An affiliate disclosure is a clear, plain statement that you may earn a commission when readers buy through your links. Place it close to the links, in simple words, on every page and channel where they appear. Programme terms and advertising rules differ by country and change, so check them regularly.
- Disclose clearly and close to the affiliate link, not hidden in a footer alone.
- Use plain language such as 'we may earn a commission' rather than vague wording.
- Programme rules and local advertising rules both apply, and both change.
- Disclosure builds trust; treat it as part of your content quality, not a legal afterthought.
What is an affiliate disclosure and why does it matter?
An affiliate disclosure tells readers that you have a financial relationship with the seller you are linking to. In practice it is a short sentence saying that you may earn a commission if they buy through your link, at no extra cost to them.
Disclosure matters for three reasons. First, advertising regulators in many countries expect clear disclosure of material connections between publishers and brands. Second, affiliate programmes such as Amazon Associates set their own disclosure requirements in their operating agreements, and breaking them can put your account at risk. Third, readers trust sites that are open about how they make money. Hiding the relationship tends to damage that trust far more than the disclosure itself ever would.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and platform, and they change, so confirm the current requirements with the programme terms and your local advertising authority.
What are the main affiliate disclosure rules to know?
Three layers of rules usually apply. The first is the law and advertising codes where you and your audience are based. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission publishes guidance on endorsements and disclosures. In India, the Advertising Standards Council of India has issued guidelines on disclosure for influencers and digital advertisers. Other regions have their own bodies. Read the guidance for the places your readers live.
The second layer is the programme. Amazon Associates requires a specific type of statement on sites that use its links, and its wording is set in the current operating agreement. Do not paraphrase it from memory; copy the required wording from the official programme documents and check for updates.
The third layer is the platform. YouTube, Instagram and other networks have their own labels and tools for paid or promotional content. Using the platform label does not always replace a clear statement in your own words, so use both where appropriate.
Where should an affiliate disclosure go?
The principle is simple: a reader should see the disclosure before they click the link, without hunting for it. A footer-only notice is usually not enough on its own because few people read footers.
Use this placement checklist:
- Near the top of any article containing affiliate links, above the first link.
- Next to comparison tables or product boxes that contain links.
- On a dedicated disclosure page linked from your footer and menu, for the full explanation.
- In video descriptions and spoken at the start of videos, where you promote products.
- In social posts, in the visible part of the caption, not buried after a long string of hashtags.
- In emails, near the links, where programme terms permit email promotion at all.
What wording should you use?
Plain, specific language works best. Avoid jargon and avoid euphemisms that obscure the point. Say who gets paid and when. A reader should understand it in a few seconds.
Examples of clear wording, adapted to your site:
- "This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you."
- "We are a participant in an affiliate programme, and we may earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this page." Check that any programme-specific statement matches the official wording.
- For video: "Some links in the description are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy."
Wording to avoid
Phrases such as 'thanks for supporting us' or a bare 'ad' symbol without explanation can fail the clarity test. Do not use technical terms that the average reader would not understand, and never imply that a commission changes the price they pay unless that is true.
What other compliance habits protect your account?
Disclosure is one part of staying within the rules. A few related habits matter just as much. Do not present affiliate links as personal endorsements of products you have not used. Do not claim guaranteed results, savings or earnings. Be careful with price statements, because prices and availability change and programme terms may restrict how you display them. Link only in places the programme allows, and never to disguise the nature of a link or use link cloaking in ways the terms forbid.
Keep your reviews honest. Our guide to writing product reviews that rank and convert shows how to include drawbacks and evidence, which also supports compliance. If you are applying, see our notes on Amazon Associates approval, because missing legal pages are a common reason applications fail.
Finally, document your process. Keep a note of where disclosures appear, who approves new pages, and when you last read the programme terms.
A useful mindset is to ask whether an ordinary reader would be surprised to learn you earn from a link. If the answer is yes, your disclosure is not yet clear enough. That test works across blogs, videos and social channels, and it keeps you ahead of rule changes.
How do you audit your disclosures?
Run an audit every quarter and whenever the programme or regulator issues an update. Start with your ten most visited pages and work outwards. Look at the page as a first-time visitor on a phone: is the disclosure visible before the first link? Does it use plain words? Does it appear in every template, including comparison widgets and sidebars?
Then check the less obvious places: old posts that were converted to affiliate pages, guest posts, email footers, YouTube descriptions and pinned social posts. Search your site for outbound affiliate links and compare the list against the pages that carry a disclosure. Any gap is a task for this week.
If a team member or freelancer publishes for you, add disclosure to your content checklist so it is not forgotten. Consistency across a large site is far easier when it is built into a template.
If you would like help reviewing a site for compliance and quality, see our Amazon affiliate support or contact us. For SEO risks that often appear alongside compliance gaps, read about common affiliate SEO mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a disclosure on every page with affiliate links?
In general yes. A reader should see a clear statement before they click, so put it near the links on each page. A separate disclosure page helps, but it does not replace on-page notices. Confirm current programme and local rules.
Is a footer disclosure enough?
Usually not on its own. Footers are easy to miss, so regulators and programmes generally expect disclosure to be clear and noticeable near the link. Use a footer link as a supplement, not the only notice.
Do disclosure rules apply to social media and YouTube?
Yes. Wherever you share affiliate links, disclose clearly in the post, caption or video, and use any platform labels available. Spoken disclosure at the start of a video is good practice. Check each platform's current policy.