Most affiliate disclosure examples you will find online are written to protect the blogger, not to inform the reader. That is the wrong job for a disclosure.
An affiliate disclosure is a plain statement that tells your reader you earn money if they buy through your link. It applies to every blogger, newsletter writer and social media creator who recommends products for a commission. The rule is simple: say it before the link, in words a stranger understands.
I have run affiliate links since 2005. I have also read my own disclosures from three years ago and winced.
This post gives you ten lines to copy, a placement checklist, and a plain-words comparison of what the US and India expect. It is not legal advice. It is what a working blogger does.
What Is an Affiliate Disclosure, and Why Does It Matter?
An affiliate disclosure tells readers that you may earn a commission from the links you share. It matters because a recommendation from someone who gets paid reads differently from one who does not. The reader has a right to know which kind they are reading.
Think about the last time a friend told you to buy something. You trusted them because you assumed they gained nothing. If they got a cut, you would want to know.
Here is the thing. Telling people does not cost you sales. In my experience, the posts with a clear line near the top convert about the same as the ones without it.
I cannot give you a lab-tested number for that. I can tell you that hiding it has never once helped me.
The risk of hiding it is real. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission can act against creators who skip it. In India, the advertising watchdog can name and flag you.
Neither is likely to knock on your door tomorrow. But a blog is a ten-year asset, and the rules only get stricter.
Affiliate Disclosure Examples vs a Privacy Policy Page
A disclosure is not the same as a disclosures page. A page buried in your footer does not count on its own.
The FTC says a disclosure must be clear and conspicuous. That means the reader sees it without hunting, scrolling or clicking. I think of it as the "no hunting" test.
Does that mean you cannot also have a full disclosure page? No. Keep it and link to it.
The short line near the link does the real work.
What Do the US and India Expect?
The US and India both expect you to disclose a material connection, near the endorsement, in plain words. The US enforces this through the FTC. India enforces it through the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and consumer protection rules.
Let me break it down in a table.
| Point | United States (FTC) | India (ASCI and consumer rules) |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rule | Federal Trade Commission, Endorsement Guides | ASCI guidelines for influencer advertising; consumer protection authority guidelines |
| What counts | Any material connection: money, free product, family tie | Paid, barter and free-product collaborations all count |
| Where to place it | Close to the claim, not hidden in a footer | Upfront, easy to see, not buried among other tags |
| Wording | Clear words like "ad" or "I earn a commission" | Labels such as "advertisement," "sponsored," "collaboration" or "paid promotion" |
| Who is responsible | You, the creator, as well as the brand | You and the brand both |
The FTC has a plain-language guide for creators. Read it once: the FTC's Disclosures 101 for social media influencers takes about ten minutes.
For India, start at the Advertising Standards Council of India site and look for its influencer guidelines. Rules get updated, so check the current text rather than trusting my summary.
Two simple habits cover both countries. Put the disclosure before the link. Use words a first-time reader understands.
Does "Affiliate Link" Count as a Disclosure?
Often it does not. Many readers do not know what an affiliate link is.
"I earn a commission if you buy through this link" is clearer. It names the money and the action. I use that wording on almost everything.
How Do You Disclose Affiliate Links? A 5-Step Placement Checklist
Disclose affiliate links by putting a short, plain statement above the first link on every page. Repeat it next to any link that sits far from it. Do this on every channel.
Here is the checklist I use.
- Put one line at the top of every post that has affiliate links. It goes above the first link, ideally above the first screen of text.
- Repeat a short tag next to long-range links. If a link sits 1,500 words below your top line, add "(affiliate link)" beside it.
- Disclose on the channel where the link lives. A blog disclosure does not cover your Threads reply or your email.
- Match the disclosure to the claim. If you say "this tool saved me hours," disclose right next to that sentence.
- Check after publishing. Open the live page on your phone. If you have to look for the line, move it.
That fifth step catches most mistakes. Themes and page builders love to push a line off screen on mobile.
If you run a blog with dozens of posts, do this once as a bulk fix. My guide to writing a product review covers where a disclosure sits inside a review. This post goes wider: every placement, every channel.
Affiliate Disclosure Examples You Can Copy, Channel by Channel
Here are ten lines. Edit the brackets and use them as they are.
1. Top of a blog post
"Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I would use myself."
2. Inline tag beside a link
"[Tool name] (affiliate link)"
3. Inside a review, next to the verdict
"I earn a commission if you buy [Tool] through my link. That did not change my verdict, and the downsides are listed above."
4. Free product or free access
"[Brand] gave me free access to try this. I wrote the review myself, and they did not tell me what to say."
Only use that last sentence if it is true. If the brand approved your draft, say so instead.
5. A Threads post or reply
"Affiliate link in the reply. I earn a commission if you buy."
Put the words in the post itself, not only in the reply. The first line carries the weight on a short platform.
6. An email to your list
"P.S. The link below is an affiliate link. I earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you."
Place it before the link, not in the footer. A footer line is the email version of a hidden disclosures page.
7. A YouTube description
"Affiliate links below. I earn a commission if you buy through them."
Put those words in the first two lines of the description. Also tick YouTube's "includes paid promotion" box when it applies.
8. A spoken line in a video
"Quick note before I show you this. The link below is an affiliate link, so I earn a commission if you buy."
Say it in the first thirty seconds. A line in the description alone misses everyone who never opens it.
9. An Instagram or Pinterest caption
"Ad | I earn a commission on products linked here."
Lead with the word. Do not bury it under a pile of tags.
10. The Amazon Associates statement
"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."
Amazon requires this wording in its program terms. Check your current agreement before you copy it, since terms change.
Save these ten in a note. A saved line gets used. A line you rewrite from scratch each time gets forgotten.
What Does a Good Affiliate Marketing Disclosure Look Like in Practice?
A good affiliate marketing disclosure is short, near the link, and written in plain words. It names the money. It does not apologize, and it does not hide behind legal language.
Compare these two.
Bad: "This site may contain affiliate links as per our disclosure policy in the footer."
Good: "I earn a commission if you buy through the links in this post."
The first one makes the reader work. The second one respects them.
I will say this plainly. If your disclosure makes your post sound less trustworthy, your post has a different problem.
Writing an Affiliate Disclosure Template for Your Whole Blog
An affiliate disclosure template is a short block you reuse on every post, so you never rely on memory. Build one once and let the blog insert it.
In WordPress you can do this with a reusable block, a snippet in your theme, or a plugin rule. Pick one method and stick to it.
My template has three parts. A one-sentence statement, a link to the full policy, and the line "I only recommend what I would use myself." Keep that last line only if it is true for you.
I also keep a separate checklist for each channel, so the Threads version and the email version never drift from the blog version.
Where Should the Disclosure Go on Each Platform?
Put the disclosure where the reader will see it before they act. On a blog, that is above the first link. On social posts, it goes in the first line.
In email, it sits above the link.
Different platforms hide different things. Learn where each one cuts your text off.
- Blog: above the fold on mobile. Test it on your own phone.
- Threads: in the post body, in the first line if you can.
- Email: before the first link, not in the signature.
- YouTube: first two lines of the description, plus the spoken line.
- Instagram and Pinterest: the first words of the caption, since the rest folds away.
- Newsletters on platforms like Kit: top of the section that holds the link.
A short habit helps here. Before you publish, scroll to your first link and ask one question: could a stranger tell I earn from it?
If the answer is no, add the line. That takes ten seconds.
Short Links, Redirects and Disclosure
A clean branded link does not remove your duty to disclose. A redirect hides the destination, not the relationship.
I do like clean links, though. A short branded link is easier to read in a Threads reply and easier to change later.
Pretty Links is built for this job. It lets you create short branded links on your own domain and change the destination in one place. If a program changes its link, you fix it once instead of hunting through forty posts.
The disclosure still sits next to the link. The plugin only makes the link tidy.
What Are the Most Common Affiliate Disclosure Mistakes?
The most common mistakes are three. People bury the line in a footer, use jargon alone, or disclose on the blog but not on social posts.
Each one has a quick fix.
I made the first one for years.
Mistake 1: The footer-only disclosure. Why it happens: a page builder makes it easy to add one site-wide line. The fix: keep the footer line, but add a post-level line above the first link.
Mistake 2: Jargon. Why it happens: you know what "affiliate" means, so you assume everyone does. The fix: write "I earn a commission."
Mistake 3: The disclosure after the link. Why it happens: you add it as an afterthought at the end of the paragraph. The fix: move it above.
Mistake 4: Blog only. Why it happens: you think of disclosure as a blog task. The fix: write one line per channel, and save all ten in one note.
Mistake 5: Saying "no extra cost" when it is not true. Why it happens: copy-paste. The fix: keep it only if the reader pays the same price. Most affiliate programs work this way, but some bundle deals do not.
Mistake 6: Forgetting free products. Why it happens: you do not think of a free trial as payment. The fix: if you got something for free, say so.
Does that mean you need a lawyer for every post? Absolutely not. It means a few seconds of care.
How Do You Check All Your Existing Posts?
Audit your older posts in one sitting, starting with the ones that get the most traffic. Those carry the most risk and the most trust.
Here is a simple method.
- Open your analytics and list your top twenty posts by traffic.
- Open each post on your phone.
- Find the first affiliate link.
- Look for a disclosure above it.
- Add the blog-post line from the list above where it is missing.
- Note the post in a sheet so you know it is done.
That is one weekend, no more. Many of my older posts were written before these rules were clear to me, so I treat this pass as routine upkeep.
If you want a second pair of eyes, a Claude skill can scan a draft for affiliate links with no disclosure above them.
The Content Creator's Claude Skill Stack includes an affiliate review writer. It flags the link, and I still make the call on wording.
Be careful with that approach. Do not let a tool decide your disclosures for you. You are responsible, not the tool.
Affiliate Disclosure for a Beginner: A Starter Setup
If you are just starting out, set up three things this week. A one-sentence blog line, a saved note with the ten examples, and a disclosure page that explains how you earn.
Our guide to affiliate marketing for beginners covers the bigger picture. Disclosure is the first habit in it, not the last.
When I made my first commission of $4.37, I did not think about disclosure at all. The rules were thinner and so was my blog. I would not repeat that today.
A new blog has one advantage: you can build the habit before you have a hundred posts to fix.
Quick Reference: Which Line for Which Situation?
Use the table to pick fast.
| Situation | Line to use |
|---|---|
| Blog post with affiliate links | Line 1 at top, line 2 beside far links |
| Review of a tool you pay for | Line 3 inside the verdict |
| Free access or gifted product | Line 4 |
| Threads | Line 5 in the first line |
| Line 6 above the link | |
| YouTube | Lines 7 and 8 |
| Instagram or Pinterest | Line 9 |
| Amazon links | Line 10 |
Print this or save it. The speed of using it matters more than the beauty of the wording.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some good affiliate disclosure examples?
A good example is: "Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you." Place it above your first link. It names the money, states the cost to the reader, and uses plain words.
Where should an affiliate disclosure go on a blog post?
Put it at the top of the post, above the first affiliate link, and keep it visible on mobile without scrolling. Add a short "(affiliate link)" tag beside any link that sits far below the top line. A footer-only disclosure does not meet the FTC's clear-and-conspicuous standard on its own.
What does the FTC require for affiliate disclosure?
The FTC requires you to disclose any material connection to a brand, such as a commission or free product. The disclosure must be clear, close to the recommendation, and easy to understand. The agency's Endorsement Guides set this out, and its Disclosures 101 guide explains it for creators.
Do I need an affiliate disclosure if I live in India?
Yes. ASCI's influencer guidelines expect a clear label for paid, barter and free-product promotions. Place it where viewers see it first. Check the current ASCI text, since it gets updated.
Is "affiliate link" enough as a disclosure?
Often not. Many readers do not know the term. "I earn a commission if you buy through this link" is clearer, and clarity is the test regulators apply.
Do I need an affiliate disclosure on Threads and social media?
Yes. A blog disclosure does not cover a social post. Put "affiliate link, I earn a commission" in the post itself, in the first line where possible, since replies and links can be missed.
Is there a free affiliate disclosure template I can use?
Yes. Use the ten lines in this post as your template. Save them in a note and adjust the brackets for each product.
Can I use a link shortener or redirect plugin and skip the disclosure?
No. A redirect plugin such as Pretty Links makes your links tidy, but it does not remove the need to disclose. The statement still goes next to the link, in plain words.
Do I need to disclose a free product I did not ask for?
Yes. A free product is a material connection, even if you did not request it and even if you plan an honest review. Say that you received it for free, in the same place you would disclose a commission.
Will an affiliate disclosure reduce my commissions?
In my experience, no. Posts with a clear line near the top convert much like the ones without it. I have no controlled test, so treat that as my observation, not a study.
Is this legal advice?
No. This post shares what a working blogger does, based on public guidance from the FTC and ASCI. If you run a business or earn significant income, ask a qualified lawyer in your country.
Your Next Ten Minutes
Open your best-performing post right now. Find the first affiliate link. Look for the line above it.
If it is not there, paste line 1 from this post and publish the update. That is the whole job for today.
Which post on your blog has the oldest, most-visited affiliate links with no disclosure? Comment below and let me know, and tell me how long it took you to fix it.