Disclosing Paid Partnerships: #ad, Labels and the Rules
If you are paid or gifted to post, your followers need to know. A plain guide to labels, hashtags and advertising rules.
Influencer marketing works because followers trust the people they follow. That trust depends on honesty about when a post is paid for. Advertising regulators in many countries have made it clear that sponsored content must be obvious to the people who see it, and platforms have added tools to help. Here is a plain overview. It is general information, not legal advice.
When does a post need a label?
As a rule of thumb, you should disclose a relationship whenever a brand has given you something of value in connection with a post. That includes:
- Payment for a post, Story or Reel.
- Free products or services, even if there was no obligation to post.
- Affiliate links or discount codes that earn you a commission.
- Free trips, event tickets or experiences.
- Being an employee, ambassador or part-owner of the brand.
If you bought a product yourself and have no connection to the brand, no disclosure is needed.
How to disclose clearly
The key idea across most guidance is that the label should be clear, prominent and understood before someone engages with the content.
Use the platform's tools. Instagram's "Paid partnership" label shows the brand's name at the top of a post. It helps, but regulators have said it may not be enough on its own in every case, so combine it with a clear statement.
Put the label up front. Words such as "Ad" or "Advert" at the start of a caption, or on screen in a video, are clearer than a hashtag hidden among twenty others at the end.
Use plain words. Terms like "#sp", "#collab" or "thanks to my friends at" are often considered too vague. "Ad", "Advertisement", "Sponsored" or "Paid partnership with" are clearer.
Label Stories and videos too. Each Story frame or video that promotes a brand should carry the disclosure, not just the first one.
The rules in a few places
United States: the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides require clear disclosure of material connections between endorsers and brands. The FTC publishes a guide for influencers explaining how to do it.
United Kingdom: the Advertising Standards Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority expect advertising to be obviously identifiable, and recommend a clear label such as "Ad".
European Union: consumer protection law prohibits hidden advertising, and several member states have published their own influencer guidelines.
Other countries have similar rules. If you work with brands regularly, read the guidance where you and your audience are based.
Honesty matters beyond the rules
Followers are usually happy for creators to earn money, as long as they are honest about it. Clearly labelled partnerships, products you actually use and honest opinions, including the negatives, build the kind of trust that makes an account valuable. If you are building an audience, our article on micro-influencers explains why that trust matters so much, and our influencer guide covers how partnerships work.
