Key takeaways
- Disclose every time you promote, close to the promotion, not only in your bio or at the end.
- Use words people understand: “Ad”, “#ad”, “sponsored”. Avoid “sp”, “collab” or “affiliate” on its own.
- In video, say it out loud and show it on screen; repeat it during a livestream.
- Use a platform’s paid-partnership tool as well as your own words, not instead of them.
- The rules follow your audience: if they are in the UK or the EU, those rules apply too.
Why you have to disclose
When you earn from a recommendation, your audience is entitled to know, because it can affect how much weight they give it. In the United States the FTC’s Endorsement Guides require a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection, and an affiliate commission is one. In the UK, the CAP Code requires ads to be obviously identifiable, and the ASA treats affiliate posts as ads. In the EU, the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive lists paid editorial content that is not made clear as a practice that is unfair in all circumstances.
What a good disclosure looks like
Across the three, the same principles come up:
- Put it where people see the promotion: beside the link or claim, before a “more” cut-off, not only in your bio.
- Use plain words: “Ad”, “#ad” or “sponsored”. The FTC warns against vague shorthand like “sp” or “collab”, and the ASA has ruled “affiliate” on its own unclear.
- Make it visible and readable on a phone, for as long as the promotion is on screen.
- In video, say it and show it; in a livestream, repeat it so people who join late hear it.
- Platform paid-partnership tools help, but the FTC advises not to rely on them alone.
How to disclose on each format
These are the formats SkedCast partners ask about most:
- A short social post: Start with “#ad” or “Ad:” and add a sentence such as “I earn a commission if you sign up with this link.” A hashtag alone is not enough.
- A video or livestream: Say it out loud near the start and show it on screen. Use the platform’s paid-partnership tool as well where it has one.
- A podcast: Say it before the promotion, not only in the show notes.
- A blog post or newsletter: A sentence before the first link, not only in the footer: “This contains affiliate links. If you sign up through them, SkedCast pays me a commission.”
- Any link: Put the word “affiliate” in or next to the link text, for example “SkedCast (affiliate link)”, as well as the “Ad” label up front: in the UK “affiliate” on its own is not enough.
- Replies and reposts: Disclose in every reply that carries your link or code, and keep the disclosure when you repost or clip.
On Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X and LinkedIn
Each network has its own branded-content rules, and some have a paid-partnership label you can switch on when you post. Use it where it exists, as well as your own “Ad” label in the caption or on screen. On X, where space is short, the ASA points to “#Ad” at the start of the post.
If you schedule posts, check that your tool can set the network’s disclosure field where the network allows it: paid-partnership disclosure fields by platform lists which publishing APIs expose one.
Honest claims matter as much as the label
A disclosure does not make a misleading claim acceptable. Describe only what the product does, do not promise results such as reach or income, and do not claim you use a feature you have not tried. If your audience gets a discount through your link or code, describe it accurately and only while it applies.
SkedCast partners agree to the partner disclosure rules when they join, and the influencer program page summarises them by format.
Sources and how this was checked
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Regulator guidance was read from the official pages below. This post is a summary for creators, not legal advice; you are responsible for the rules of every country where your audience is. SkedCast figures are the program defaults, checked against the program's configuration; your partner dashboard shows the terms that apply to you.
FAQ
- Is #affiliate enough to disclose an affiliate link?
- Not on its own. The UK ASA has ruled that “affiliate” alone is not clear to consumers, and the FTC asks for plain words. Label the post “Ad” or “#ad” up front, and say in a sentence that you earn a commission.
- Is a disclosure in my bio enough?
- No. The FTC says a disclosure only on your profile is likely to be missed. Disclose in each post, video or story that promotes the product.
- Do I need to disclose if I bought the product myself?
- If you earn a commission from the link or code you share, yes: the commission is the connection you have to disclose, whoever paid for the product.
- Is the platform’s paid-partnership label enough?
- Use it, but add your own clear label too. The FTC advises not to rely on platform tools alone, because they are not always prominent enough.