If you run an affiliate site, or plan to start one, you need to tell readers when you get paid for recommending something. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission treats that as a legal requirement, not a courtesy. This page explains what the rule asks for, where the disclosure goes, how to word it, and how this site handles it.
One note first: this is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your own situation, or about rules outside the US, ask a qualified professional.
What the FTC Requires
The FTC’s Endorsement Guides say that when you have a “material connection” to a product you recommend, you must disclose it. A material connection is anything that could affect how much weight a reader gives your recommendation. Earning a commission when someone buys through your link is the standard example. Free products, free trials, and payment for a review count too.
The disclosure has to be “clear and conspicuous.” In practice, that means a reader should notice it, read it, and understand it without effort. It should not be tucked away where only a determined reader would find it.
The requirement exists because a reader who knows you earn money from a click reads your review differently. That information is what the reader needs to judge your advice, so the law puts the burden on you to supply it.
Who Needs to Disclose
Anyone who earns from links or referrals on a site, a social account, a video channel, or an email list. That covers:
- Affiliate links in blog reviews and comparison posts
- Referral links to software you recommend, including Wealthy Affiliate, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Impact, or PartnerStack
- Links inside email newsletters
- Links in video descriptions and pinned comments
- Links in social posts
Size does not change the rule. A site with ten readers a day follows the same guidelines as one with ten thousand. Whether you recommend a product you love or one you barely know, the disclosure is the same.
Where the Disclosure Goes
Placement is where most affiliate sites go wrong. A disclosure on a separate page, linked from the footer, is a good supporting page but does not satisfy the guidance by itself. The FTC’s guidance is that a disclosure should be close to the recommendation it relates to, and in a spot the reader cannot easily miss.
For a blog post, that usually means:
- A statement near the top of every post that contains affiliate links, before the first link appears. One or two plain sentences is enough.
- A repeat near a prominent link or call to action in long posts, so a reader who scrolled straight to a recommendation still sees it.
- A dedicated disclosure page, linked in your footer and menu, with the full explanation.
The top-of-post statement does the main work. If a reader lands on a review from a search engine and clicks your link within seconds, the footer will never have been in front of them.
Two placements to avoid are text that blends into the background (light grey on white, tiny font) and a disclosure that only appears after the reader clicks “read more” or expands a section.
Wording That Works
Use plain language. The goal is a statement a first-time reader understands immediately. Readers often do not know what the phrase “affiliate link” means, and the FTC has indicated that vague or jargon-heavy wording can fall short of clear disclosure.
Clear statements say what the link does and what you get out of it:
- “If you buy through links on this page, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.”
- “This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through them, I get paid a referral fee.”
Statements that fall short:
- “Sponsored” with no explanation, when the real arrangement is an affiliate commission
- “Thanks for supporting the site!” with no mention of money
- “Some links may be affiliate links” placed at the bottom of a 3,000-word post
- Hashtags or abbreviations buried in a long list of tags
“At no extra cost to you” is a common phrase and should only appear when it is true. Many programs pay commissions from the company’s marketing budget, not from a surcharge on the buyer. If you are unsure for a particular program, leave the phrase out.
A Sample Disclosure You Can Adapt
Here is a short version suited to the top of a review post:
Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you click one and buy or sign up, I may earn a commission. That does not change the price you pay, and I only recommend tools I believe fit the reader I am writing for.
Adjust the last sentence to be true of your own practice. Do not promise things like “I only recommend products I have used” unless that is accurate, because the disclosure itself becomes a claim you are responsible for.
How This Site Handles It
This site is informational. It compares affiliate networks and tools, covers building a review library, and helps readers who want to build a second income stream. It also recommends Wealthy Affiliate, and the link to sign up is an affiliate link. If you join through it, the site earns a referral commission.
That relationship is why the disclosure appears near recommendations instead of being left to a footer. For the broader picture of how affiliate income works, see what affiliate marketing actually is.
Nothing on this site promises a particular income. Results from any affiliate business depend on the work put in, the niche, the traffic, and many things outside anyone’s control. Many people earn little or nothing, and any figure quoted without that context should make you cautious.
Disclosing Outside Blog Posts
Your site is not the only place a disclosure belongs.
Email. Put a short disclosure in any email that contains affiliate links. A line near the top works, or a line directly above the link section. A permanent footer alone is weaker for the reason given above: the reader may never get to it.
Social posts. Make the disclosure visible without tapping “see more.” Put it at the start of the post, not after a long caption or in a block of hashtags. Platforms often have built-in labels for paid partnerships, which can be used alongside your own wording.
Video. Say it out loud near the start, and add it to the description. A written disclosure in the description alone is easy to miss, because many viewers never open the description. Showing the text on screen helps further.
Images and infographics. If an image on its own carries the recommendation, the disclosure needs to be in the same place the reader sees the image, not only in the surrounding text.
Check Each Program’s Own Rules
The FTC is not the only party setting disclosure rules. Affiliate programs write their own terms, and breaking them can cost you your account and unpaid commissions.
Amazon Associates is the best-known case. Its operating agreement requires a specific statement that you are an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. Other networks and software programs have their own requirements about wording, link use, and where and how you can promote them.
When you join any program, read its terms for a section on disclosure or advertising. Keep a short list of what each program requires, so your site template covers all of them. If you compare programs before choosing, our guide to Wealthy Affiliate vs other affiliate programs covers how they differ in what they offer.
Common Mistakes
These are the ones that show up most often:
- Disclosing only on one page. A footer link to a disclosure page is not enough on its own.
- Disclosing after the link. The statement should come before the reader hits the first affiliate link.
- Hiding the disclosure in a visual style. Pale text, small print, or a sidebar widget that does not appear on mobile.
- Assuming a cloaked or shortened link is not an affiliate link. The link format does not change the relationship. If you earn from it, disclose it.
- Forgetting old posts. Posts published before you added a disclosure template still contain affiliate links. Go back and update them.
- Disclosing in a way that sounds like praise. “I’m proud to partner with” is not a statement of what you earn.
- Copying a template without reading it. If the text says you “only recommend products you’ve personally used” and that is untrue, you have added a false claim to the page.
A Practical Checklist
Use this to audit your site:
- Every post with affiliate links has a plain-language disclosure before the first link.
- Long posts repeat a short disclosure near major calls to action.
- A disclosure page exists, is linked in the footer or main menu, and explains how you earn money.
- The wording says what you receive, in words a new reader understands.
- The disclosure is readable on mobile, with enough contrast and size.
- Emails, social posts, and videos carry their own disclosure.
- You have read the disclosure terms of every program you promote.
- Your privacy policy covers the data you collect, since affiliate links and analytics often involve cookies. This site’s privacy policy is one example of what that page covers.
- Old posts have been updated to match the current template.
Run this checklist whenever you add a new program, change your site theme, or publish a new content type. A theme change can quietly hide a disclosure box that used to display properly.
Why Disclosure Helps You
Following the rule protects you from complaints and account problems. It also supports the thing an affiliate site depends on: reader trust.
Readers who find a clear statement about how you earn money tend to treat your reviews as honest advice from someone with a stated interest. Readers who find out later that you hid it have a reason to doubt everything else on the page. For anyone building an income from recommendations over years, the first situation is much easier to work with, and the cost is two plain sentences at the top of a post.