If you earn commission when people click or buy, your audience must know. These guidelines explain how to tell them, clearly and honestly.
1. Why disclosure matters
Affiliate links are a form of advertising. People trust recommendations more when they know the person recommending may be paid, and the law in many countries requires you to tell them. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sets out these duties in its Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) and its rule against fake reviews and testimonials. In the United Kingdom, the CAP Code, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), and consumer protection law, which the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforces, require ads to be clearly identifiable.
These guidelines are a practical summary and are not legal advice. You are responsible for following the law that applies to you and to your audience.
2. The basic rule
If you earn money when someone clicks your link or buys after seeing your content, say so clearly, in plain words, before the person clicks the link.
3. What a good disclosure looks like
Clear and easy to notice. People should see it without searching for it.
Close to the link or claim. Put it next to or just before the affiliate link or recommendation, not only in a footer, a separate page or a terms page.
In plain words. Use words that anyone understands, such as "Ad", "Advert", or "I earn a commission if you buy through my links".
In the same format as the content. Written content needs a written disclosure, a video needs it spoken and shown on screen, and a podcast needs it spoken.
On every post and page with links. Repeat it in long content, and make it work on mobile screens.
4. Example wording
United States. "I may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page." Or: "Ad: I earn a commission from purchases made through this link."
United Kingdom. Start the post or page with "Ad" or "Advert", then add: "This page contains affiliate links. I earn a commission if you buy." Labels such as "affiliate" on their own may not be clear enough for everyone.
5. How to disclose on each channel
Websites and blogs. Put a short notice near the top of each page that has affiliate links, and repeat it close to the links where it helps.
Comparison and coupon websites. Show a clear notice near the top of the page and near the deals, explaining that you may earn commission.
Email. Put the disclosure near the top of the message, before the first affiliate link.
Social media posts. Put the disclosure at the start of the post, where it is seen without clicking "see more". Do not hide it in a pile of hashtags. Use the platform's paid partnership tools where they exist.
Video and live streams. Say it aloud and show it on screen at the start, and repeat it for long videos. A note only in the description is not enough.
Podcasts and audio. Say it aloud, near the start and again close to each recommendation.
6. Be honest in your content
Write only reviews and recommendations that reflect real experience or real research. Do not publish fake reviews or testimonials, and do not say you used a product if you did not.
Disclose other connections too, such as free products, payments or personal relationships with the advertiser.
Make only claims that are true and that you can support, and follow any claim limits the offer sets, especially for health and money.
If you rank or compare products, say that you may earn commission and that it can affect what you show.
7. What happens if you do not follow these guidelines
We may ask you to fix your content, remove you from an offer, withhold or reverse commission, or suspend or end your account, as the Program Policies and the Terms of Service describe. Regulators can also act against publishers and advertisers directly.
8. Questions
If you are not sure how to disclose on a channel or format, write to support@mavisionaffiliates.com before you publish.
Questions about this document? Write to support@mavisionaffiliates.com.