What is FTC disclosure?
FTC disclosure is the legal requirement in the United States that creators clearly and conspicuously disclose any material connection to a brand, including payment, gifting, or free products, when publishing content about that brand.
The Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides require that disclosures be hard to miss. They must appear before the content (not buried below fold), be visible on screen long enough to read in video, and use clear language like Ad, Sponsored, or Paid partnership rather than ambiguous tags like collab.
The disclosure obligation applies to the creator AND the brand. If a brand instructs a creator not to disclose or ignores non-disclosure, the brand can also be held liable. Both parties share responsibility for compliance.
Non-compliance carries real risk: FTC warning letters, fines, and reputational damage. Most reputable influencer marketing platforms and contracts explicitly require proper FTC disclosure as a deliverable condition.
Related terms
- Sponsored post
- A sponsored post is a piece of content a creator publishes in exchange for payment from a brand, which must be disclosed as advertising under FTC and platform guidelines.
- Paid partnership
- Paid partnership is the official label used on Instagram and Facebook to disclose that a creator was compensated by a brand for a piece of content, powered by Meta's branded content tool.
- Gifting
- Gifting is the practice of sending free products to creators with no guaranteed payment, in exchange for organic content or review posts at the creator's discretion.
- Deliverables
- Deliverables are the specific content assets a creator is contractually required to produce and publish as part of a brand deal, including format, quantity, platform, and timeline.
- Brand deal
- A brand deal is a paid agreement between a creator and a brand where the creator produces and publishes content featuring the brand's product or service in exchange for money, product, or both.
More in Influencer marketing
FTC disclosure sits in the influencer marketing part of the glossary. These terms come up in the same conversations and are worth reading alongside it.