Affiliate Disclosures on YouTube and Long-Form Video
Disclose at the beginning in both audio and on-screen text. Description-only and end-of-video disclosures do not satisfy the standard.
Long-form video gives you room to disclose well, but the same failure modes apply as on short-form: description-only disclosures and end-of-video disclosures do not satisfy the standard. YouTube is also a search engine in its own right, so affiliate videos are often found and watched partially — another reason the disclosure must come early.
The rules
- Disclose at the beginning, before or as the recommendation is introduced.
- Use both audio and on-screen text, because the endorsement is both audible and visual.
- Do not rely solely on the video description or a pinned comment; many viewers never expand either.
- For a fully sponsored video, an early clear statement suffices; for a video with an embedded affiliate segment, disclose again at that segment.
End screens are too late
A disclosure that appears only in the final seconds fails, because viewers who stop early — a large share on most videos — never see it. YouTube’s own “includes paid promotion” toggle helps but does not, by itself, discharge your duty.
A worked example
Compliant: within the first minute you say “Before we start — this video is sponsored by [Brand], and the links below are affiliate links,” with on-screen text mirroring the statement, and you repeat a brief on-screen note when the affiliate segment begins. Non-compliant: the disclosure lives only in the third paragraph of the description, under “show more.”
YouTube-specific considerations
- Description links: mark affiliate links in the description and still disclose in the video itself.
- Shorts: treat like short-form video — spoken and superimposed, early.
- Chapters: if an affiliate segment has its own chapter, reinforce the disclosure there.
- Live premieres and streams: repeat the disclosure periodically, per live-stream rules.
Authoritative sources
Last reviewed July 2026. This page is general educational information, not legal or tax advice.