How to disclose affiliate links as a pet creator: a format-by-format guide

Disclosure: Petfiliate runs an affiliate network for pet creators and publishers. This guide contains no affiliate links. It is general information, not legal advice.

When you need to disclose

Disclose whenever your audience might not expect a connection between you and the brand. The FTC puts it simply: disclose any financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand. For most pet creators, that means:

• Affiliate links and codes. You earn a commission when someone buys through your link or uses your code.
• Free or discounted products. A brand sends your dog a bag of treats, a bed or a supplement, free or at a discount. This counts even if they never asked for a post, and however the product reached you.
• Paid posts and other perks. A fee, a trip or any other benefit from the brand.
• Personal ties. The brand belongs to a friend, a family member or your employer.

Two things that are not disclosures:

• Tagging a brand. The FTC says a tag is an endorsement, not a disclosure of your connection.
• Believing your review is fair. You still have to disclose, even if the free product had no effect on what you said.

Words that work, and words that don’t

Plain words beat clever ones. The FTC says “ad”, “advertisement” and “sponsored” are fine. For affiliate links, its own sample sentence is: “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.” It also says “Paid link” next to an affiliate link is adequate.

According to the FTC, these fall short on their own:

• “sp”, “spon” or “collab”
• “thanks” or “ambassador” with nothing else
• a “buy now” button
• a hyperlinked label such as “DISCLOSURE” that readers have to click

“Affiliate link” is a middle case. The Petfiliate Partner Agreement accepts a clear label such as “#ad” or “affiliate link” at the start of a short social post. The FTC notes that some people may not understand “affiliate link” on its own. Where you have room, add a plain sentence saying you earn a commission.

Lines you can adapt, based on the FTC’s own examples:

• “I earn a commission if you buy through the links in this post.”
• “Ad: I earn a commission on purchases through this link.”
• “Thanks to [Brand] for sending [pet’s name] this [product] for free.”
• “[Brand] sent us this for free, and I earn a commission if you buy through my link.”

If a product was free or discounted and you also have a link, say both. Petfiliate’s agreement asks you to state clearly when you received a product free or at a discount.

Format by format: where the disclosure goes

The rule behind every format is the same. People should see or hear the disclosure before they act on the recommendation, without hunting for it. Petfiliate’s agreement also asks you to match the medium: spoken for audio, on screen for video, and in the text for written content.

• Instagram and Facebook feed posts: put the disclosure at the start of the caption. The FTC says a required disclosure should be visible without tapping “more”.
• Stories: place the disclosure over the image or video itself, and leave it up long enough to read. Add it to every Story that promotes the product, not only the first.
• Reels, TikTok, Shorts and YouTube videos: say it out loud and show it on screen in the video. The FTC warns that a disclosure only in the description is easy to miss. Put one next to the links in the description too.
• Livestreams: viewers join at different times, so repeat the disclosure during the stream or keep it on screen throughout.
• Blogs and review pages: place it before or right next to the recommendation or link, and above the fold. It must not appear only in a footer, an About or Terms page, a pop-up, a hover state or inside a button. The FTC adds that a single disclosure on your home page is not enough.
• Link-in-bio pages: treat the page like any other page with tracking links, and put a short line near the links.
• Podcasts and audio: say it in the episode, close to where you mention the product.
• Email and text messages: under the Partner Agreement, you need Petfiliate’s prior written approval before you promote a brand this way. Approved messages must be sent in your own name and still carry a disclosure.

Platform labels help, but they don’t replace your own words

Each major platform has a built-in label:

• YouTube: the paid promotion setting in your video details, for sponsorships, endorsements and other commercial relationships. YouTube’s help page does not mention affiliate links.
• TikTok: the commercial content disclosure setting, which TikTok says you must turn on when promoting a brand, product or service. TikTok lists URLs and promo codes as examples of financial incentives.
• Instagram: the paid partnership label, available to business and creator accounts.

Use the label where it applies, and write your own disclosure as well. The FTC says a platform tool is no guarantee of an effective disclosure, and responsibility stays with you and the brand.

Pet-specific rules: health claims and honest reviews

Food, supplements, flea and tick products: anything that touches a pet’s health needs extra care.

Don’t go beyond the brand’s own claims. The Partner Agreement says you will not make health, safety or veterinary claims about a product that the brand has not made itself. Content about pet health, pharmacy or prescription products must be accurate. The FTC makes the same point: don’t make claims that would need proof the advertiser doesn’t have.

In practice, describe what you saw rather than what the product “treats”:

• Safer: “Biscuit has been on this food for six weeks and finishes every bowl.”
• Riskier: “This food fixed Biscuit’s itchy skin,” unless the brand itself makes and supports that claim.

If you’re unsure, take the claim wording from the brand’s own product page, or leave it out.

Only review what your pet has used. The FTC says you can’t talk about your experience with a product you haven’t tried. If you were paid to promote something you didn’t like, you can’t describe it positively.

No fake or bought reviews. The FTC’s rule on consumer reviews and testimonials took effect on 21 October 2024. It bans fake reviews, including reviews from people who never used the product. It also bans offering incentives for reviews that express a particular opinion.

Keep links off the brand’s own pages. The Partner Agreement doesn’t allow tracking links on a brand’s own social media pages, reviews or community forums.

Petfiliate’s disclosure rules

If you promote brands through Petfiliate, the Partner Agreement (effective 17 September 2026) sets these rules. They apply to every brand in the network, including our launch partner, Chewy.

• Every piece of content. Every page, post, video, email or other content that has a tracking link or promotes a brand must clearly say you may earn a commission from purchases (§5.1).
• Placement. Before or right next to the recommendation or link, above the fold, without scrolling, clicking or hovering (§5.1).
• Free or discounted products. Say so clearly (§5.1).
• The law where you and your audience are. You must follow the advertising and consumer protection laws that apply to you and your audience (§5.2). This guide covers US FTC guidance; other countries have their own rules.
• Consequences. A missed disclosure is a material breach that can’t be cured (§5.1). Petfiliate may suspend your account, remove you from a brand program or end the agreement immediately (§14.3).

Each brand also has its own program terms, which you accept in your account or when you first promote that brand. Read them before you post.

A quick checklist before you post

• Is there a link, code, free product, payment or personal tie? Then disclose.
• Is the disclosure in plain words, such as “ad” or “I earn a commission”?
• Can people see or hear it before they act, without tapping “more”, scrolling or clicking?
• In video and audio, did you say it out loud, and show it on screen?
• Did you turn on the platform’s label where it applies, and add your own words too?
• If the product was free or discounted, did you say so?
• Has your pet actually used the product?
• Are any health or safety claims ones the brand itself makes?
• If it’s an email or text, do you have Petfiliate’s written approval?

Where these rules come from

The FTC revised its Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) in July 2023. Its plain-language “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers” dates from 2019 and is still on the FTC site. Its FAQ, “FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking”, covers newer questions. All are linked in the sources below.

This guide summarises those documents and Petfiliate’s agreement. It isn’t legal advice. If your situation is complex, such as a large sponsorship or an audience outside the US, talk to a lawyer.