Quick answer: if you earn money or get anything of value from a product you mention, the Federal Trade Commission expects you to disclose that relationship clearly. For Amazon links and shoppable videos, that means a plain statement such as “I earn a commission if you buy through my links” placed where viewers will see it before they click, said out loud in the video itself, and repeated during live streams. Amazon’s Associates Program Operating Agreement also requires the specific line “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” Hashtags alone, a disclosure buried in a link, or a platform’s built-in label by itself may not be enough.
Disclosure is one of the least exciting parts of earning as a creator, and one of the most important. The FTC enforces truth-in-advertising law, and its Endorsement Guides apply to bloggers, influencers and video creators who earn commissions or receive free products. Amazon adds its own requirements on top.
This guide covers what the FTC says, how to apply it to links, storefront content, shoppable videos, brand campaigns and free products, and where to put disclosures on each platform. It belongs to our Amazon Influencer program guide, which explains how the program works from application to payment. Nothing here is legal advice; for questions about your own situation, read the FTC’s guidance directly or ask an attorney.
Why Disclosure Is Required
The FTC’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, usually called the Endorsement Guides, rest on a simple principle. If there is a connection between an endorser and a brand that viewers would not expect, and that connection could affect how they weigh the recommendation, it must be disclosed. The FTC updated the Guides in 2023, and they apply across blogs, social media, video and podcasts.
The FTC’s plain-language publication for creators, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers, lists the kinds of relationships that count:
- Being paid, including commissions on sales
- Receiving free or discounted products or services
- Any employment relationship with the brand
- Personal or family relationships with the brand or its owners
An affiliate commission is a financial relationship, so every Amazon Associates link and every storefront video that earns commission falls under the Guides. So does a product a brand sent for free through a campaign, even if no money changed hands.
What "clear and conspicuous" means
The FTC’s standard is that a disclosure should be clear and conspicuous, which it describes as difficult to miss and easily understandable by ordinary viewers. That rules out tiny print, disclosures hidden behind a “more” link, disclosures that appear only at the bottom of a long page, and vague wording.
What to Say
Short, plain words work best. The FTC’s guidance for influencers suggests terms like “advertisement,” “ad” and “sponsored” for paid posts, and recommends simple statements for other relationships.
For affiliate links and commissions, wording along these lines is clear:
- “I earn a commission if you buy through links in this post.”
- “These are affiliate links. I get paid if you make a purchase.”
- “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
For free products, clarity means naming the relationship:
- “The brand sent me this product for free.”
- “I received this at no cost from the company.”
For paid brand campaigns, combine the two when both apply: “This video is sponsored by the brand, and I also earn a commission on sales.”
Wording the FTC flags as unclear
The FTC’s guidance and its frequently asked questions warn against several common shortcuts:
- Vague hashtags and shorthand such as #sp, #spon or #collab, or stand-alone words like “partner” or “ambassador,” which many viewers do not understand
- “Thanks to [brand]” on its own, which does not say whether the brand paid or gave anything
- The word “affiliate” alone, which some viewers will not recognize as a paid relationship
- Disclosures written in a different language from the post itself
- A disclosure placed among a long string of hashtags at the end of a caption
The Amazon line about qualifying purchases is required by Amazon’s Operating Agreement, but it is worth pairing it with plainer wording if your audience may not know what an Associate is. Our guide to affiliate disclosure for bloggers has more sample wording for websites.
Where to Put Disclosures on a Blog
On a website, the disclosure belongs near the links it describes, not only on a separate disclosure page. The FTC’s .com Disclosures guidance explains that people may not scroll to the bottom of a page or click through to another page, so a footer link alone is easy to miss.
Good placements include:
- A short statement near the top of any post that contains affiliate links, before the first link
- A brief reminder next to a product box or “check price” button
- A full disclosure policy page linked from the site footer, as a supplement rather than a replacement
Keep the top-of-post statement short and readable. Its job is to tell visitors about the relationship before they act on a recommendation.
Where to Put Disclosures in Videos
Video is where many creators fall short. The FTC’s influencer guidance says that when an endorsement is made in a video, the disclosure should be in the video itself, not only in the description. Viewers may never expand the description, and many watch with the sound off.
For shoppable product videos, including those posted to an Amazon storefront, a YouTube channel or TikTok, practical steps include:
- Say the disclosure out loud near the start of the video, before the recommendation
- Add an on-screen text disclosure that stays up long enough to read
- Repeat the disclosure in the caption or description, near any link
- Keep the wording plain, such as “I earn a commission if you buy through my link”
Our guide to filming shoppable product videos with a phone covers how to script an opening, and a disclosure line fits naturally there.
Live streams
The FTC’s guidance says that during live streams, disclosures should be repeated periodically so that people who join partway through still see or hear them. A spoken mention at the start plus on-screen text and repeated mentions when showing products covers most situations.
Short-form and image posts
For Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok and similar formats, the FTC advises superimposing the disclosure on the image or video, using a size and contrast viewers can read, and leaving it up long enough to notice. A disclosure that appears only in a caption truncated by “more” may not be seen.
Platform Tools and Their Limits
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook offer branded content or paid partnership labels, and their own policies may require creators to use them for sponsored posts. Using those tools is a good habit. The FTC’s guidance cautions, however, that creators should not assume a platform’s built-in tool is enough on its own. If the label is small, easy to overlook or unclear, add your own spoken or written disclosure as well.
Each platform also has its own rules. YouTube asks creators to tick a paid promotion box in video settings when content includes paid product placements, sponsorships or endorsements. TikTok has a content disclosure setting for branded content. Check each platform’s current help pages, because these settings change.
Free Products, Campaigns and Honest Reviews
Brand campaigns and free samples carry extra obligations beyond the disclosure line.
The Endorsement Guides say endorsements must reflect the honest opinions and actual experience of the endorser. A creator cannot say they use a product they have not tried, and cannot make claims about a product that the brand itself could not support. If a brand provides talking points, the creator is still responsible for saying only what is true for them.
Free products count as compensation. If a brand sent the item, say so, even if you would have bought it anyway and even if your opinion is unchanged. The FTC’s FAQs add that a paid creator who found a product terrible or mediocre cannot say it is good.
Written agreements help both sides. Our guide to UGC rates and contracts explains how to put disclosure expectations and usage rights in writing before filming.
Amazon's Own Requirements
Separate from FTC law, Amazon’s Associates Program Operating Agreement requires participants to display the statement “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases” or a substantially similar statement, as the agreement describes. The Influencer Program and Creator Connections run under the Associates framework, so their content is covered as well.
Amazon also publishes content guidelines for storefront videos and photos, along with program policies that restrict how links can be shared. Those documents change from time to time, so review them directly inside your Associates account rather than relying on a summary. Breaking Amazon’s policies can lead to lost commissions or account closure, which is a separate risk from FTC enforcement.
Pins, Podcasts and Newsletters
Disclosure rules follow the endorsement, not the platform. The same principle that applies to a blog or a video applies anywhere a creator recommends a product and earns from it.
On Pinterest, a pin that leads to an affiliate page or promotes a brand partnership should carry a clear disclosure in the pin description, and Pinterest’s own branded content policy asks creators to use its paid partnership tool for sponsored content. Text overlaid on the pin image, such as “affiliate link” or “sponsored,” helps because many people never read the description.
For podcasts and other audio, the FTC’s influencer guidance points out that the disclosure has to be heard. A spoken statement before or right after the product mention works better than a line buried in show notes. When an episode includes a recommendation near the end, repeating the disclosure there helps listeners who skipped ahead.
Newsletters deserve the same care as blog posts: a short statement near any link that earns money, written in plain words. Check each platform’s and each program’s rules about where links can be shared before including them, since some programs restrict certain channels.
Keep simple records
Many creators keep a basic log of brand relationships, free products received, campaign terms and where each sponsored or commission-earning piece was published. That record makes it easier to answer a brand’s question, update an old post when a relationship changes, and report income at tax time.
A Quick Disclosure Checklist
Run through this list before publishing any post or video that earns money or features a gifted product:
- Is there a commission, payment, free product or personal connection? If yes, disclose.
- Does the disclosure appear before viewers act on the recommendation?
- Is it in plain language rather than hashtags or jargon?
- In video, is it spoken and shown on screen, not only in the description?
- In live streams, is it repeated?
- Does the post include the Amazon statement where Amazon links or storefront content are involved?
- Is every claim based on your real experience and supported by the brand’s own information?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to disclose Amazon links if I only earn a few dollars?
Yes. The FTC’s guidance does not set a minimum amount. Any financial relationship that viewers would not expect should be disclosed.
Is "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases" enough?
It satisfies Amazon’s required statement, but some viewers may not know what an Associate is. Pairing it with plain wording such as “I earn a commission if you buy through my links” makes the relationship clearer.
Can I put my disclosure only in the video description?
The FTC advises putting the disclosure in the video itself, spoken and on screen, because many viewers never open the description. Add it to the description as well.
Do free products from brands need to be disclosed?
Yes. Free or discounted products are a form of compensation under the Endorsement Guides, so tell viewers the brand provided the item.
Is the platform's paid partnership label enough?
Use it, but do not assume it is sufficient on its own. The FTC cautions that creators should make sure the disclosure is clear, and adding a spoken or written statement removes any doubt.Sources: FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers; FTC, FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking; FTC, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255); FTC, .com Disclosures; Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement (available in your Associates account); YouTube Help, Paid product placements and endorsements; TikTok Help, Content disclosure settings. This article is general information, not legal advice.