Affiliate Disclosure for Blogs: US, UK and German Rules
Short answer: An affiliate disclosure must be clear and sit where readers see it before or alongside the link, not only in a footer. In the US, plain wording like 'I earn a commission from links in this post' works; the UK expects an upfront 'Ad' label; German readers need 'Werbung' or 'Anzeige', or an asterisk explained next to the link.
Here is a trap international bloggers walk into all the time. Picture a UK blogger who dutifully labels sponsored posts “Ad”, exactly as UK regulators recommend. Then a German reader complains, because German media authorities say “ad” is not a sufficient label in Germany. Both are right. Disclosure rules share one principle, but the details depend on where you and your readers are.
The principle is easy. Readers must know, before they act on a recommendation, that you profit from it.
United States: the FTC’s Endorsement Guides
The FTC revised its Endorsement Guides in 2023, and its FAQ page, FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking, answers most affiliate questions directly. The key points:
- “The closer the disclosure is to your recommendation, the better.”
- “Consumers may miss a disclosure at the bottom of a blog or page.”
- Readers might not understand that “affiliate link” means the publisher is paid, so that phrase on its own is weak.
- “Paid link” right next to an affiliate link “should be an adequate disclosure”.
- “Commissionable link” is probably not clear, and a “buy now” button is not adequate.
The FTC’s own example wording is plain: “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.” One disclosure can cover a review if readers can see the disclosure and the link at the same time. Once they are separated on the page, readers may not connect them.
United Kingdom: ASA, CAP and the CMA
Across the UK, the Committee of Advertising Practice writes the advertising codes, the Advertising Standards Authority enforces them, and the Competition and Markets Authority enforces consumer protection law. Their joint guide for influencers, last updated in March 2023, covers affiliate content explicitly.
Its expectations are stricter on labelling than the FTC’s. The minimum is a prominent label such as “Ad” placed upfront, before people click or engage. Accepted labels include “Ad”, “Advert”, “Advertising” and “Advertisement”. Labels like “aff”, “af” or “afflink” should be avoided. Where only some products in a post carry affiliate links, only the content about those products counts as advertising, and it needs specific labelling. General disclaimers that some links might earn commission are not enough.
Germany: “Werbung”, “Anzeige” and the asterisk
Germany has three overlapping rules: the unfair competition act (§ 5a(4) UWG), the Digital Services Act (§ 6 DDG) and the Interstate Media Treaty (§ 22 MStV). The state media authorities translate them into practice in a guide on advertising labels for online media, current version dated May 2025.
For blog posts that are paid for, or tied to conditions or expectations, the label is “Werbung” (advertising) or “Anzeige” (advertisement) at the start, above or directly below the headline, clearly legible. For affiliate links, the guide accepts an asterisk plus an explanation placed in immediate proximity to the link. Its suggested wording translates roughly as: “Links marked with * are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I receive a commission. It costs you nothing extra.”
Now the trap. The German guide lists vague terms such as “Advertorial”, abbreviations like “ad”, and foreign-language phrases such as “sponsored by” or “PR sample” as insufficient. If your audience is German-speaking, an English “Ad” tag will not do.
| Criterion | United States (FTC) | United Kingdom (ASA/CMA) | Germany (media authorities) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended wording | Plain words, e.g. 'paid link' or 'I earn commissions' | 'Ad' label | 'Werbung' or 'Anzeige'; asterisk plus explanation for affiliate links |
| Placement | As close to the recommendation as possible | Upfront, before engagement | Start of post; affiliate note right by the link |
| Footer or policy page alone | |||
| 'aff', 'ad', 'sponsored by' | 'affiliate link' alone may be unclear | avoid 'aff' and 'afflink' | 'ad' and 'sponsored by' insufficient |
Source: FTC Endorsement Guides FAQ; CAP/CMA Influencers' guide (2023); Leitfaden der Medienanstalten (May 2025)
Wording you can copy
For a US or international English-language blog, at the top of a post with affiliate links:
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Then, next to individual links where they appear far from that note, add “(paid link)”.
For a UK-focused blog, label affected content upfront:
Ad: This review contains affiliate links marked with (ad).
For posts aimed at German readers, place this directly under the headline of a sponsored post:
Anzeige. Dieser Beitrag entstand in bezahlter Zusammenarbeit mit [Firma].
And for German affiliate links, an asterisk on each link with the explanation close by.
Sponsored posts and free products
Affiliate links are not the only trigger. When a brand pays for a post, that is advertising everywhere. Free products are trickier. The FTC treats free products as a material connection that needs disclosure. UK regulators treat gifted items differently from paid ads, though disclosure is still expected. German authorities say that if a free product or trip means your motivation for the post is not entirely independent, the mention counts as advertising.
The safe pattern holds across all three: if a company gave you money, products, trips or commission, say so clearly and early.
Newsletters and social posts count too
Disclosure duties do not stop at the blog. A newsletter with affiliate links needs the same clarity, ideally at the top of the email or right beside the first link. A social post promoting your sponsored article needs its own label, because readers see the post, not your blog. And if a sponsored section sits inside an otherwise editorial newsletter, label that section where it begins.
The technical side: rel=“sponsored”
Google asks publishers to mark affiliate and paid links with rel="sponsored", so they are not treated as attempts to manipulate rankings. Most affiliate plugins can add it automatically. This has nothing to do with consumer protection, so it does not replace the visible disclosure.
- Disclosure visible before the first affiliate link
- Wording matches your main audience: US, UK or German
- No reliance on a footer or separate policy page
- Long posts: '(paid link)' or asterisk repeated near distant links
- Sponsored posts labelled at the very top
- Teasers on your homepage also show the label
- Affiliate links carry rel="sponsored"
Why it pays to be generous with clarity
Readers accept advertising that is open about itself. What they do not forgive is feeling misled. Clear disclosure also protects you if a programme, a regulator or a competitor ever looks closely.
If you blog from Germany and earn from links, your Impressum and tax registration need attention too: see the Impressum guide for bloggers and blogger tax in Germany. For an overview of income streams, read how to make money blogging.
Once you manage dozens of partners and campaigns across several channels, spreadsheets stop being enough. That is where custom platforms come in, the kind OnlineBuilders builds as SaaS. For a single blog, a reliable routine is all you need.
Your next step: open your five most recent posts with product links and check each against the checklist above. Wherever the disclosure sits only at the bottom, move it to the top today.
Questions people ask
Is a disclosure page linked in my footer enough?
No. The FTC's guidance says consumers may miss a disclosure at the bottom of a page, and UK regulators say a general disclaimer is not sufficient. Put the disclosure next to the recommendation.
Do I have to disclose if I bought the product myself?
If you use a plain link and receive nothing from the brand, there is no commercial relationship to disclose. Once the link is an affiliate link, or you got the product free, disclosure applies.
Does Amazon require its own disclosure?
Yes. Amazon's Associates programme agreements require participants to state that they earn from qualifying purchases. That requirement sits on top of the legal rules, not instead of them.
Should affiliate links be nofollow?
Google asks publishers to mark affiliate and paid links with rel="sponsored" (nofollow also works). That is about search rankings, not consumer law, so you still need a visible disclosure.
