FTC Endorsement Guides
The US Federal Trade Commission rules governing how creators must disclose paid relationships, including affiliate partnerships. Last major update was June 2023, with significant tightening on hashtag-only disclosures.
The FTC Endorsement Guides apply to every creator with a US audience, regardless of where the creator lives. They require any material connection between the creator and the brand being endorsed (paid post, free product, affiliate commission) to be disclosed clearly and conspicuously, before the endorsement. Affiliate relationships explicitly count as a material connection.
The 2023 update tightened previously-acceptable practices. Hashtag-only disclosures like #sp, #partner, or #collab are no longer considered adequate on their own. The FTC now explicitly recommends #ad, #advertisement, or #affiliate. Disclosure must be visible before the audience sees the recommendation, not buried below a "read more" cut. Penalties include warning letters, fines up to $51,744 per violation, and (rarely) consent decrees that bind the creator's future content.
Related terms
Affiliate link
A URL that contains a tracking parameter identifying you as the referrer, so the merchant can credit you a commission when the click converts to a sale.
GlossaryAffiliate tag
The unique identifier inside an affiliate URL that tells the network which publisher to credit. Different networks call it different names but the function is the same.
GlossaryAffiliate network
A platform that aggregates affiliate programs from many merchants in one place. Acts as the intermediary tracking clicks, attributing sales, and paying out commissions. Examples: Awin, Amazon Associates, Daisycon, Impact, ShareASale.