Publishing Branded Content

In your Professional Dashboard, you can view a list of the brands who have requested to be tagged as paid sponsors on your Instagram post.

1. In the Instagram app, navigate to your profile.
   
   
2. Tap on Professional Dashboard under your bio.
   
   

   Note: This option is only available to Professional – or Business and Creator – accounts.

3. The list of brands will appear under Next Steps.
   
   
4. Tap on Approve brand partners.
   
   
5. Select the brand's account under Received Requests.
   
   
6. Tap Approve or Decline.

When collaborating with a brand on sponsored Instagram content, there are specific steps you will need to take to tag the brand as a paid sponsor. Applying the paid sponsor tag generates the Paid Partnership label on your post, and unlocks the ability for your partnering brand or agency to boost your post and reach a larger audience.

1. Open the Instagram app and create a new post.
   
   
2. Tap Advanced Settings.
   
   
3. Scroll to Branded content and toggle ON Add paid partnership label.
   
   

   Note: This option is only available to Business or Creator Instagram accounts.

4. After, tap Add brand partners.
   
   
5. Add or search for the relevant brand.
   
   

   Note: The partnering brand must approve you as a partner before you can tag them in a post.

6. Tap Next to confirm.
   
   
7. (Optional) Review the details and toggle ON Allow brand partner to boost. This step is only required if the partnering brand or agency will be boosting your post to promote your content to a larger audience. If this is not something that your brand partner has requested, you can leave this toggle OFF.
   
   
8. Confirm by tapping Done.

When you publish content on TikTok, the platform may identify your post as "branded" when it shows clear marketing intent. There are three requirements for marketing intent — all three elements must be present: 

• Financial incentive: Your content includes URLs, promo codes, hashtags, collaboration mentions, QR codes, or overlay ads, which signals that you may be receiving money or benefits for promoting a product or service.
• Brand mention: You've used a branded hashtag (#brand), an official handle (@brand), or a brand logo in your video.
• Product recommendation: You're featuring or talking about a product or service in your content (e.g. demos, tutorials, or calls to action like "Buy now" or "Shop today" in your post).

Branded content disclosure refers to the clear and upfront labeling of content created in partnership with a business, indicating that the content is sponsored or promotional in nature. 

Why do I need to disclose branded content?

If you’re getting paid, gifted, or otherwise rewarded to talk about a product or service on TikTok, you need to let your audience know that this content is promotional. TikTok has built-in disclosure tools that make this easy, and using them is an important part of following their Community Guidelines.

On top of TikTok’s rules, most countries (including the U.S.) have laws that require creators to be clear when a post is part of a brand partnership. These rules are there to keep things transparent and to make sure your audience doesn't feel misled. For example, in the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has guidelines for what counts towards the legal requirements for disclosure, such as including a Paid Partnership label, or a #sponsored hashtag.

Please keep in mind that if you do not properly disclose your branded content on TikTok, your post may not be eligible for distribution in the For You feed - which will impact your organic performance. If this happens, you'll receive a content moderation notification in the TikTok app. Clicking on this notification will take you through the steps to edit your post to include the necessary disclosure settings, or appeal the content flag.

How do I disclose branded content on TikTok?

You should use the TikTok Campaign Invite Link provided by your partnering brand or agency to automatically apply all the necessary disclosure settings that will keep you in compliance with TikTok's Community Guidelines. If you did not receive a Campaign Invite Link from your partnering brand or agency, please reach out to your Campaign Manager. 

Will disclosing branded content impact my engagement?

Any posts that have branded content disclosures enabled will be distributed the same way as non-branded content, and can also still be run as a Spark Ads.

That's why turning on branded content disclosure won't change your video performance - TikTok ran studies in 2023 and 2025 comparing videos with and without proper branded content disclosure and found branded content outperforms other content in terms of total views, organic views, and organic engagement count. 

And lastly, when boosted as Spark Ads, branded content is  44.5% more efficient when it comes to CPM (or Cost per Thousand Impressions) than non-branded content!
 

What is branded content?

When you publish content on TikTok, the platform may identify your post as "branded" when it shows clear marketing intent. There are three requirements for marketing intent — all three elements must be present: 

• Financial incentive: Your content includes URLs, promo codes, hashtags, collaboration mentions, QR codes, or overlay ads, which signals that you may be receiving money or benefits for promoting a product or service.
• Brand mention: You've used a branded hashtag (#brand), an official handle (@brand), or a brand logo in your video.
• Product recommendation: You're featuring or talking about a product or service in your content (e.g. demos, tutorials, or calls to action like "Buy now" or "Shop today" in your post).
   

How do I appeal and branded content flag?

If your content has been flagged for not disclosing a brand collaboration after August 2025, you can either retroactively apply a Campaign Invite Link to your post within 24 hours of receiving the notification, or appeal the flag using the steps below:

1. Click on the notification in your TikTok app
2. Click Appeal
3. Fill out the provided form to indicate whether you are promoting a product or service, and whether you received any payment or incentive to create content
4. Click Submit
5. Your appeal will be reviewed and resolved within 24 hours of submission.
6. If your appeal is successful, your post will resume eligibility for distribution in the For You feed.

What are Campaign Invite Links?

TikTok Invite Links are unique URLs that you can use to upload your branded content videos, which automatically enables TikTok's Branded Content toggle. This ensures that all the content you produce for your Campaigns includes a Paid Partnership label and provides your partnering brand and agency with post-level insights through TikTok's API so you can stay compliant and prove your value.

You can save your partnering brand or agency's TikTok Invite Link and use it up to 500 times for a given campaign. Please keep in mind, the Invite Link is not compatible with carousel posts.

Save time by automatically sending Spark Ad insights to the brand you're collaborating with on TikTok. We'll go over how you can do this through the TikTok app!

1. In the TikTok mobile app, select or create content.
   
   
2. Click on (or Settings).
   
   
3. Select Content disclosure.
   
   
4. Toggle ON Disclose post content.
   
   

   Note: If this is your first time enabling content disclosure, a pop-up will appear asking you to accept TikTok's Music Usage Confirmation terms.

5. Checkmark Branded content.
   
   
6. Confirm by clicking the Save button.
   
   

   Note: If this is your first time enabling content disclosure, a pop-up will appear notifying the content will appear with a Paid Partnership label. You must accept the terms by clicking Continue.

7. Navigate back to content disclosure and ads.
   
   
8. Tap Link campaign under Brand Partnership.
   
   
9. Select the campaign and deliverable you're participating in.
   
   
10. You're ready to post!

What is Ads Only mode?

TikTok Ads Only Mode (also labeled as the Don't show on TikTok profile toggle in your TikTok app) allows you publish a video only as an ad—without it showing up on your profile, in searches, playlists, or on anyone’s For  You or Following feeds. You can switch this mode on or off at any point, even after the post is live.

What's the difference between Spark Ads and Ads Only?

• When using Spark Ads (which boost organic TikTok posts), TikTok makes your video public once it’s used in a campaign—regardless of its prior privacy status.
• But if you turn on Ads Only mode your video stays hidden from public and organic visibility—even while it runs as an ad.

How do I make a post Ads Only?

Before you create your post, you'll want to make sure that you have your Campaign Invite Link handy. If you didn't receive a Campaign Invite Link, start by reaching out to your Campaign Manager to request one.

1. Click on your Campaign Invite Link
2. Start recording your new video or use the upload from drafts option
3. Before publishing your post, click into into your Disclosure and ads settings before you publish and toggle Don't show on TikTok profile to ON.
4. Press Save

1. On your published post, select More options and then tap on Content disclosure and ads
2. Toggle Don't show on TikTok profile to ON.
3. Press Save

Warning: Even if you have converted a post to Ads Only mode, you will still need to make sure that it properly discloses branded content by applying a Campaign Invite Link. Posts that do not include required branded content disclosures are considered to be in violation of TikTok's Community Guidelines and may not be eligible for distribution in the For You feed.

If you are working with a brand or agency on a paid opportunity, or if the partnering brand or agency would like to be able to boost your content, you may be asked to use a campaign code when you publish campaign posts to YouTube. 

Why should I use a Campaign Code when posting?

Using your campaign code when posting your campaign content ensures that:

1. Your post meets your local regulatory requirements, as well as YouTube's Community Guidelines, by adding a Paid Partnership label to the first 10 seconds of your video and under your video title. Adding a paid partnership label won't affect how well your content performs — it's only designed to help you stay compliant.
2. You can easily grant boosting permissions to your partnering brand or agency, while limiting access to the specific campaign posts that you've linked.

Where do I find my YouTube Campaign Code?

If you are expected to use a Campaign Code to publish your content, you'll be able to find this information under the What's next? section by clicking on a YouTube posting requirement:

How do I use the Campaign Code when posting my video or Short?

1. Create a video or Short.
2. In the video details, select Add paid promotion label.
3. Under Does this video include paid promotion?, select Yes.
4. Click Select brand sponsorship.

5. On the next screen, find and select the appropriate campaign code.

   Note: Campaign codes may be reused multiple times within a single campaign, but they cannot be shared across campaigns. Always check that you're using the correct code before posting, especially when working with the same brand or agency on multiple different campaigns at the same time.

6. Confirm that you would like to link your post to this campaign by selecting I agree to the terms and conditions outlined by YouTube.

   Warning: By using a campaign code to publish your content, you are automatically granting boosting permissions to your content. However, your partnering brand or agency may not plan to use this permission for the campaign you are currently participating in. Please check your campaign details page or reach out to your Campaign Manager if you would like to confirm whether you should expect your post to be boosted.

7. Publish your video or Short.

What can I do if I've already published my campaign post without using the Campaign Code?

If your partnering brand or agency is expecting you to use a Campaign Code, but you've already published your content, you may receive a reminder notification on your YouTube Studio app.

1. Click on the notification.
2. Under Does this video include paid promotion?, select Yes.

3. Under Brand Partnerships, select View request.

   Note: Always check that the Campaign Code in your request matches the code provided by your partnering brand or agency.

4. Confirm that you would like to link your post to this campaign by selecting Share access to the terms and conditions outlined by YouTube.

   Warning: By using a campaign code to publish your content, you are automatically granting boosting permissions to your post. However, your partnering brand or agency may not plan to use this permission for the campaign you are currently participating in. Please check your campaign details page or reach out to your Campaign Manager if you would like to confirm whether you should expect your post to be boosted.

5. Click Save.

If the campaign you're participating in requires the brand you are working with to manage an ad – or dark post – published under your Facebook or Instagram account(s), this guide can help you get started.

What are Ad Permissions?

Ad Permissions are a seamless way to provide limited access to your account so a partnering brand or agency can publish an ad on your behalf.

To do this, the brand you are collaborating with will create a dark post. Dark posts will not appear in your feed; instead, they'll be shown to a targeted audience through Facebook Ads.

Linking Accounts vs. Ad Permissions

Below are the differences between linking your Meta accounts (or Instagram and Facebook) and Ad Permissions:

• Ad Permissions are for dark posts or ads only. Via their Meta Ads Manager account, the collaborating partner can publish ads through your social media profile.
• Linking your Facebook and Instagram account(s) allows your partnering brand or agency to pull content and real-time metrics for campaigns that you're participating in.

Why should I grant Ad Permissions?

Requirements

1. Requirement for both Instagram and Facebook » A published and public Facebook Page
   • If you're trying to add your Facebook or Instagram account, you must have a published Facebook Page. Personal Facebook Pages cannot be used as a replacement.
   • How do I create a Facebook Page?
   • How do I check to see if my Facebook Page is published?
2. Requirement for Instagram only » Business or Creator Instagram account
   • How do I switch from a Personal to a Professional Instagram Account?
3. Requirement for Instagram only» Facebook Page linked to your Instagram account  
   • How do I connect my Instagram Account to my Facebook Page?

Q: Is allowing Ad Permissions safe?

Yes! Your partnering brands and agencies will not be able to see any of your account information, or any information about previous collaborations you have participated in.

Visit How do we protect your data privacy? for further information on our privacy practices.

Q: How is allowing Ad Permissions different to linking my Social Accounts?

• Ad Permissions are specific to dark posts or ads only; providing these permissions will give another party the ability to publish ads through your social media profile via their Meta Ads Manager account.
• Linking your Facebook and Instagram account(s) allows your partnering brand or agency to on pull content and real-time metrics for campaigns that you're participating in.

Q: What are "dark posts"?

When allowing Ad Permissions, the brand or agency that you're collaborating with will gain limited access to create a dark post.

Dark posts will not appear in your feed. Instead, they'll be shown to a targeted audience through Facebook Ads.

Q: Why do I have to log in twice with Facebook? Once when linking my account, and once again to allow Ad Permissions?

Logging in twice ensures that your data is secure, and also provides transparency in the permissions that you are granting to your business partners with each step.

If the campaign you're participating in requires the brand you are working with to manage an ad – or dark post – that is published under your Facebook or Instagram account(s) , you'll need to enable Ad Permissions. There are two ways that you can enable these Permissions: your personalized bit.ly link and your Connect Accounts Page. 

Let's walk through these two options in the video below to help you get started.

Timestamps:

• 0:00: Intro
• 0:07: What's Creator Promote?
• 0:46: Prerequisites
• 1:01: Option 1 – Personalized bit.ly link
• 2:07: Option 2 – Link Accounts Page
• 3:02: Wrap up

You've likely ended up here because you've been invited to join or apply for an affiliate program by a brand or agency, and you have questions about what exactly is involved with an affiliate program. In this article, we'll answer some frequently asked questions that you might have before joining an affiliate program: 

Q: What is an affiliate program? 

An affiliate program allows you to make commission by sharing links or coupon codes to products via social media. 

An affiliate program is a partnership where a company pays a content creator, like you, a commission for driving sales through links or coupon codes that you share with your audience.

Here's how it works at a high level:

1. First, you'll sign up with a brand’s affiliate program,
2. Then, you'll get a unique link or coupon code,
3. Next, you'll share that link in your content.
4. Then, when a member of your audience clicks the link and makes a purchase, or uses your coupon code when making a purchase, this will be recorded,
5. After this, there'll be a period of validation,
6. And finally, you'll receive a commission! 

Q: How can I join an affiliate program? 

Some affiliate programs are open for any creators to apply to join, and others are by invitation only. Either way, you'll provide the information that a brand requests as part of your application, and then you'll hear back directly from the brand letting you know if you've made it into their affiliate program. 

Q: How often do I have to post? How much Commission will I make? What are the rules? 

Great questions! This varies depending on the brand you're working with, so be sure to read the instructions and terms and conditions of any affiliate program you're considering applying for! 

You'll also want to be sure you're following any relevant advertising guidelines or rules for your location. For example, the UK's advertising standards agency requires affiliate content to be clearly marked,  as does the USA's Federal Trade Commission. 

Q: How can I find my Coupon Codes?

If your partnering brand is providing you with coupon codes as part of your affiliate partnership, you'll find these on the Campaign Details Page in your Creator Dashboard. 

Q: How can I create my affiliate links? 

If you're partnering with a brand and they've asked you to generate your affiliate links, you can follow the steps in this guide to use the Link Generator! 

Q: How can I see my commissions?

Once your audience begins using your affiliate link or coupon code, you'll be able to see information about the commission you've earned in your Creator Dashboard. Learn more here! 

Q: Will I receive my commission payment instantly?

Generally, commission payments are subject to a validation period that ensures that person who has made the purchase does not return their order after you've been paid your commission. This time period will vary based on the brand you're working with. Learn more here! 

Q: Who can answer my questions about an affiliate program? 

If you have questions about participating in an affiliate program, be sure to reach out to your Campaign Manager who will be best placed to help! 

If you're part of your collaborating brand or agency's affiliate program, you may have been asked to create an affiliate link that you'll include in your content about the brand. To do this, you'll use the Link Generator in your Creator Dashboard. In this guide you'll find a video walkthrough, or you can follow the step-by-step instructions below!

1. Click Link Generator in the top bar of your Creator Dashboard, or you may also see a link to the Link Generator within the Campaign Details section of the Campaign that you're participating in.
   
   
2. Now, click Get Started.
   
   
3. Next, select the Campaign that you're participating in from the drop down menu, and then click the right-hand arrow to move on to step 3. 
   
4.  Copy the URL from your partnering brand's website that you'd like to link to, and paste it here. Remember that this is the page your followers will see when they click the link you share, so be sure to select a page or product that's relevant to your post.
   1. It's important to remember that only your partnering brand or agency can provide guidance on which pages or products you should link to. Be sure to check your Campaign instructions for any guidance on this, and if you have questions reach out to your Campaign Manager! 
       
5. Once again, click the right-hand arrow to generate your link, and that's it! You've generated a unique affiliate link that's ready to share with your followers. Click Copy Link to copy the link to your clipboard, ready to paste into your post's caption. 
   

After getting started with your partnering brand or agency's affiliate program, you might want to learn more about commission payouts. Check out this article for more details!