who never expands the caption never sees it, and that failure sits with both the brand and the influencer.
- Treating a tagged brand or discount code as disclosure
- Canada’s Competition Bureau states that tagging a brand, posting a discount code, or linking to an affiliate page is unlikely to be enough on its own. The ASA also requires a separate, clear label for an affiliate relationship.
- Assuming a repost carries the original disclosure with it
- Content shared to a second platform, or reused in a Story or a Reel, needs its own disclosure. A label on the original post does not travel with a copy of it.
Our view
What we do on influencer disclosure, and what we will not do
What we do
- Build a clear, upfront disclosure into every sponsored post we brief, in the platform and country the campaign runs in.
- Treat free product and discounts as requiring the same disclosure as a paid relationship.
- Check each disclosure against the country’s own regulator, not a generic template used everywhere.
- Flag a campaign’s disclosure gap to a client instead of letting it run.
What we won’t do
- Rely on a hashtag or a platform’s built-in "Paid partnership" label as the only disclosure on a post.
- Treat these rules as optional because they are described as guidance instead of statute.
- Give a client legal advice in place of a qualified lawyer for a specific dispute.
- Run a campaign we know does not meet the disclosure standard of the country it targets.
Run influencer campaigns that meet the rules
Questions
Common questions about influencer disclosure
Does free product need to be disclosed, even without payment?
Yes. The FTC states that a financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand must be disclosed, even for free or discounted product the influencer was not asked to mention.
Canada’s Competition Bureau agrees, treating free products, discounts and other benefits as a "material connection" that requires disclosure whether or not cash changed hands.
Is "#gifted" enough to disclose a sponsored post?
No, in either the UK or the US. The ASA specifically rules "#Gifted" inadequate on its own, alongside similar labels like "thanks to" or "supported by".
The FTC does not name "#gifted" but applies the same standard: the label has to make the commercial relationship clear, and vague wording does not.
Where does the disclosure need to appear?
At the start of the post, visible without clicking "see more", scrolling, or tapping into a video. All three regulators flag a disclosure hidden at the end of a caption or buried in hashtags as insufficient.
For video and Stories, the disclosure must appear in the content itself, such as on screen, not only in the text underneath.
Does tagging a brand or using an affiliate link count as disclosure?
No. Canada’s Competition Bureau guidance states that linking to or tagging a brand, posting a discount code, or linking to an affiliate page is unlikely to be enough on its own.
The ASA treats an affiliate link the same way: using one makes the influencer a secondary advertiser, and the post still needs its own clear "Ad" label.
What words should be used to disclose a sponsored post?
Plain, direct words. The FTC recommends terms like "ad", "advertisement" or "sponsored", and warns against abbreviations such as "sp", "spon" or "collab".
The ASA prefers "Ad" or "Advert" specifically, placed prominently, and rules out vaguer terms including "sponsored" on its own when used without further context.
Does the disclosure need to be repeated if a post is shared to another platform?
Yes. Canada’s Competition Bureau guidance flags as inadequate a disclosure missing on some platforms when content is shared across several.
A disclosure made once in a bio, or on the original platform only, does not carry over when the content is reposted elsewhere.
References
Sources for how to disclose sponsored social media posts
The official documents and research this page is based on. Platform rules change, so check the source before you act on a detail.
Related
Keep reading on how to disclose sponsored social media posts
Start here
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