the practice of openly stating any commercial, financial, or personal relationships that could influence a brand’s content or recommendations.
Users and search engines reading articles, videos, or social posts.
01What it is and how it works
When a brand publishes an article, video, or social post, it adds a short statement that reveals any relationship with the subject—such as sponsorship, paid review, or ownership stake. Search engines can read this statement directly on the page or via structured data like the schema.org affiliation or sponsor properties. The disclosure signals to users and algorithms that the content may be biased, helping the platform assess trustworthiness.
It means telling readers when you have a tie to the product or company you talk about.
02What to do about it
Take these steps this week to ensure clear disclosures:
- Add a one‑sentence disclosure at the top or bottom of every piece of brand‑generated content.
- Use the
sponsororaffiliationproperty in JSON‑LD markup so crawlers can detect it automatically. - Create a style guide that defines the exact phrasing (e.g., “This post is sponsored by X”) and where it should appear.
- Audit existing pages with a simple search for keywords like “sponsored”, “partnered”, or “paid”.
03How it is measured or noticed
Auditors and search quality raters look for two signals: a visible text disclosure and matching structured data. In Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, raters are instructed to check for “clear, prominent disclosure statements” and to verify that any sponsor markup aligns with the visible text. Automated tools can crawl pages and flag missing schema.org properties, while manual reviewers scan the rendered page for human‑readable statements.
04Common mistakes
These errors often cause a loss of trust:
- Placing the disclosure in a footer that is hidden behind a click‑to‑expand widget.
- Using vague language like “thanks to our partners” without naming the specific brand.
- Embedding the disclosure only in the HTML source but not in the rendered view.
- Failing to include structured data when the platform recommends it.
05Limits and confusion
Disclosure of Affiliations is not required for purely editorial content that has no commercial relationship. It is also different from a general privacy policy—the policy explains data handling, while a disclosure explains financial influence. In some jurisdictions, a disclosure may be mandatory only when the compensation exceeds a certain threshold, so local law can limit when you must add it.
06Worked example
"This review was commissioned by Acme Corp and includes affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you."
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I need to add a Disclosure of Affiliations to my brand's blog post?
It depends on the nature of the content; if the piece includes any paid partnership, sponsorship, or ownership link to the subject, you should add a disclosure. Review the brand’s relationships and add a short statement before publishing.
What is the difference between a Disclosure of Affiliations and a general disclaimer?
Usually, a Disclosure of Affiliations reveals a commercial relationship, while a general disclaimer merely states a limitation of liability or scope. The former is required when there’s a financial tie, the latter is not a substitute.
Who is responsible for adding the visible text disclosure and the structured data?
The content creator or the publishing team adds the visible text, and the web developer or SEO specialist implements the matching structured data. Both parties must coordinate to ensure consistency.
Does a Disclosure of Affiliations still matter if the content is posted on social media?
Yes, disclosures are still relevant on social platforms because the same transparency rules apply. Even if the format is a short caption, a clear statement is needed.
What are the consequences if I forget to include a Disclosure of Affiliations?
If you omit a disclosure, you risk losing user trust and may face penalties from auditors or platform policies. You’ll notice it through lower quality scores or user complaints.
How long does it take for a missing disclosure to be detected by auditors?
Auditors typically spot missing disclosures within a few weeks of the content going live, as they regularly scan for the visible text and structured data. Until then, the content may still rank but could be flagged later.
Asked out loud
spoken, not typedThe same term in the words somebody uses speaking to an assistant rather than typing into a box — written from the situation, which is why each one carries the situation it came from.
Yes, you should add a short disclosure before you post the video. Include a line like ‘Sponsored by …’ in the caption and add the appropriate structured data.
Usually, the app will show a small label if a disclosure is present, but you can also check the post’s metadata. Look for a ‘sponsored’ tag or open the post details.
It depends; you need to verify that each section that references a partner includes a clear statement. Scan the document for any mention of brands and confirm a disclosure follows.