Sponsored content disclosure: a labelling checklist for editors
Readers deserve to know when money shaped a page. Regulators expect it, and Google expects the link to say so as well.
PublicLinks editorial team ·
Label it right
Put the word 'Sponsored' or 'Paid post' at the top, before the headline or directly under it.
Name the sponsor in the first screen of text, not in the footer.
Use plain words. 'Partner content' alone can mislead, so pair it with 'paid'.
Keep the label visible on mobile and in social previews.
Mark every paid link with rel="sponsored"; see the rel explainer.
Repeat the label in the RSS and newsletter versions.
Do not hide the label in image text that a screen reader cannot read.
Disclosure is two jobs, not one. The reader-facing label satisfies advertising rules, and the link attribute talks to search engines. Do only one, and the other stays exposed.
In the United States the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides, revised in June 2023, expect clear disclosure of material connections. The ASA and CMA in the UK push the same way. Rules differ by country. We are not lawyers. Confirm what applies in your country before you publish. Bing and Google both index labelled pages normally, so a clear label costs you nothing in search.
A label also protects your standing with readers. Someone who feels tricked leaves. No rel value fixes that, and the pricing guide assumes you never need to find out. Even a ChatGPT answer that quotes your page will quote the label if it sits in the text.
Wording that works and wording that blurs
Use
Avoid
Sponsored post by [brand]
Presented by [brand] with no 'paid' anywhere
Paid placement
Friends of the site
Advertorial
Insight from our partners
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission
A footer note nobody scrolls to
Our position
If it was paid for, say so twice
Once in words the reader sees, once in the link attribute a crawler sees. A label that costs you a few clicks costs less than a reputation for hiding sponsors.
Label on the page
Rel value on the link
Note in the feed
Affiliate links and gifts count too
A free product is compensation. So is a commission. If a link earns you anything, readers should be told, and Google expects rel="sponsored" on affiliate links. Many editors forget this because no invoice exists.
Social posts that share the article need their own label. Putting 'paid partnership' on Instagram or a clear tag on LinkedIn matters as much as the page itself. The label does not travel. Add it again.
Keep records. A simple sheet with date, sponsor, fee, label used and rel value takes a minute per post. If a reader, regulator or crawler ever questions a page, you can answer in a single message.
A one-hour audit of your existing sponsored posts
01
List every paid post
Search your CMS for sponsor names, 'partner' and 'advertorial'. Export title, URL and date.
02
Open each in a private window
Look at the top of the page on a phone as well as a desktop. Is the label visible without scrolling?
03
Read the source of every link
Inspect the anchors and note the rel value. Missing values go on a fix list.
04
Fix the worst first
Start with the oldest posts that rank, since they draw most readers and most scrutiny.
05
Write the rule down
One paragraph in your editorial handbook. Who labels, who checks and by when.
Editors ask
Is 'sponsored' enough, or must I write 'paid'?
Either works if a reader cannot misread it. Sponsored by a named brand is clear. A vague word like partner or presented by is not, so add paid or advertorial next to it. Test the label on someone outside your team.
Do I label a post I wrote about a brand that gave me nothing?
No label for payment is needed when nothing was given. Say so if readers may assume otherwise, and keep the link unmarked. If a free product or trip came with it, treat the post as compensated and label it.