Guide
FTC Disclosure Requirements for Affiliate Videos
What the FTC actually requires for affiliate and sponsored content disclosures — wording, placement, and the mistakes that trigger takedowns.
Why disclosure isn't optional
The FTC treats a missing or buried affiliate disclosure as a deceptive practice, not a technicality. Platforms layer their own enforcement on top — TikTok Shop and Amazon Associates can both suspend accounts for it independently of any FTC action.
What counts as sufficient disclosure
- Clear, unambiguous wording — "#ad" alone is often treated as too weak; spell out the relationship.
- Placed before the viewer has to take action (not buried in a description they won't scroll to).
- Visible in the video itself for video content, not just the caption.
- Repeated if the video is long or the product is mentioned again later.
Common mistakes
Disclosing only in a pinned comment, using disclosure language that's contradicted elsewhere in the script ("not sponsored, just love it" while running an affiliate link), or disclosing once in a multi-part series and assuming it carries over.
Check before you publish
BanProof AI flags missing or weak disclosure language against the same triggers platforms use, and suggests compliant wording that still reads naturally.