Key takeaways
- Your viewers need a disclosure in the same form as the claim: spoken for audio, on-screen for visuals, and both when both apply.
- YouTube's paid promotion box is a separate labelling step. If your video contains branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships, selecting it is required [1]. For affiliate links specifically, treat them as covered and check the current page.
- A platform label may not be enough if it is small, low-contrast, or appears only briefly. Treat it as a backup, not your only disclosure [2].
- Description-only disclosure misses everyone who never opens the description.
- Keep a dated pre-publish checklist so each upload gets the same short pre-publish check.
The Disclosure Mistake That Costs You Trust
A clear youtube affiliate marketing disclosure matters when a video titled "Honest [TOOL] review" praised every feature, omitted drawbacks, and never said the description link earns commission. Imagine you bought through a link and only later found the disclosure buried below. Now you doubt the review was genuine and won't trust that creator again.
That's the exact fear that makes you hesitate before buying: undisclosed links turn every recommendation into a possible shill. A clear disclosure before the pitch is the first proof the creator is showing you the real tradeoffs—and it's the same proof you can use before you reach for your wallet. On your own channel, saying "I may earn a commission" before praising a tool removes the hidden incentive that makes viewers feel scammed. It doesn't prove your review is perfect; it removes the reason they'd doubt you.
If you're still choosing your first tool, use the disclosure checklist in this article before you record your first review. If you already have a channel and affiliate links, this guide gives you the exact placements, wording, and pre-publish checklist. This is not legal advice, but understanding common disclosure practices helps you publish videos that are more likely to be clear and trustworthy.
YouTube Affiliate Disclosure: The Short Answer
A YouTube affiliate marketing disclosure should match the claim's form: spoken for audio, on-screen for visuals, and both when both apply [2]. Add a plain line in the description above the links. If there's a commercial relationship, select YouTube Studio's paid promotion box [1]. A platform label alone may not be clear and conspicuous [2].
- Your viewer needs a disclosure about any payment or material connection that is clear and conspicuous—difficult to miss and easily understandable [2].
- YouTube needs to be told that the video contains a commercial relationship through the paid promotion setting [1].
- You need to keep both current, because help pages and program terms change.
The goal is not to cover yourself with fine print. It is that nobody who clicks your link is surprised afterwards to learn you earn from it.
Do This in 60 Seconds: Before you mention any product, say out loud, "affiliate link—I may earn a commission if you buy." Show that same line on screen while the product is visible. Put a disclosure line above the links in your description. If your video contains branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships, select the paid promotion setting in YouTube Studio [1]. For affiliate links, treat them as covered and check the current page.
Where the Disclosure Goes: Four Places That Count
The FTC's definition: "clear and conspicuous" means a disclosure that is difficult to miss—easily noticeable—and easily understandable by ordinary consumers [2]. If the claim is made visually, the disclosure should be in the visual portion; if it is spoken, in the audio; if it is both, then in both [2].
| Placement | Who it covers | What "done" looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Spoken, ideally before the first product mention (house best practice) | Anyone listening who never reads the description | One sentence, in your normal voice, not rushed |
| On-screen text while the product is shown | Muted viewers and people scanning | A readable line held on screen for several seconds, not a two-frame flash |
| Description, above the links themselves | People who click through | Plain words plus the fact you may earn a commission |
| YouTube's paid promotion box | YouTube and its viewers | Set to Yes in YouTube Studio, which adds a label at the start of the video [1] |
If you say "this tool saved me hours" out loud and never disclose in the audio, the viewer who never opens the description has heard a commercial pitch without being told it is one [2]. A description-only disclosure may not satisfy the clear-and-conspicuous placement rule [2]. For worked wording across formats, our guide to FTC affiliate disclosure examples for blogs, email and video goes line by line.
Do You Need to Tick the Paid Promotion Box for Affiliate Links?
YouTube's help page says if you feature branded content, sponsorships, endorsements or other commercial relationships in your videos, you have to let YouTube know by selecting the paid promotion button [1]. Selecting it adds a disclosure label at the beginning of the video [1].
YouTube's page does not list affiliate links by name [1], so for affiliate links specifically this is a judgement call.
What YouTube does and doesn't state: YouTube requires the paid promotion setting when a video contains branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships [1]. It does not name affiliate links directly, so treating affiliate links as covered is a conservative reading, not a YouTube-stated rule. Check the current help page before you rely on this.
| What the video contains | Tick paid promotion? | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| A sponsor paid you, or gave you the product free to feature | Yes | Sponsorships and endorsements are named directly on YouTube's list [1] |
| Affiliate links you earn from, where the product is the subject of the video | Yes, conservative reading | YouTube's page lists "other commercial relationships" but does not name affiliate links [1]. Check current guidance. |
| A single passing link with no payment of any kind | Your call — check the current help page first | The list is open-ended; YouTube's pages may change. Do not rely on this article as current guidance. |
| No commercial relationship at all | No | There is nothing to label |
Will ticking the box hurt my reach? YouTube's help page describes the paid promotion label as a disclosure that appears at the beginning of your video [1]; it does not address whether the label affects reach or recommendations. The bigger risk is not ticking it when required.
What the checkbox does not do: It is not automatically your legal disclosure, and it may not be enough on its own. The FTC's examples describe a creator who relies solely on a platform's built-in disclosure tool—small, low-contrast, competes with unrelated text, and appears for only five seconds—treated as easy to miss, and therefore not clear and conspicuous [2]. YouTube draws the same line: you and your partners are responsible for complying with all applicable legal requirements [1].
If you restrict age or country: In YouTube Studio, choose "Yes, my video includes branded content", then set custom age and country restrictions under Paid Promotion [1]. Individual affiliate programs set their own conditions too—read the clauses worth reading in an affiliate program's terms before you join and, if the program is Amazon's, start with the Amazon Associates rules beginners break most often.
What "Clear and Conspicuous" Looks Like on a Real Video
The definition has two halves: difficult to miss, and easily understandable by ordinary consumers [2]. A disclosure that is technically present but easy to skip fails the first half; jargon fails the second.
What tends to fail: - Hiding it behind a click. The FTC's examples say a disclosure that only becomes visible after clicking "more" is not clear and conspicuous [2]. - Trusting the platform label on its own. The five-second, low-contrast example above is exactly this failure [2]. - Putting it only on your channel page. A disclosure that lives on a profile rather than in the post is easy to miss [2]. - Mumbling it in the last ten seconds. An audible disclosure must be delivered at a volume, speed and cadence that ordinary consumers can hear and understand [2].
What tends to pass: Match the form of the disclosure to the form of the claim [2], give it enough size, contrast, screen time and prominence to stand out from everything around it [2], and use words a tired viewer at midnight understands without effort. "If you buy through this link, I may earn a commission — check the current price and terms before you buy" does that job better than any acronym.
We keep our own plain-English summary of how this site earns money on the Wealth Generation Academy affiliate disclosure page, and the same standard applies to a video.
Copy-and-Paste Disclosure Templates + Worked Example
Adapt these to your own voice. Anything shown as YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL or [TOOL] stays as plain text until you paste in the real thing.
Description — short version Disclosure: the links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission.
Description — fuller version Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you sign up through the affiliate links below. Check the current price and terms before you buy. Links: [TOOL] YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL
Spoken intro — short, before the first mention Quick disclosure before we start: the link to [TOOL] in the description is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you sign up through it. Check the program's terms and current price before you buy.
On-screen text, held while the product is visible Affiliate link in the description — I may earn a commission.
Pinned comment Links in the description are affiliate links. I may earn a commission.
Two habits make these work harder: say the disclosure before the first product mention, and keep the description line above the links. If you also publish written reviews, the same wording rules apply—see our product review template and writing an honest review when you have not bought the product.
Worked example: the first 60 seconds of a tool comparison Times are approximate; placements are the point.
0:00–0:08 — spoken disclosure "Quick disclosure before we start: the link to [Tool A] and [Tool B] in the description are affiliate links, so I may earn a commission if you sign up through them. [Insert your actual testing details here—only state what you actually did.]"
0:08–0:15 — on-screen text Affiliate links in description — I may earn a commission.
0:15–0:35 — describe the testing constraint honestly "I used the free trial of [Tool A] and the starter plan of [Tool B]. I did not test every feature. This is what I saw in a real week of trying to set up a simple sign-up form."
0:35–0:50 — one real drawback for each tool "What I liked about [Tool A]: the form builder is fast. What I disliked: [one specific friction you hit yourself, such as a setting that was hard to find]. [Tool B] handled that better, but [one thing that was weaker in Tool B]."
0:50–1:00 — description block Disclosure: the links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission. Check the current price and terms before you buy. Links: [Tool A] YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL | [Tool B] YOUR-AFFILIATE-URL
Paid promotion decision for this example: If the video contains a commercial relationship with either tool brand (sponsorship, free product, endorsement), tick Yes in YouTube Studio [1]. If the relationship is only that you earn from affiliate links and the tools are the subject of the video, treat affiliate links as covered and check current guidance. If no commercial relationship at all, do not tick.
This is a script, not legal advice. Your testing and wording should match what you actually did.
Video Ideas, Formats, and Your First 30 Days
If you're launching your first channel: For your first video, do four things: (1) say a short spoken disclosure before the first product mention—house best practice, not an FTC or YouTube requirement, (2) show an on-screen disclosure while the product is visible, (3) put the disclosure line above your description links, and (4) if your video contains branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships, select the paid promotion setting [1]; for affiliate links specifically, treating them as covered is a conservative reading. Stick to one tool you can show on screen, and only recommend it after you have used it enough to describe a real drawback. Run the pre-publish checklist below before you upload.
Video formats to consider for affiliate beginners: Pick a format that matches what beginners actually search for: "how to set up [tool]", "[tool] review for beginners", or "[tool] vs [tool]". Make the title and thumbnail honest—no overpromising or clickbait. Keep the video tight, answer the search question early, and show at least one real drawback you found. These are best practices for building viewer trust and retention, but YouTube recommendations are not automatic.
Video ideas and where the disclosure goes:
| Video idea | Where the disclosure goes |
|---|---|
| "Set up [TOOL] with me, start to finish" | Spoken disclosure before first mention; on-screen text while tool is on screen; description line above link; tick paid promotion if commercial relationship applies. |
| "[TOOL A] vs [TOOL B] for a beginner budget" | Spoken disclosure in intro; on-screen text during comparison; description above both links; note a drawback for each tool in audio. |
| "The three settings I change first" | Spoken disclosure in intro; pinned comment repeats it; on-screen text when showing the tool. |
| "What I would skip in your first month" | Spoken disclosure if you have an affiliate link to a skipped tool; otherwise no link and no promotion box. |
| "Reading the pricing page line by line" | Description disclosure above link with dated note; consider ticking paid promotion if the affiliate link is part of a commercial relationship; check current guidance [1]. |
| "Your questions about [TOOL], answered" | Spoken at start; on-screen during any on-screen product shots; description above link. |
| "What changed in [TOOL] this year" | Description disclosure with update date; spoken if you mention specific features; tick paid promotion if commercial relationship applies. |
| "[WORKFLOW] for a week — what broke" | Spoken disclosure before first product mention; on-screen if product appears; description above links. |
If you're currently deciding between Systeme.io vs ClickFunnels or Bluehost vs Hostinger, our dated comparisons will help you choose before you spend money on your first tools.
Before you recommend anything, run it through a due-diligence checklist for judging a product. If a comparison video is your format, the structure in how to write a comparison post that actually helps readers choose transfers to a script almost as-is, and "best of" lists done right is the reference for selection criteria and disclosure.
If you already published without disclosure: Don't panic. Open YouTube Studio, add the disclosure line to the top of the description above the links. Pin a comment that says the links are affiliate links and you may earn a commission. If you can use YouTube's editor to add text, add the on-screen disclosure while the product is on screen. If the video contains branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships, turn on the paid promotion setting now [1]. Then run the pre-publish checklist on the next upload. This is not legal advice; it may not fix a past violation, but it is a reasonable correction for a live video.
Pre-Publish Checklist, Professional Help, and FAQ
Run this every time before the video goes public:
- I have re-read the affiliate program's current terms and know what is allowed in video and in descriptions.
- House best practice: the first product mention comes after a one-sentence spoken disclosure—not an FTC or YouTube requirement, but the safest way to catch audio-only viewers.
- An on-screen disclosure appears while the product is on screen, held long enough to read [2].
- House practice (not an FTC requirement): the description's first lines include the disclosure, placed above the links.
- If the video contains branded content, sponsorships, endorsements, or other commercial relationships, the paid promotion setting is on Yes [1]; for affiliate links, I treat them as covered and check current guidance.
- Check the beginning of the upload to confirm the label appears if paid promotion is on.
- House practice: the pinned comment repeats the disclosure in plain words.
- Every factual claim in the video can be traced to something I can point to.
- Any matching links on my website are a house-practice detail.
- I wrote today's date next to this video in my content spreadsheet, so I know when to re-check the terms and the prices.
If a video fails several of these, fix it before publishing rather than editing under pressure afterwards.
When to ask a professional, and how to keep this current: YouTube is direct about the limits of its own help content: the information is not legal advice, and the page recommends referring to local legal resources—the FTC in the US, the ASA in the UK, and equivalents elsewhere [1]. If you are outside the US, or if a video involves health, finance or anything a regulator watches closely, ask a qualified professional rather than a creator's forum thread.
Two habits help: check the current YouTube help page and the program's terms each time you start a new sponsorship or affiliate relationship; and keep a simple log (video, date published, relationships disclosed, next review date). When a video is a year old, that log tells you what to check first.
On the money side, a commission in a dashboard is not cash in your account yet—our walkthrough of pending, approved, reversed and paid commissions explains the gap, and affiliate income and US taxes is the plain-English starting point.
Sources: - [1] YouTube Help: Paid product placements, sponsorships & endorsements — https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235 - [2] FTC, 16 CFR Part 255 — Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255
Related guides: Pinterest for Affiliate Marketers; The Affiliate Marketing Glossary; Affiliate Commission Types Explained; What EPC Means in Affiliate Marketing (and Why Network EPC Misleads Beginners).
Get the order of operations before you spend anything
Disclosure is the easy part once you have a checklist in front of you. Our free starter kit sets out what to do first, so you are not buying tools to solve a problem you have not defined yet.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to disclose if you have an affiliate link?
Yes — a clear and conspicuous disclosure is needed when you have a material connection to the product [2].
Can you give an example of an affiliate disclosure for YouTube?
Spoken: "The link to this tool in the description is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you sign up — check the current price and terms." On-screen: "Affiliate link in the description — I may earn a commission." Both are short, plain, and placed before the click rather than after it.
Do YouTubers have to disclose sponsors?
Yes, in two ways. YouTube requires you to say so through the paid promotion setting in your video details, which adds a label at the start of the video [1]. Separately, the disclosure to viewers has to be clear and conspicuous, in the same form as the claim — audio for a spoken claim, on screen for a visual one, and both where the claim is both [2].
Can I use YouTube for affiliate marketing?
YouTube's paid promotion disclosure rules apply to commercial relationships, but its page does not name affiliate links directly [1]. Check YouTube's current terms and any affiliate program rules before using affiliate links in videos.
Is YouTube's paid promotion label enough on its own?
Not necessarily. A platform label may be insufficient if it is easy to miss, small, low-contrast, or appears only briefly [2]. YouTube also puts the legal responsibility on you and your partners [1]. Use the label, and still consider your own clear and conspicuous disclosure when needed. Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links; we may earn a commission if you buy through them.
Sources
- Add branded content restrictions & disclosure labels - Computer - YouTube Help (source page, retrieved 2026-10-20)
- eCFR :: 16 CFR Part 255 -- Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (source page, retrieved 2026-10-29)
This guide is general education. Program terms and tools change; check the linked official pages for the current version. How we write: editorial policy. This page has no affiliate links.
