An affiliate disclosure, or disclaimer, states that certain links on a website are affiliate links, informing users of your website that you are compensated for promoting specific products.
Affiliate links refer users to other companies’ products or services. When someone buys something through an affiliate link, the content owner typically receives a commission from the other company.
For affiliate publishers managing multiple networks and campaigns, keeping track of which disclosures apply where can get complicated fast. Tools like wecantrack centralize your affiliate data from 450+ networks into one dashboard, giving you a clear view of every active partnership that needs disclosure.
With the affiliate marketing industry valued at $14.2 billion and growing, proper disclosures are more important than ever. But why do you need one? What are the latest FTC requirements for 2026? And what should be included in a good disclosure?
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Why Do You Need An Affiliate Disclosure?
The first and foremost reason you need an affiliate disclosure is that the FTC mandates it. Their guideline states you must include one when compensated for reviewing or writing about products or services.
Those reviews or other content might influence a consumer’s decisions or purchases. It makes sense to inform your readers about any commissions you might receive for them purchasing one of your links.
Including an affiliate disclosure is a matter of best business practice. It helps you build an open and transparent relationship with your readers. It helps them make informed decisions based, at least partly, on your great content. Helping your readers should be the main target behind any affiliate website.
What Could Go Wrong When You Fail To Add An Affiliate Disclosure?
You might wonder if adding a disclosure is really that important. If that’s the case, the following example might be eye-opening.
A prime example of what can go wrong without a proper affiliate disclosure is between now-defunct online retailer LulaRoe and blogger Christina Hinks. After reviewing several blogs, it was found that Hinks failed to disclose she was an affiliate for over 100 posts.
LulaRoe was later sued for $49 million by disgruntled consultants because they felt the company tricked people into joining their group by saying they could earn a six-figure salary if they joined the team and started selling their clothes. LulaRoe has been pegged with accusations of running a pyramid scheme.
In this case, consumers read Hinks’ blogs and decided they wanted to join the LulaRoe team, thus falling for the alleged pyramid scheme. If LulaRoe is compensating Hinks, it’s unfair for her to recommend their products directly. Moreover, LulaRoe’s discredited state has also harmed Hinks’ credibility.
This example illustrates the importance of being open and transparent to your readers and always knowing what you endorse.
Would Hinks have made the same choices if she had known about the pyramid scheme? Or did she know but not care in pursuit of making a few bucks?
We’ll never know, but a disclosure about her getting compensated for promoting LulaRoe might have helped to soften the blow to her credibility.
The Importance Of Being Trusted By Your Readers
No one wants to be seen as an affiliate marketer trying to deceive their readers by posting overly positive reviews or saying, “This product was sent to me in exchange for my honest opinion.” In the long run, content genuinely helping consumers make better decisions will always win out over deceitful content.
A nice bonus is that you, as the one writing the content, might sleep a lot better knowing that your commissions weren’t collected at the expense of your readers.
So, what should be included in your disclosure?
The Federal Trade Commission revised its guidelines in 2023 for affiliate disclosures. This is a list of five things you need to know about them:
Don’t Just Link to Your Disclosure: Simply putting a link to your disclosure somewhere like the top, bottom, or side of your page isn’t enough. The FTC wants your disclosure to be more visible than that.
Place the Disclosure Up Front: Make sure to show your disclosure before any affiliate links. It’s important to have it at the start of your content or where your readers are most likely to first engage with your page. Putting it at the end won’t cut it.
Make Your Disclosure Stand Out: Hiding your disclosure with small text, colors that blend into the background, or any other sneaky methods won’t work. The FTC says your disclosure needs to be easy to see and understand.
Be Clear About Affiliations: Just tagging something as (Affiliate) or #Affiliate might not be enough, especially if your readers aren’t familiar with what affiliate marketing is. Using #ad is clearer because most people understand what an ad is.
No Extra Steps to See the Disclosure: Your readers should be able to understand your relationship with the brands you’re promoting directly from your disclosure without having to click on anything else for more information. If they need to click on a link to see your disclosure, you’re not meeting the FTC’s standards.
2026 FTC Updates: What Has Changed
The FTC has increased its enforcement activity around affiliate disclosures since 2023. In 2023, the Commission finalized the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, which explicitly prohibits fake reviews, undisclosed paid endorsements, and the suppression of negative reviews. As of 2025, the FTC updated its Endorsement Guides to address AI-generated content.
Key changes affiliate publishers should be aware of in 2026:
- AI-generated endorsements require disclosure: If you use AI to create or enhance product reviews, the FTC now requires that this be disclosed alongside your affiliate relationship (FTC, 2025).
- Social media disclosures must be native: Built-in disclosure tools on social media (such as “Paid Partnership” labels) are now considered the minimum standard. Adding #ad alone may not satisfy requirements on every channel.
- Video and audio content: Disclosures in video content must be spoken and displayed visually. Placing them only in the description box is no longer sufficient.
- Enforcement penalties have increased: The FTC can now impose civil penalties of up to $50,120 per violation under the updated Consumer Reviews Rule.
These changes mean that affiliate publishers need a systematic approach to compliance. Tracking every active affiliate relationship, across every network, is no longer optional; it is a regulatory requirement.
How To Add An Affiliate Disclosure To Your Blog Or Website?
Now that you understand the importance of affiliate disclosures, it’s time to get to the technical part. There are a few different ways to add them to your website.
Although affiliate disclosures should appear on every page that includes affiliate links and content, it’s good practice to include a dedicated affiliate disclosure page on your website. You can then link to this page from prominent places on your site, such as:
- Header
- Footer
- Sidebar
- Terms and conditions
- Privacy policy
Please note that this does not replace displaying disclosures close to affiliate links or content. It is an excellent way to offer your readers additional information on the affiliate partnerships you might endorse.
To ensure compliance and transparency, affiliates should craft disclosures that are easy to find, straightforward, and offer clear explanations of their affiliate relationships. They should also consult with experts on this field and make sure they comply with all the current regulations and guidelines for their specific target country.
Affiliate Link Disclosure Examples
Here are some examples of texts that you might use as the basis for formulating your very own affiliate disclosures.
I may receive a small commission from products/services bought through this site.
Another example of placing a disclosure might look something like this:
As you can see, the disclosure, including affiliate links, is placed at the beginning of the section, letting readers know what they’re in for right from the start. This way, readers know what kind of links they’re clicking on.
Many affiliate networks already have widgets you can add to your site, so you do not need to create one yourself.
Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Example
Amazon and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have made it plain that associates must declare their participation in the program to their audience since product marketing by Amazon Associates (also known as Amazon affiliates) constitutes a type of advertising.
To help you avoid being kicked out of the affiliate program or, even worse, having your earnings taken by law authorities, we’ve provided the Amazon and FTC disclosures you need below:
Amazon affiliate disclosure, Example 1: “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
Amazon affiliate disclosure, Example 2: “[Your name or the name of your website] is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate marketing scheme created to allow websites to make money through advertisements and links to Amazon.com.”
Affiliate Disclosure From FTC
The FTC, unlike Amazon, does not mandate that your affiliate disclosure adheres to a specific format. Instead, the commission assesses how well-understood your disclosure is by the average user.
On your website or blog, we advise using the FTC affiliate disclosure statement below:
FTC affiliate disclosure example: “I get commissions for purchases made through links ”
International Disclosure Requirements
While the FTC governs disclosures in the United States, affiliate publishers with international audiences need to be aware of regulations in other jurisdictions:
- European Union (UCPD): The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive requires transparency in commercial communications. Affiliate links are considered commercial intent and must be disclosed.
- United Kingdom (ASA/CAP): The Advertising Standards Authority requires that affiliate content is clearly labeled as advertising. The commonly accepted label is “Ad” or “Advertisement Feature.”
- Canada (Competition Act): The Competition Bureau requires that material connections between endorsers and brands are disclosed. The rules are broadly similar to FTC guidelines.
- Australia (ACCC): The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct, which includes undisclosed affiliate relationships.
If you are running affiliate campaigns across multiple geographies, consider creating region-specific disclosure templates. This is especially relevant for publishers who work with international affiliate networks tracked through tools like wecantrack‘s 450+ network integrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an affiliate disclosure on every page?
Yes. The FTC requires that an affiliate disclosure appears on every page containing affiliate links. A single disclosure page on your site is not enough on its own; each page with affiliate content must have its own visible disclosure.
Where should I place my affiliate disclosure?
Place your disclosure before any affiliate links appear on the page. The FTC has stated that disclosures at the bottom of a page or hidden behind a click are not sufficient. The best practice is to place it near the top of your content or immediately before the first affiliate link.
Can I use the same disclosure for all affiliate programs?
A general disclosure works for most situations, but if you participate in the Amazon Associates program, Amazon requires its own specific language. You can combine a general disclosure with program-specific ones as needed.
What happens if I do not include an affiliate disclosure?
The FTC can take enforcement action, including fines of up to $50,120 per violation under the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (2023). Beyond legal risk, failing to disclose damages reader trust and can result in removal from affiliate programs.
Do affiliate disclosures hurt conversion rates?
Research consistently shows that transparent disclosures do not negatively impact conversion rates. In many cases, they increase reader trust and engagement, which can improve conversions over time.
Affiliate Disclosures Make Your Website Compliant And User-Friendly
Affiliate disclosures protect both you and your readers.
You might impact people’s decisions and the products they buy. It’s only natural to let them know what informs those decisions.
Even if it wasn’t required by law, it would be good business practice to be transparent to your readers. You’re making an impact on their lives, so the least you could do is let them know how that impact came to be and express your interest in it.
