YouTuber Sponsorship Disclosure

Also called: Sponsorship disclosure, paid promotion disclosure

Common prompts: "do YouTubers have to disclose sponsors," "what is the paid promotion toggle," "FTC rules for YouTube ads"

Definition

YouTuber sponsorship disclosure covers the verbal, on-screen, and platform-level signals a creator uses to flag a paid or gifted partnership: a spoken mention near the start of a video, a written disclosure in the description, and YouTube's built-in paid-promotion toggle, which appends an on-screen label automatically.

Why it matters

The FTC Endorsement Guides require clear, unavoidable disclosure of any material connection between a creator and a brand. Enforcement has increasingly targeted YouTube specifically, and inconsistent disclosure across a channel's back catalog is a recurring source of brand and creator legal exposure. It also shapes AI-engine summaries of a creator's credibility and independence.

Example

A tech reviewer flips YouTube's paid-promotion toggle, states the sponsorship aloud in the first 30 seconds, and repeats the disclosure in the video description, satisfying disclosure obligations across all three surfaces.