Affiliate disclosure examples your affiliates can copy

By the RecruitAffiliates.ai team · 26 October 2026 · 7 min read

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An affiliate disclosure is a short line that tells readers the writer earns money if they buy through a link. Put it next to the link, in plain words. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gives this sample: "I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post." The brand shares the duty.

An affiliate is someone who sends buyers to your shop and earns a commission, a cut of each sale. This guide is for the brand that runs the program. You can hand the lines below to your affiliates as they are.

What is an affiliate disclosure?

The rules behind it are simple. If a person has a material connection to a brand, readers should know. A material connection is a tie that could change how much readers trust the person. Pay, free products and a commission are all ties. An affiliate link is one. So the person writing the post has to say so.

You hold the program, so you can make the right line easy to follow.

Which 10 lines can affiliates copy?

Pick the row that matches where the affiliate posts. The wording is our suggestion, built from the FTC's own sample line.

Notice every line is plain. It says "commission" or "ad", and it comes before the link. These lines are not legal advice.

What does the FTC expect?

The FTC's guidance for influencers is dated November 2019. It says the disclosure should sit "with the endorsement message itself." A line on a profile page is likely to be missed. So is one at the end of a post or behind a "more" click. You do not need a hashtag if the words are clear (FTC, Disclosures 101, checked 26 October 2026).

The same guidance warns against vague terms such as "sp," "spon" and "collab." Put the disclosure in the video itself. The description alone is not enough. For a livestream, repeat it so late joiners see it.

The FTC's question-and-answer page for businesses is clear on who is responsible. The company is ultimately responsible for what others do for it. It expects a reasonable program to train and monitor the people who promote you. It says "affiliate link" or "buy now" alone is not enough. It also says "#ad" works if it is easy to notice. It should sit at the start of a post (FTC, Endorsement Guides questions, checked 26 October 2026).

What do the UK ad rules expect?

In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says affiliate content is an ad and must be labelled. It gives "Ad" and "#Ad" as examples. It has found "*affiliate" and "#collab" not clear enough. A note at the bottom of a post is unlikely to be enough, because readers may reach the links first. If a whole blog post is affiliate content, put the label in the title. Both the brand and the affiliate are responsible under its code (ASA, affiliate marketing, checked 26 October 2026).

If you sell in both markets, use the stricter reading. Start with "Ad" and say "commission" in the same line. That is consistent with the examples each regulator gives. It is not legal advice, so check your own case.

How do you put the line in your program terms?

Write it down where affiliates agree to it. Three steps:

1. Add a rule. One sentence is enough: "You must say you earn a commission. Say it clearly, near each link."
2. Give the exact line. Offer two or three lines from the table above.
3. Reserve the right to ask for fixes. Add: "We may ask you to fix a post that does not follow this rule."

We opened four public Shopify-brand affiliate pages on 26 October 2026. The withSimplicity terms tell affiliates to disclose. They list example words, such as "I earn a commission on purchases made through my link." The BulkSupplements terms do not mention disclosure. Two other pages showed no readable terms. Four pages is a tiny sample. Treat it as a prompt to check your own page, not as a rate of what brands do.

Our guide on stopping coupon sites joining your program has a sample terms clause you can put the disclosure rule beside. If your program pays a bonus for a sale, such as Black Friday, say the rule again in your announcement to affiliates. Our Black Friday recruiting plan shows where.

Which disclosure mistakes get missed?

• Hiding it on a profile page or in a footer. Readers do not see it before the link.
• Burying it in hashtags. The FTC says a disclosure mixed with other tags is easy to miss.
• Using shorthand. The FTC calls "sp", "spon" and "collab" vague. The ASA has found "*affiliate" and "#collab" not clear enough.
• Relying on a platform button alone. The FTC says platform tools do not replace your own disclosure.
• Saying only "affiliate link". The FTC says this alone is not enough.
• Putting it only in the video description. Say it in the video too.

What about checking posts?

The FTC expects a brand to search for what its affiliates post and act on problems. It asks for more care with riskier products, such as health goods. Here is a simple routine to start with. The FTC sets no schedule. Once a month, search for your brand name plus your code. Open five posts and look for the line. If one is missing, send the affiliate the exact line and ask for a fix.

Our guide to what to offer affiliates covers the other half of the terms: the rate and how long a click counts.

Frequently asked questions

Where does an affiliate disclosure go?

Next to the link, before the reader has to act. In a blog, that is near the first link. In a video, it is in the video itself. On social media, it is the first line of the caption.

Does the brand have to check disclosures?

The FTC says the company is ultimately responsible for what others do for it. It expects a reasonable program to train and monitor people. The ASA says both the brand and the affiliate are responsible. A short rule in your terms and a monthly spot check is a practical start.

Is #ad enough?

Often, if it is easy to notice and sits at the start of a post. The FTC says "#ad" at the start is fine. Adding "commission" in plain words makes your line clearer, and it helps where "ad" alone could be missed.

What should a disclosure say for a podcast?

Say it out loud near the recommendation: "This episode has affiliate links, and I earn a commission." The FTC says disclosures in both audio and video are more likely to be noticed. A podcast is audio only, so say it aloud and add it to the show notes.

Sources

• FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers, November 2019, checked 26 October 2026
• FTC, Endorsement Guides: what people are asking, checked 26 October 2026
• ASA, affiliate marketing, checked 26 October 2026