What is FTC disclosure for UGC creators? Rules

FTC disclosure: FTC disclosure is a clear statement in a post that tells viewers a creator has a paid, free-product, employment or other material connection to the brand being promoted.

FTC disclosure means telling viewers clearly that you have a relationship with the brand you’re promoting. The US Federal Trade Commission says to disclose any financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand, and free or discounted products count (FTC). The rules come from the FTC’s Endorsement Guides, updated in June 2023 (FTC).

How it works

The FTC’s guidance for video comes down to a few rules:

Put it in the video. Not just in the caption or description (Disclosures 101).
Put it early. Viewers are more likely to miss a disclosure at the end (FTC FAQ).
Match the format. On-screen endorsement, on-screen disclosure. Spoken endorsement, spoken disclosure (same FAQ).
Use plain words. “Ad”, “sponsored” or “Thanks to the brand for the free product” work. “Sp”, “spon” and “collab” don’t (Disclosures 101).
Don’t rely on platform labels alone. The FTC says responsibility rests with the creator and the brand, not the platform (FAQ).

Use the labels anyway, on top of your own words. TikTok says you must turn on its content disclosure setting for posts that promote a brand (TikTok). Instagram requires its branded content tool for branded posts (Instagram). YouTube asks you to select its paid promotion setting (YouTube).

Example

You make a sponsored video for a meditation app on your own TikTok. The first frame reads “Ad” next to the hook, you say “this one’s sponsored” in your opening line, and you turn on TikTok’s Paid partnership label.

Disclosure in Canvas UGC

On Canvas UGC and ambassador accounts, you post on a brand-owned account that often looks like a personal page. The paid relationship still exists. In July 2026, BBB National Programs’ Institute for Responsible Influence argued that the Endorsement Guides apply to Canvas UGC and that brands can be liable along with creators (BBB National Programs). Agree in writing who adds the disclosure and how.

Why it matters for UGC creators

It doesn’t cost reach on TikTok. TikTok says the Paid partnership label doesn’t change recommendations, but undisclosed commercial posts may lose For You feed eligibility (same TikTok page).
US rules can reach you abroad. The FTC says US law applies if it’s reasonably foreseeable a post will affect US consumers (Disclosures 101).
Honesty is part of it. Endorsements must reflect your real experience. See UGC script.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Related terms

Canvas UGC: Canvas UGC is short-form video a creator makes and posts on an account the brand owns, paid on output or views instead of the creator's own following.
Ambassador account: An ambassador account is a social media account a creator runs and posts on to promote a single brand or app, usually created fresh for that brand and posted to on a set schedule.
UGC script: A UGC script is the written plan for a short creator video: the hook, the spoken lines or on-screen text, the shots to film, and the call to action.
Organic content: Organic content is social media posts that reach viewers without paid promotion, through followers, recommendation feeds, search and shares.