Affiliate Disclosure Examples: Where to Put Them and What to Say
An affiliate disclosure is not something to hide in a footer after the real content. Its job is simple: help the reader understand that you may earn money if they act on your recommendation.
The practical rule is stronger than “have a disclosure somewhere.” The disclosure should be clear, easy to notice, and close enough to the endorsement or affiliate link that the reader can connect the two.
Quick answer
- Explain the financial relationship in plain language.
- Put the disclosure near the recommendation or affiliate link.
- Do not rely on a general disclosure page alone.
- Do not assume the phrase affiliate link tells every reader that you earn a commission.
- Repeat the disclosure when recommendations appear in separate contexts where the earlier disclosure may no longer be visible.
A simple disclosure that works better than jargon
A useful default is plain language such as:
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
The wording can vary. The important part is that an ordinary reader understands the commercial relationship without needing to know affiliate-industry terminology.
Where should the disclosure go?
Use this decision rule:
- Is there a recommendation or endorsement? If no, a disclosure may not be needed for that statement.
- Can the reader see the disclosure and the recommendation together? If yes, the connection is easier to understand.
- Would the reader need to scroll, open another page, expand a menu, or click “more” to see the disclosure? If yes, move it closer.
- Are there several recommendation blocks far apart? Consider repeating the disclosure where needed instead of assuming one disclosure covers every later section.
Why “affiliate link” may be too vague
People who work in digital marketing know what an affiliate link is. That does not mean every consumer does. A label can be technically accurate and still fail to explain the material connection.
Use wording that communicates the consequence: you may receive compensation if the reader purchases through the link.
What about buttons?
A “Buy now” button tells the reader what the button does. It does not explain that the publisher may earn money from the transaction. Treat the button and the disclosure as separate jobs.
Disclosure placement examples
Product comparison
Place a short disclosure above or directly beside the commercial comparison section, before the first affiliate CTA.
Long tutorial with one recommendation
Place the disclosure immediately before the recommendation block rather than relying only on a site-wide footer.
If the email contains an endorsement with compensated links, the disclosure should be understandable in the email itself rather than only on a linked website.
Video or social content
The disclosure should be hard to miss in the medium where the endorsement appears. Do not assume a profile bio or description solves every placement problem.
A five-point placement check
- Visibility: Can a normal reader notice it?
- Clarity: Does it say you may receive compensation?
- Proximity: Is it near the recommendation?
- Context: Is it present in the medium where the endorsement appears?
- Consistency: Does the same standard apply across articles, tools, email and social content?
What LearnAffiliates would automate
A useful disclosure tool should not merely generate one sentence. It should ask where the recommendation appears, whether the relationship is compensated, which channel is being used, and whether the disclosure remains visible at the moment of decision.
The output should therefore contain both suggested wording and a placement instruction.
Bottom line
The safest working principle is straightforward: make the commercial relationship obvious before the reader acts on the recommendation. Clear language close to the recommendation is more useful than legalistic wording hidden elsewhere.
How this guide was checked
This draft was checked against current FTC endorsement/disclosure guidance on October 6, 2026. It is an editorial compliance guide, not legal advice.