ASA & CMA Disclosure Rules for UK Bloggers: A Practical Compliance Template

If you use affiliate links, discount codes or commission-based recommendations in the UK, you should make the commercial relationship clear before someone clicks or engages. In practice, that means using a prominent disclosure such as “Ad” or “Advert” where affiliate content is promotional, and making sure your blog readers can see that you may earn a commission from relevant links. The ASA treats affiliate-linked content as advertising, while CMA guidance requires creators to be transparent about commercial relationships.www+2

Important: This article is a practical compliance guide, not legal advice. ASA, CAP Code, CMA and consumer-protection guidance can change. If you run significant campaigns, work with regulated products or are unsure about a particular arrangement, get specialist legal or compliance advice.

Key takeaways

• If you earn a commission from a link, code or referral, the commercial relationship needs to be made clear.
• “Affiliate link” on its own may not be clear enough for every context; “Ad” or “Advert” is safer for promotional affiliate content.
• Your disclosure should appear before or alongside the relevant promotional content, not hidden in a footer, bio or separate page.
• A website-wide disclosure can support transparency, but it may not be enough for every individual article, social post, Story, video or email.
• The ASA and CAP Code deal with advertising rules; the CMA also expects creators to be clear about paid, gifted and commercially incentivised endorsements.
• Brands and affiliates can both carry responsibility for compliant affiliate content.
• A simple, consistent disclosure system is better than trying to fix compliance after a complaint.

What are affiliate marketing disclosure rules in the UK?

Affiliate marketing disclosure rules in the UK are about one thing: readers should be able to tell when content is commercial.

If you publish a blog post, email, video, Instagram post, Pinterest pin or Facebook update that includes an affiliate link, you have a financial incentive. If somebody buys after clicking, you may earn a commission.

That does not make your content dishonest. It does mean you need to be open about the relationship.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) applies the CAP Code to affiliate marketing. CAP Code rule 2.1 requires marketing communications to be obviously identifiable as such, and ASA guidance says affiliate links are likely to be considered advertising even where the brand has not gifted products or controlled your content.asa+1

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) takes a similar consumer-protection view. It expects creators to disclose clearly and prominently when they have received payment, a benefit, free products or another incentive to endorse a product or service. Affiliate links and affiliate programmes are specifically included in government guidance for creators.www+1

That means the question is not:

“Did the company pay me upfront to write this?”

The more useful question is:

“Could I make money, receive a benefit or gain commercially if somebody acts on this content?”

If the answer is yes, disclose it clearly.

Who regulates affiliate disclosures in the UK?

There are a few names involved, and it is easy for beginners to blur them together. They have different roles, but the practical message is consistent: make commercial intent clear.

The ASA is not a court, and it does not issue criminal penalties itself. However, an upheld ruling can be damaging. It can require content to be changed or removed, create public reputational issues and lead to referral to other bodies in more serious cases.

More importantly, clear disclosures are good business practice. If a reader finds out later that you were paid or could earn a commission, they may feel misled even if your recommendation was genuine.

Trust is hard to build and very easy to lose.

Do I have to disclose affiliate content in the UK?

In practical terms, yes.

If your content includes affiliate links, affiliate codes or a commission-based referral arrangement, you should disclose the commercial relationship clearly. This applies whether you are a full-time publisher, a part-time blogger, a YouTuber, a small creator or somebody sharing links in a Facebook group.

ASA guidance is particularly clear on affiliate marketing: where content refers to a brand or product and includes an affiliate link, promotional code or other tracking method that can generate a commission, it is likely to fall within the CAP Code. Both the brand and the affiliate can be jointly responsible for the advertising content.asa+2

You should also disclose when you have received:

• Payment for a post, review or video
• A free product, service, event ticket or trip
• A loan product supplied for a review
• A discount or commercial benefit
• A commission for clicks, leads, sales or subscriptions
• A personal, family or business connection to the brand
• Shares, ownership or employment with the company you mention

The main principle is simple: your audience should understand the commercial relationship before it affects their decision.

What about honest reviews?

An honest review still needs disclosure if you may earn a commission from it.

You are allowed to share your real opinion. In fact, you should. You can say a product has weaknesses, is overpriced, is not suitable for beginners or did not work for you.

The disclosure is not an admission that your opinion is bought. It is an acknowledgement that you have a commercial interest in the outcome if somebody purchases through your link.

A well-written disclosure can actually strengthen a review:

This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I have used, researched properly or believe are genuinely useful to my readers.

That is clear, plain English and does not interrupt the flow of the article.

Where should affiliate disclosures appear?

Placement matters as much as wording.

A disclosure hidden in your website footer does not help someone reading a product review on their mobile phone. A line buried after 2,000 words of content is not clear enough. A generic statement on your About page does not fix a promotional Instagram post.

Your disclosure needs to be visible at the point where the reader encounters the commercial content.

For blog posts

Place a short disclosure near the top of the article, ideally before the first affiliate link.

Good placement options include:

• Directly below the title and introduction
• In a visually distinct note beneath the featured image
• Above a product comparison table
• Before a list of recommended tools
• Immediately before the first affiliate link, where appropriate

A site-wide disclosure page is still worth having, but it should support individual-page disclosures rather than replace them.

For social media posts

Make the commercial nature obvious at the beginning of the caption or post, before the reader has to click “see more”.

For example:

Ad. I may earn a commission if you sign up through this link.

Or:

Advert: this post contains affiliate links, which may earn me a commission.

Do not tuck “#affiliate” among a block of unrelated hashtags at the bottom. Do not rely on a vague “collab” label. Do not assume that people will click through to your bio, Linktree or disclosure page before engaging.

ASA guidance stresses that a label needs to be upfront, prominent and appropriate to the channel.

For email newsletters

Include a brief disclosure before or near affiliate links. If the entire email is designed to promote one affiliate offer, label that fact at the top.

For example:

Ad: This email includes affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You can also include a more general statement in your email footer, but it should not be the only disclosure if the body of the email is promotional.

For YouTube, podcasts and video

State the commercial relationship clearly in the video or audio itself, ideally near the start. Put a written disclosure near the top of the description too.

People may watch the video without opening the description. Others may scan the description without watching the full video. Cover both routes.

For Stories, Reels and short-form video

Use an obvious on-screen label such as “Ad” or “Advert” that can be read on a phone screen. It needs to remain visible long enough for viewers to notice it.

A tiny, low-contrast disclosure placed over a busy image is not a proper disclosure. Neither is placing it on the final Story slide after the product link has already appeared.

Best disclosure wording for UK affiliate marketers

There is no single magic sentence that suits every format. What matters is that the wording is clear, prominent and understandable to a normal reader.

Here are practical options you can use.

Website article disclosure template

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I believe may be useful to my readers.

Short blog disclosure template

Ad: This page contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through them.

Product review disclosure template

Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you purchase through links in this review. This does not affect my opinion, and I have included both the strengths and limitations of the product.

Email disclosure template

Ad: This email contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn template

Ad: I may earn a commission if you purchase through the link or code in this post.

Video disclosure template

Ad: Some links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them. It will not cost you anything extra.

The ASA has indicated that “ad/affiliate” may not make the advertising nature clear enough in some contexts. When in doubt, use “Ad” or “Advert” prominently and explain the commission relationship in plain English.asa+1

What not to do

A disclosure can fail even when you technically include one.

Here are common mistakes that create unnecessary risk.

Avoid trying to be clever. Compliance language does not need creativity. It needs clarity.

Affiliate links, sponsored posts and gifted products are not identical

Not every commercial relationship is exactly the same. Your disclosure should reflect what actually happened.

Affiliate-only content

You bought or researched the product independently, but you include affiliate links that may earn you commission.

Example:

Ad: This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through them.

Gifted product plus affiliate links

A brand sent you a product free of charge, and you also include affiliate links.

Example:

Ad: This product was provided free of charge, and this article contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through them.

Paid sponsorship

A brand paid you to create specific content, whether or not you also receive affiliate commission.

Example:

Advert: This post is a paid partnership with [Brand]. I may also earn commission from qualifying purchases through the links below.

Personal or business connection

You own part of the company, work for it, are a director, or have a close personal relationship with the business.

Example:

Ad: I have a commercial interest in [Brand], and I may benefit if you purchase through the links in this article.

Do not use a generic template if it hides material facts. A reader should not need to investigate your business arrangements to understand why you are recommending something.

A simple affiliate disclosure system for your website

The easiest way to stay compliant is to build disclosure into your publishing workflow.

Do not rely on memory. Do not tell yourself you will add the disclosure later. If the post is already live and being shared, “later” often becomes never.

Use this system.

1. Create a standard disclosure block

Save a short disclosure in your WordPress reusable blocks, synced patterns or page-builder template.

For standard affiliate posts, use:

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Put it directly below the introduction or before the first affiliate recommendation.

2. Create specific templates for different arrangements

Keep separate versions for:

• Affiliate-only content
• Gifted products
• Paid sponsorships
• Brand partnerships
• Product loans
• Courses or tools you own
• Personal or business connections

This prevents you from using an incomplete disclosure when the commercial arrangement changes.

3. Add an editorial checklist before publishing

Before clicking Publish, ask:

1. Does this content include affiliate links, affiliate codes or tracked referral links?
2. Was I paid, gifted or otherwise incentivised?
3. Is the disclosure visible before the reader encounters the promotion?
4. Does the wording explain the actual relationship?
5. Is the disclosure readable on a mobile device?
6. Have I followed the affiliate programme’s own terms?
7. Have I added rel="sponsored" or an appropriate link attribute where relevant to my site setup?

That final point is not an ASA requirement. It is a sensible technical housekeeping step for affiliate links. Talk to your developer or SEO adviser if you are unsure how your WordPress links are configured.

4. Keep records

Save copies of:

• Affiliate programme terms
• Brand agreements
• Briefs and campaign emails
• Gifted-product arrangements
• Screenshots of live disclosures
• Invoices and payment records
• Previous versions of content if terms change

This is useful if a network, brand, reader or regulator questions the arrangement later.

A practical pre-publication checklist

Use this checklist for every affiliate post, email or social update.

For regulated niches such as financial products, investments, crypto, gambling, health products or legal services, the disclosure is only one part of compliance. You may face additional rules about claims, risk warnings, targeting and promotion. Do not assume a standard affiliate disclaimer makes regulated content safe to publish.

How disclosures improve conversion, not just compliance

Some affiliates worry that disclosures will reduce clicks.

That is the wrong way to look at it.

A reader who is likely to disappear because you honestly say you earn commission was not building a useful relationship with your brand anyway. The readers you want are those who value your recommendations and understand that commissions help fund your content.

A clear disclosure can make you more credible because it signals that you are not hiding the commercial side of the business.

The conversion goal should not be to get every reader to click. It should be to help the right reader make an informed decision.

That means:

• Recommend fewer products, more carefully.
• Explain who a product is for and who it is not for.
• Include limitations, alternatives and realistic expectations.
• Make commission relationships clear.
• Publish content that is useful even if the reader never clicks a link.

This is how you build a sustainable affiliate business. You are creating an audience asset, not just chasing one-off commissions.

Step-by-step action plan

If your current disclosures are inconsistent, do this today.

1. Audit your website. Search your site for affiliate links, discount codes, “recommended tools” pages, reviews and comparison articles.
2. Add a clear disclosure block. Place it near the top of every article containing affiliate links.
3. Review social profiles and scheduled posts. Make sure promotional posts use “Ad” or “Advert” where appropriate and place the label upfront.
4. Update your email templates. Create a short disclosure line for affiliate newsletters and promotional broadcasts.
5. Create a disclosure page. Explain your general affiliate approach, but do not rely on this page alone.
6. Save reusable templates. Use WordPress patterns, email snippets and social-media templates so disclosure becomes automatic.
7. Check merchant terms. Affiliate programmes may have additional requirements around wording, trademarks, paid ads, email promotion and link placement.
8. Document gifted and paid relationships. Record what you received, when, from whom and what you agreed to publish.
9. Review quarterly. Check old content, expired offers and programme terms at least every three months.

Build trust into the system

Affiliate marketing works when people trust your judgement. A disclosure is not an obstacle to that trust; it is evidence of it.

After nearly two decades online, my view is simple: if you would feel uncomfortable explaining your commercial relationship to a reader, you should not be promoting the offer in that way.

Build clear disclosures into every part of your publishing process. Be honest about commissions. Recommend products that deserve your audience’s attention. That is better for compliance, better for your reputation and better for long-term affiliate income.

If you want to build the wider foundations properly, start with the How to Start Affiliate Marketing pillar guide. When you are ready to put content, traffic, email and monetisation into a more deliberate structure, explore The Strategic Affiliate Income System.