Affiliate Disclosure Example: Templates and Writing Guide

An affiliate disclosure is a statement that tells your audience you may earn a commission when they use links in your content to make a purchase. If you run a blog, YouTube channel, newsletter, or any online platform that includes affiliate links, you need a proper affiliate disclosure example to follow so your content meets legal requirements.

This tutorial provides ready-to-use affiliate disclosure templates for different platforms and content formats. It also covers the legal rules behind these disclosures so you understand why specific language and placement matter. This is educational content and should not be treated as legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney for guidance specific to your situation.

What Is an Affiliate Disclosure?

An affiliate disclosure is a written notice informing your audience that you have a financial relationship with companies whose products or services you recommend. When a reader clicks your affiliate link and completes a purchase, you earn a commission. The disclosure makes this relationship transparent.

The core purpose is honesty. Your audience deserves to know that a financial incentive exists behind your recommendation. Without this context, the recommendation could be misleading, even if the product is genuinely excellent.

An affiliate disclosure typically communicates three things:

• You participate in affiliate programs
• You earn a commission when readers purchase through your links
• The reader pays the same price whether they use your link or not (if applicable)

Why Affiliate Disclosures Are Required

The legal foundation for affiliate disclosures in the United States rests on two authorities. Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in commerce. The FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) provide specific rules on disclosing material connections between endorsers and sellers.

A "material connection" is any relationship that could influence how an audience perceives a recommendation. Earning money from affiliate links is a textbook material connection. The FTC does not require you to avoid affiliate marketing. It requires you to be upfront about it.

FTC enforcement is active

The FTC has sent hundreds of warning letters to influencers and website owners who failed to disclose affiliate relationships. Civil penalties for FTC Act violations can reach up to $50,120 per violation, adjusted annually for inflation. Both the affiliate and the sponsoring brand can be held liable.

International requirements

Affiliate disclosure obligations extend beyond the United States:

• European Union: The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (2005/29/EC) requires transparency about commercial intent in consumer-facing content
• United Kingdom: The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 impose similar obligations, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
• Australia: The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 prohibits misleading conduct, including undisclosed affiliate relationships

Affiliate Disclosure Example for Blog Posts

Blog posts are the most common format for affiliate content. Your disclosure should appear before the first affiliate link in the post.

Short inline affiliate disclosure example

Place this immediately below your introduction:

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

This format is concise, uses plain language, and makes the financial relationship clear. It works well for bloggers who publish frequently and want a consistent, low-friction disclosure.

Detailed affiliate disclosure sample

For posts with heavy product recommendations, a more detailed disclosure adds credibility:

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission if you purchase through them. This does not affect the price you pay. I only recommend products I have personally tested or thoroughly researched. My opinions are my own regardless of affiliate relationships. See my full disclaimer page for more details.

Callout box disclosure

A visually distinct callout box at the top of your content provides maximum visibility:

How I Fund This Site: This article contains affiliate links to products I use and recommend. If you buy through my links, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the site and allows me to keep creating free content. I never let affiliate relationships influence my recommendations.

The callout format is harder for readers to miss, which strengthens your compliance position. The FTC evaluates whether a disclosure is "conspicuous" based on placement, size, color contrast, and whether a reasonable reader would notice it.

Affiliate Disclosure Example for Social Media

Social media platforms require adapted disclosures that work within each platform's format constraints. The legal standard remains the same: clear, conspicuous, and before the affiliate content.

Instagram

Loving this standing desk setup. If you want one, my link is in bio. #ad #affiliate

Place #ad or #affiliate at the beginning of your caption, not buried among other hashtags. The FTC has specifically warned that disclosures hidden at the end of long hashtag lists do not meet compliance standards.

For Instagram Stories, use a text overlay reading "Ad" or "Contains affiliate links" in a font size and color that is clearly visible against the background.

YouTube

YouTube requires a dual approach:

1. Verbal disclosure: State your affiliate relationship within the first 30 seconds of the video
2. Written disclosure: Include a statement in the video description above the "Show more" fold
3. Platform feature: Enable YouTube's paid promotion disclosure in the video settings

All three should be used together. Relying solely on YouTube's built-in tag is not sufficient under FTC guidelines.

Email newsletters

Note: This email contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.

Place this at the top of the email, before any affiliate links. A disclosure in the email footer alone is not sufficient because many readers never scroll that far.

How to Write Your Own Affiliate Disclosure

If the examples above do not match your brand voice, write your own using these principles.

Required elements

Every compliant affiliate disclosure must address:

1. The relationship: You have a financial arrangement with companies whose products you link to
2. The compensation: You earn money (commission, fee, free products) when readers take action through your links
3. Reader impact: Whether the price is the same or different when using your link

Language best practices

• Use the word "affiliate" explicitly. Vague phrases like "I work with brands" are not clear enough.
• Write in the first person. "I earn a commission" is stronger than "commissions may be earned."
• Keep it under four sentences. Longer disclosures are less likely to be read, which undermines their purpose.
• Avoid minimizing language. "I might sometimes earn a small amount" downplays the relationship. "I earn a commission" is direct and honest.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Placing the disclosure only on a dedicated page, not on individual posts
• Using a font size smaller than the body text
• Choosing a font color that blends with the background
• Hiding the disclosure behind a click, toggle, or expandable section
• Assuming your audience already knows about affiliate marketing

Setting Up a Dedicated Affiliate Disclosure Page

While a site-wide page cannot replace per-content disclosures, it serves as a central reference. Individual disclosures can link to this page for readers who want more detail.

What to include

Your dedicated affiliate disclosure page should cover:

• General statement: Your site participates in affiliate programs and you earn commissions from qualifying purchases
• Named programs: List specific affiliate networks. Amazon Associates, for example, requires the statement: "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases"
• Editorial independence: Explain that affiliate relationships do not influence your editorial choices
• How affiliate links work: A plain-language explanation for readers unfamiliar with the concept
• Contact information: How readers can reach you with questions

A disclaimer generator can help you create a comprehensive disclaimer page that includes your affiliate disclosure alongside other necessary legal statements.

Where to link it

• Your website footer (visible on every page)
• Your About page
• Your social media profile bios
• The full disclosure link within each per-content disclosure

Affiliate Disclosures and Your Other Legal Pages

Your affiliate disclosure is one component of a broader legal compliance setup. These documents work together.

Your privacy policy must disclose the cookies and tracking technologies used by affiliate programs. Networks like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and CJ Affiliate all place cookies on your visitors' devices to track referrals. Under the GDPR (Article 13) and the ePrivacy Directive (Article 5(3)), this data collection requires both disclosure and, in many jurisdictions, prior consent.

If you have visitors from the EU or UK, your cookie consent banner must account for affiliate tracking cookies. These are classified as non-essential cookies and cannot be set before the visitor grants consent. Your cookie policy should list them alongside analytics and advertising cookies.

Your terms of service should address whether users of your site (if it accepts user-generated content) are permitted to include their own affiliate links.

Keeping Your Affiliate Disclosures Current

Affiliate disclosure requirements evolve as regulators update their guidance and enforcement priorities. The FTC revised its Endorsement Guides most recently in 2023, adding new provisions on virtual influencers, incentivized reviews, and social media-specific requirements.

Review your affiliate disclosures at least twice per year. Check for:

• New affiliate programs you have joined that are not listed on your disclosure page
• Changes to affiliate network requirements (Amazon Associates updates its operating agreement regularly)
• New content formats you have adopted (if you started a podcast or TikTok account, those need disclosures too)
• Updated FTC or international guidance

TermsBox can scan your website to identify tracking technologies, including affiliate cookies, and help you maintain accurate legal pages that reflect what your site actually collects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an affiliate disclosure?

An affiliate disclosure is a written statement on your website, blog post, or social media content that tells your audience you receive compensation when they click on or purchase through your affiliate links. The FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) require this disclosure whenever a material connection exists between the endorser and the product seller.

Is an affiliate disclosure legally required?

Yes, in the United States. Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits deceptive advertising, and the FTC Endorsement Guides require clear disclosure of material connections, including affiliate relationships. The FTC can pursue civil penalties of up to $50,120 per violation. Similar requirements exist under EU, UK, and Australian consumer protection laws.

Where should I place my affiliate disclosure?

Place your affiliate disclosure at the top of each piece of content that contains affiliate links, before the reader encounters the first link. A disclosure buried in the footer or on a separate page does not meet the FTC's clear and conspicuous standard. Best practice is to include both an inline per-content disclosure and a dedicated disclosure page linked from your site footer.

Can I use a single affiliate disclosure page for my entire site?

A standalone disclosure page is a good supplement, but it is not sufficient on its own. The FTC has explicitly stated that requiring readers to navigate to a separate page to find a disclosure does not qualify as clear and conspicuous. Each blog post, email, or social media post with affiliate links must include its own disclosure in addition to any site-wide page.