- Free products, payment, commissions and creator codes all count as a connection you should disclose
- If you got the product free and also earn a commission, saying 'I got it free' isn't enough. Say you earn from it
- Put the disclosure with the endorsement: early in the caption, spoken in the video, and repeated during a live stream
- The Philippines has no specific #ad law we could find, but every major platform requires disclosure, and the ASC restricts '#1' and 'best' claims
- Use the platform's paid partnership label and your own words, in the same language as the post
If a brand gave you something, pays you, or gives you a code that earns you money, your audience deserves to know before they act on your recommendation. That’s the whole idea behind disclosure rules, and it’s also good for you: viewers who find out later feel misled, while viewers who were told up front mostly don’t mind.
The rules are clearest in the U.S., where the Federal Trade Commission publishes detailed guidance. The Philippines has no equivalent rule specifically for influencers, but the platforms you post on require disclosure everywhere. This guide covers both, with the exact labels and copy-paste lines.
What counts as something to disclose
The FTC calls it a material connection: anything that could affect how much weight your audience gives your recommendation. Its Endorsement Guides, revised in 2023, say material connections can include “monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products … regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return”.
In practice, disclose when you have any of these:
- Payment for a post, video or stream.
- Free or discounted products, including free app access or a free subscription, even if nobody asked you to post.
- A commission from affiliate links or a creator code.
- A discount code tied to you, if you earn when people use it.
One example in the Guides fits creator programs exactly. An app developer gives a reviewer a free app, and the reviewer discloses that. The Guides say that if the developer also paid the reviewer, “the mere disclosure that the app was free would be inadequate”. So if you got free access and you earn from your code, say both, or at least say that you earn.
The U.S. rules (FTC) in plain terms
The FTC’s rules apply to endorsements aimed at U.S. consumers. If any of your audience is in the U.S., follow them. Even if none is, they’re the clearest standard available. From Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers and the FTC’s Endorsement Guides FAQ:
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Make it hard to miss | Put it with the endorsement itself. Not only in your bio or profile, not at the very end, and not behind “more”. |
| Don’t hide it in hashtags | A #ad buried in a stack of 20 hashtags doesn’t count as clear. |
| Use plain words | ”Ad”, “advertisement” and “sponsored” work. Avoid vague terms like “sp”, “spon” or “collab”, and stand-alone “thanks” or “ambassador”. |
| Say it in the video | In a video, the disclosure belongs in the video itself, not just the description. |
| Repeat it on live streams | Mention it periodically, because viewers join partway through. |
| Same language | Disclose in the language you’re endorsing in. A Tagalog video needs a Tagalog (or Taglish) disclosure. |
| Platform tools help, but aren’t enough alone | The FTC says responsibility “rests with the influencer and the brand – not the platform”. Add your own words. |
What the Philippines requires
As of October 2026, we could find no Philippine law or Ad Standards Council (ASC) rule that specifically requires an #ad label on influencer posts. We checked the ASC Code of Ethics and Standard Manual of Procedures (effective April 29, 2024), the Internet Transactions Act and its implementing rules. Some websites say otherwise without quoting a source, so be wary.
That doesn’t mean anything goes. Two rules matter for Filipino creators:
- Testimonials must read as personal experience. The ASC Code says testimonials must be stated as the endorser’s personal experience or opinion, using qualifiers such as “In my opinion”, “Para sa akin” or “In my experience”.
- Big claims need proof. “No. 1”, leadership, absolute, comparative, exclusivity and superiority claims fall into the ASC’s must-screen categories, and that includes claims inside hashtags. Saying “the best budgeting app” or “#1 app” is asking for trouble. “My favourite budgeting app” is fine.
The Consumer Act (RA 7394) also bans false, deceptive or misleading advertising in general. Your safest approach is to follow the FTC-style rules above anyway. The platforms below require disclosure regardless of country.
Platform labels: where to find them
| Platform | Where the setting is | What viewers see | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | In the upload details, under Paid promotion: tick that your video includes paid promotion or branded content. | ”Includes paid promotion” at the start of the video | YouTube says you’re still responsible for following the law. |
| TikTok | Content disclosure and ads → Disclose commercial content → Branded content (for LIVE: Settings → Content disclosure) | “Paid partnership” | TikTok’s Branded Content Policy covers gifted products and commissions “via an affiliate link or promotional code”. Undisclosed content may not be eligible for the For You feed. |
| More options → Partnership label & ads → Add paid partnership label (mobile app) | “Paid partnership with [brand]“ | Instagram’s policies require the label for branded content. Tagging needs branded content turned on, and the brand must have a professional account. | |
| The branded content tool (in Meta Business Suite: More features → Tag brand) | “Paid partnership with [Page]“ | Meta says content with an affiliate link should carry the label even without a tagged partner. |
If you can’t tag the brand, because the setting isn’t available or the brand isn’t set up for it, the disclosure in your caption and video does the job.
Creator codes and affiliate links
Creator codes cause the most confusion. The FTC’s FAQ says a personalized code, like one matching your username, probably signals that a relationship exists, but not necessarily that you get paid. When in doubt, the FTC recommends erring on the side of disclosure.
The fix is one plain sentence: “I earn a commission when you use my code.” For links, the FTC says “paid link” right next to the link is adequate, while “affiliate link” on its own may not be understood. In videos with links in the description, disclose in the video and again near the links.
Copy-paste disclosure lines
Adapt these to your own voice, and keep the meaning intact:
- Caption, at the start: “#ad I’m a [Brand] creator partner and I earn from my code.”
- Spoken, in the first part of the video: “Quick note: this video includes my creator code, and I earn a commission if you use it.”
- Live stream, every so often: “Reminder: I’m partnered with [Brand], and my code earns me a commission.”
- Description, near the code: “Code YOURCODE. I earn a commission when you use it.”
- Taglish caption: “#ad Creator partner ako ng [Brand], at may commission ako kapag ginamit mo ang code ko.”
- Free product only, no commission: “#ad [Brand] gave me free access to review this.”
Mistakes to avoid
- Disclosing only in your bio, a pinned comment, or after “more”.
- Using “#sp”, “#collab”, “#partner” or “thanks to [Brand]” on its own.
- Mentioning the code out loud but disclosing only in the description.
- Saying “I got it free” when you also earn from it.
- Calling a product “the best” or “#1” without proof, especially in the Philippines.
- Assuming the platform’s label covers you, so skipping your own words.
Approved creators in the Hunter Vault creator program get free Premium and earn 20% on Hunter Elite sales made with their code. Both count as connections, so say that you earn from your code, not just that you got the app free. The creator playbook has sample captions, and the program terms cover the content rules.
Sources & Further Reading
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, 16 CFR Part 255 (revised July 2023).
- FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers and FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking (June 2023).
- Ad Standards Council (Philippines): Code of Ethics & Standard Manual of Procedures (effective April 29, 2024). Art. V, Sec. 9 (testimonials) and Sec. 10 (influencers).
- Republic of the Philippines: Internet Transactions Act of 2023 (RA 11967) and Consumer Act (RA 7394).
- YouTube Help: Add branded content restrictions & disclosure labels.
- TikTok: Branded Content Policy and How to turn on the commercial content disclosure setting.
- Instagram Help: Paid partnership label. Meta Business Help: Branded content on Facebook.
This guide is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Platform settings move around, so check each platform’s help page if a menu looks different.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to disclose if I only got the product for free?
Yes. Under the FTC's Endorsement Guides, free or discounted products count as a material connection even if the brand didn't require a post. If you also earn a commission, saying you got it free isn't enough. Say that you earn from it.
Is #ad enough?
Usually, if it's easy to notice. The FTC accepts 'ad', 'advertisement' and 'sponsored'. Put it with the endorsement itself, not buried in a block of hashtags, hidden behind 'more' or only on your profile. In videos, say it in the video too.
Does the Philippines require #ad on sponsored posts?
We found no Philippine law or Ad Standards Council rule that specifically requires an #ad label as of October 2026. The ASC does require testimonials to be stated as personal experience or opinion, and it restricts claims like '#1' or 'the best'. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube require disclosure under their own policies wherever you are.
Is the platform's paid partnership label enough?
Use it, but don't rely on it alone. The FTC says a built-in label in small, low-contrast text can be easy to miss, and that responsibility rests with the creator and the brand, not the platform. Add your own clear words.
Do I need to disclose a personal discount code?
Yes, if you earn from it. The FTC says a personalized code probably signals a relationship with the brand, but not necessarily that you get paid. A clear line like 'I earn a commission when you use my code' removes the doubt.
