Free FTC Disclosure Checker
Check if your sponsored post caption meets FTC disclosure guidelines. Analyzes disclosure presence, placement, and clarity for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X.
Paste your caption
Suggested disclosure:
#ad | Paid partnership with [Brand Name]Check FTC compliance
Paste your sponsored post caption and we'll check if it meets FTC disclosure requirements for transparency in influencer marketing.
FTC disclosure rules for influencers
The FTC requires influencers and creators to clearly and conspicuously disclose any material connection to a brand when endorsing or promoting products. This includes paid sponsorships, free products, affiliate relationships, and any financial incentive. Violations can result in fines of up to $50,000 per post.
The disclosure must be impossible to miss, not buried at the end of a caption, hidden in a hashtag cluster, or visible only after clicking “see more.” The FTC recommends using #ad or “Paid partnership” at the very beginning of your caption. Track your sponsored content performance with our engagement rate calculator.
Both the brand and the creator are legally responsible for proper disclosure. Use our influencer contract generator to formalize disclosure requirements in your brand deals and manage campaigns with PostEverywhere.
What counts as proper disclosure?
Compliant disclosures
#ad, #sponsored, #paidpartnership, “Paid partnership with [Brand]”, “Sponsored by [Brand]”, “Advertisement”, placed in the first line.
Weak (risky) disclosures
#partner, #collab, #ambassador, #gifted, “Thanks to [Brand]” may not be clear enough for the FTC. Use alongside #ad for safety.
Non-compliant disclosures
#sp, #spon, abbreviations the average consumer wouldn't understand. Also: disclosures buried after 3+ lines, hidden in hashtag clusters, or only in Stories without clear text overlay.
Platform-specific features
Instagram's “Paid Partnership” label, YouTube's “Includes paid promotion” checkbox, and TikTok's “Branded content” toggle are excellent supplements but should be used alongside caption disclosure.
Related: social media scheduler, media kit generator, influencer contract generator and pricing.
How to Use the FTC Disclosure Checker
Select platform and content type
Choose your posting platform and whether it's a sponsorship, affiliate, or gifted content.
Paste your caption
Enter your full post caption including all hashtags.
Get compliance results
See your compliance score with specific issues flagged and actionable fixes.
FTC Disclosure Checker FAQ
What are FTC disclosure requirements for influencers?
The FTC requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection between a creator and a brand. This means using #ad or 'Paid partnership' visibly in your caption, not hidden at the end or buried in hashtags. Both the creator and the brand can be fined for violations.
What happens if I don't disclose sponsored content?
FTC violations can result in warning letters, fines of up to $50,000 per post, and legal action. Brands may also terminate contracts with creators who don't properly disclose. Instagram and TikTok can also penalize non-disclosed branded content.
Is #gifted enough as disclosure?
#gifted alone may not be sufficient. The FTC requires disclosure to be clear to the average consumer. While #gifted indicates a free product, adding #ad makes the commercial nature explicit. When in doubt, use both.
Do I need to disclose affiliate links?
Yes. Any post containing affiliate links where you earn a commission must disclose the financial relationship. Use 'contains affiliate links' or 'I earn a commission from purchases' in your caption.
Does Instagram's Paid Partnership label count as disclosure?
Instagram's built-in Paid Partnership label is excellent and FTC-approved, but the FTC still recommends adding a caption-level disclosure like #ad as a supplement, since the label can be missed by users scrolling quickly.
Is this FTC disclosure checker free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required. Check unlimited captions for FTC compliance across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X.