Table of Contents - Jump to a Section
Looking to add affiliate disclosures to your website then, let me guide you through FTC's playbook for affiliate marketing. If you're looking to get started, then check out our affiliate guide for earning money with affiliate marketing.
What is an Affiliate Disclaimer?
Under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (“Endorsement Guidelines”) you are required to disclose any material connections. The FTC is concerned with financial incentives that could sway your own intentions.
The disclaimer is a written statement that explains your relationship with any brands, companies or products you're mentioning. This disclaimers would inform your readers if you're receiving ANY kind of compensation like free product, affiliate commissions or even, bartering.
If you're looking to build a review site, then, follow our How to Start an Affiliate Review Site.
How to Add Disclaimers to Your Review Site
When you publish reviews or comparing brands, the consumer needs to understand the factors which drive the order of rankings.
I've seen review sites that put their top paying affiliate program as their number one recommended resource. If you're bumping up the recommendation because of conversions, then you must disclose that.
If you're looking for a WordPress plugin for your reviews, we use and recommend WP Review Pro. This plugin will allow you to display review comparisons and your readers can also review. We started using this plugin for our hosting reviews & our affiliate network directory.
Then, you can add your affiliate relationship disclaimer like this (from Pat Flynn's with Smart Passive Income). Notice how the affiliate relationship is disclosed after the affiliate link.
Best Affiliate Disclosure Plugin
There are a few WordPress plugins that will automatically squeeze the affiliate disclosure. One of the best affiliate disclosure plugins is WP Affiliate Disclosure.
You can customize with a simple default disclosure PLUS add a disclaimer link. You can customize the disclosure to appear only on certain categories. For example, if your post contains affiliate links, you can add a category called “Affiliate Link Disclosure”. Then, use this plugin to display the disclaimer for THAT category only.
Click Here to Demo the WordPress Affiliate Disclosure Plugin
FTC Rules on Disclosing Affiliate Commissions
If you provide reviews, testimonials, blogs, or content of any kind about any service for which you receive commissions, you must clearly disclose the fact that you receive such compensation. This disclosure must be in a clear and prominent place in close proximity to your endorsement.
This disclosure must appear on every page that includes your endorsement (or affiliate link). Also, it cannot require the consumer to scroll through multiple page views. That means that the reader cannot even click a link through to another page to get the notice.
According to the FTC, your disclosure just needs to be “clear and conspicuous”. So you need to clearly state in a way your readers can understand you may earn some form of compensation if they purchase through your affiliate link.
The FTC takes the Endorsement Guidelines seriously and continues to bring enforcement actions against a wide range of companies, including marketers, advertisers, affiliates, PR agencies, web influencers, and others.
Why Should You Add Affiliate Disclaimers?
While the FTC takes it very seriously, so do the brands and companies you promote. Each brand has a specific set of rules for disclosing the affiliate relationship. If you don't abide by the rules, you may get kicked out of the affiliate program.
If you're looking for a free disclaimer generator, then click here: Free Disclaimer Template Generator This works if you're looking for a Free Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer Generator.
FTC Affiliate Disclaimer Links
Here are the shortcuts to the FTC Guides to Affiliate Disclosures. FTC offers a variety of resources to help make it easier for you to comply with the guidelines:
- Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
- The FTC's Revised Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking
- Dot Com Disclosures: Information About Online Advertising
- The FTC Native Advertising Guide
Share and Conquer,
Kit Elliott
You May Also Be Interested in These Step by Step Guides:
