The paid partnership label on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
Each platform has a switch that tells viewers a post is commercial. Instagram calls it the paid partnership label, TikTok the content disclosure setting, and YouTube paid promotion. Here’s what each one does, how creators turn it on, how brands get tagged, and why it may not be enough on its own.
The three labels at a glance
| Platform | What the creator turns on | What viewers see | Gifted products? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The “Add paid partnership label” toggle, then the brand partner | “Paid partnership with [brand]” under the creator’s name | Yes. Meta’s policy counts free gifts as an exchange of value. | |
| TikTok | “Disclose commercial content”, then “Branded content” | “Paid partnership” | Yes. TikTok’s policy covers products gifted by a brand. |
| YouTube | The paid promotion setting in YouTube Studio | “Includes paid promotion” at the start of the video | Yes. YouTube’s policy covers free products, for videos and Shorts. |
Instagram’s paid partnership label
Meta defines branded content as content that features or is influenced by a business partner in exchange for something of value, such as payment or free gifts. Its policy requires creators to use the paid partnership label for it and to tag the brand. The label works on feed posts, Reels, Stories, Live and broadcast channels, and it can only be added in the Instagram mobile app.
How creators turn it on
- 01
Enable branded content tools (once)
In the Instagram app, go to the profile, tap the menu, then Creator tools and controls (or Business tools and controls), Branded content, Set up branded content tools, and Enable.
- 02
Add the label to the post or reel
After choosing the video and writing the caption, tap Next, then More options. Turn on Add paid partnership label. For feed posts, it is under Partnership label & ads.
- 03
Tag the brand
Tap Add brands manually and search for the brand’s account. Up to two brands can be tagged. Then tap Done and share.
The first time a creator tags a brand, Instagram sends the brand a request. Until the brand approves, the post shows the label without the brand’s name. If the brand denies the request, the label is removed from the post.
How brands approve creators
The brand needs a professional Instagram account. To choose who can tag it, go to the profile, tap the menu, then Business tools and controls, Branded content. Turn on Manually approve content creators, then add each creator under Approved content creators. Once tagged, the brand is notified and can see the post’s insights. The creator can also allow the brand to run the post as a partnership ad. See Instagram’s help pages on using the label and approving creators.
TikTok’s content disclosure setting
TikTok’s policy says branded content is content that promotes or reviews a brand in exchange for payment or any other incentive, including a product gifted by the brand. Creators must turn on the commercial content disclosure setting for it. If they don’t, TikTok may restrict or remove the post.
- 01
Open the disclosure options
On the post screen, tap More options if needed, then Content disclosure and ads.
- 02
Turn on the setting
Turn on Disclose commercial content, then choose Branded content for a post about another brand. (Your brand is for promoting your own business.)
- 03
Save and post
Tap Save, then Continue, and post. A post with branded content shows “Paid partnership” to viewers.
The setting can also be turned on after posting, from the post’s More options, then Ad settings. See TikTok’s step-by-step guide.
YouTube’s “Includes paid promotion”
YouTube defines branded content as content influenced by a brand partner in exchange for something of value, including free products, and its policy covers Shorts too. If a video contains branded content, the creator must tell YouTube. In YouTube Studio, open the video’s details, select Show more, and under Paid promotion mark that the video includes branded content. YouTube then shows a disclosure such as “Includes paid promotion” at the start of the video. YouTube also says the creator is still responsible for making the disclosure clear and prominent. See YouTube’s help page.
Should gifted posts use the label?
By each platform’s own rules, yes. Meta counts free gifts as an exchange of value, TikTok names gifted products, and YouTube names free products. A creator who posts about a product your brand sent for free is expected to turn on the label, even if you didn’t pay them.
Many creators don’t, because they think the label is only for paid deals. Tell them in your gifting note: which label to turn on, which account to tag, and the words to add to the caption.
Is the label enough on its own?
Not everywhere. Every platform says the creator is still responsible for following the law, and regulators treat the labels differently:
- United States. The FTC says not to assume a platform’s disclosure tool is good enough, and to add your own disclosure as well. More in the FTC rules for gifted products.
- Germany. The media authorities accept a platform label on its own if it uses the words “Werbung”, “Anzeige” or “bezahlte Werbepartnerschaft”.
- United Kingdom. The CMA accepts the label if it is clear and easy to see. If it isn’t, add “Ad” at the start.
- Spain and Brazil. The industry codes recommend using the platform tools. Brazil’s guide adds that a “collab” post or a brand hashtag alone may not be enough.
- India. ASCI lists Instagram’s “Paid Partnership” and YouTube’s “Includes Paid Promotion” among the accepted labels, but says to use the platform tool in addition to the creator’s own disclosure.
The safest pattern works in most countries: the platform label, plus a disclosure in the local language at the start of the caption, plus a mention on screen or out loud in the video. For the words each country expects, see influencer disclosure rules by country.
How Pozto reads the labels
Pozto watches the creators you gifted on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts and finds the posts that show your product. For each post, it notes the platform’s partnership label where it can read it: YouTube’s paid promotion flag, and Instagram’s “Paid partnership” label. It also reads the caption for disclosure words, and for videos it checks, whether the creator said or showed the disclosure.
Pozto says what it found (clear, weak or none), not whether it is legally enough. Check a single post with the free disclosure checker, or start free with up to 10 creators.
Questions
What does “Paid partnership” mean on Instagram?
It means the creator received something of value from the brand named in the label, such as money or a free product, for the post. Meta’s policy requires the label for that kind of content.
Should a creator use the paid partnership label for a gifted product?
Yes, by the platforms’ own rules. Meta, TikTok and YouTube all count a free product as something of value that needs their disclosure label.
Why doesn’t my brand’s name show on the creator’s paid partnership label?
On Instagram, the brand’s name appears only after the brand approves the creator’s request. Until then, the post shows the label without the name. If the brand denies the request, the label is removed.
Can the TikTok disclosure be added after posting?
Yes. Open the post, tap More options, then Ad settings, and turn on Disclose commercial content.
Is the paid partnership label enough to meet the law?
Not in every country. Germany accepts a platform label that says “Werbung”, “Anzeige” or “bezahlte Werbepartnerschaft”, and the UK one that is clear, but the FTC in the US and ASCI in India say to add your own disclosure too. The platforms themselves say the creator stays responsible for the law.
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