[FAQ]

Hey everyone,

My channel has grown enough that I’ve been accepted into the Amazon Associates program and a few other affiliate programs for the camera gear I review. I’m excited to start adding these links to my descriptions, but I’m also really nervous about doing it wrong.

I want to be totally transparent with my audience, and I absolutely don’t want to get in trouble with the FTC or YouTube.

What’s the best way to do this? How clearly do I need to disclose it? Do I put the disclosure at the very top of the description before the links, or is it okay to have it at the bottom? Does just having “(affiliate link)” next to each one count?

Just want to make sure I’m following all the best practices so I don’t run into any issues.

Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

It’s smart to get this right from the start.

Quick Answer: The best practice is to use multiple disclosure formats. This includes a clear, simple text disclosure placed above your links in the description and a verbal mention in your video.

Relying on a single, hidden text format is insufficient and breaks audience trust.

Your primary focus must be on the text format within your YouTube description. This disclosure must be placed at the very top of the description, above the “show more” fold, so it is clearly visible. This text format needs to be simple and unambiguous, for example, “Disclosure: I may earn a commission from the affiliate links below.” However, to be fully transparent, you should also leverage your audio format by verbally mentioning in your video that affiliate links are in the description. The most professional creators even add a brief, on-screen text format as a visual cue when they discuss the product, ensuring that viewers are informed across all content formats.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

Posts