Guide · checked against TikTok's published pages on November 10, 2026
How to disclose free products and paid posts on TikTok Shop
When you have to say a product was free, why the toggle alone isn't enough, and the exact places your disclosure has to appear.
Short answer
If a brand sent you the product free or paid you, say so in the video itself and use TikTok's disclosure toggle too. A caption tag alone, or a hashtag buried at the end, isn't enough under FTC rules. Avoid vague tags like "sp" or "collab," and repeat the disclosure during LIVEs.
A free sample is a paid relationship as far as the FTC is concerned. That surprises a lot of new creators we talk to. Good news: it's easy to get right.
When you need it
Free product? Flat fee? A brand challenge with a prize? All count. Any connection to the brand that a viewer wouldn't assume counts. Earning affiliate commission is the connection most viewers already expect on TikTok Shop, and disclosure covers that too.
Where it has to appear
In the video itself. The FTC's endorsement guides, at 16 CFR Part 255, want the disclosure where people will see it. Say it. Put it on screen too if you can. Something as simple as "they sent me this to try" works.
Use TikTok's disclosure toggle as well. It labels the post, but the toggle alone doesn't cover you.
On LIVE, say it several times over the stream, because people join halfway through and never hear what you said at the start. Repeat it.
What doesn't count
A disclosure that's only in the caption fails, even if it's the first of 3 lines. So does a hashtag at the end of 30 others. Vague tags like "sp," "spon" or "collab," or a bare "thanks" to the brand. All of these fail the "will people actually notice" test.
Two related rules
Never review a product you haven't used. Ever. The FTC can hold creators personally responsible for claims beyond their own experience.
And if you got a mini or a sample size, say so. TikTok's product-matching rules expect a note that the item shown is a sample.
Questions
Does disclosing hurt my sales?
There's no sign it does. Viewers on TikTok Shop expect creators to earn commission.
What about products I bought myself?
No disclosure is needed for products you paid for with your own money, though a quick "I bought this myself" at the start builds trust with viewers who've grown suspicious of every recommendation on the app.
Is #ad enough?
As a clear tag near the start, it's better than "sp." Saying it in the video is better still.
Know someone stuck on the same thing? Send them this page. Members can also get a personal invite link with /refer in our Discord, and every friend who joins and stays earns you a free product report.