The two rules you're following
Amazon's rule. Section 5 of the Associates Program Operating Agreement asks you to state, clearly and prominently, "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." It applies to your website and to any other place Amazon lets you use its links, such as social media posts, apps and Alexa skills. The agreement also accepts wording Amazon allowed in the past, but the current sentence is the safe choice. Amazon UK's agreement uses the same sentence.
The FTC's rule. In the US, the FTC's Endorsement Guides treat an affiliate commission as a material connection that must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously. Since the 2023 update, that means difficult to miss and easy for ordinary people to understand. Amazon's own policies also ask you to meet these legal requirements.
Amazon's sentence alone is a little formal for many readers. The pattern that satisfies both is one plain sentence plus Amazon's sentence, placed where readers see it before they click.
Website examples
Top of an article (the main one)
Put this under the headline, before the first product or link.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Heads up: if you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We test products independently and brands can't pay for a spot on this list. We may earn a commission from links on this page. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we make money →
Next to a product box or button
Useful when a product box sits far down the page, away from the top disclosure.
Paid link. We earn a commission if you buy.
Our top pick is the [product name] (paid link).
Site footer
Good as a backstop on every page, but not a replacement for the top-of-article line.
[Site name] earns commissions from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Your disclosure page
A full page linked from your footer and your short disclosures. A starting point to adapt:
How [Site name] makes money. [Site name] is reader-supported. When you buy a product through a link on our site, we may earn a commission from the retailer at no extra cost to you.
Amazon. [Site name] is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Our independence. Commissions never decide which products we recommend or how we rank them. We buy or borrow the products we test, and we tell you when a brand sends us a sample.
Social media and video examples
Each post with Amazon links needs its own disclosure, visible without tapping "more".
| Where | Example | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube video | "I earn a commission if you buy through the links below." | Say it out loud and show it on screen near the start, not only at the end |
| YouTube description | "Paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." | First line, above the links |
| Instagram / TikTok | "#ad I earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon via the link in my bio." | Start of the caption, not buried in hashtags |
| Pinterest pin | "Paid link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." | Pin description, first line |
| X / Threads / Facebook | "Paid link: [your link] As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." | In the post itself, not in a reply or comment |
| Email newsletter | "This email has paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." | Top of the email |
The FTC's advice for review channels is to disclose in the video and again in the description near the links, because viewers easily miss description text. It also notes that one disclosure can cover a page when readers can see it and the links together.
Disclosures that don't work
- "Affiliate link" on its own. The FTC says consumers may not understand it, and "commissionable link" probably isn't clear either.
- Only in the footer or on a separate page. A single disclosure on your home page isn't enough for individual reviews, and a "Disclosure" link readers must click is easy to avoid.
- After the links. A note at the end of a post or video comes too late.
- Hidden in a pile of hashtags, or in small, faint text.
- Relying on a platform's paid-partnership toggle alone. The FTC says built-in tools may not be enough.
Where Amazon links can't go
A disclosure doesn't fix a link that isn't allowed. Amazon's policies permit Special Links in emails, SMS and direct messages that people have opted into. They don't allow them in printed material, ebooks, PDFs, email attachments or other offline material. Link to your website from those instead, and keep the Amazon links on the site.
Disclosures that can't go missing
Affilicraft shows your disclosure under the headline of every product article and in the footer of every page, links it to a full disclosure page, and stops the build if the Amazon sentence or the disclosure page is removed.
See AffilicraftFAQ
What is the required Amazon affiliate disclosure?
The Associates Operating Agreement requires the statement "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases", shown clearly and prominently on your site and anywhere else you use Amazon links, including social media.
Is "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases" enough on its own?
It meets Amazon's requirement, but the FTC judges disclosures by whether ordinary readers understand them. Pair it with a plain sentence such as "We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page", placed before the first link.
Where should the affiliate disclosure go on a blog post?
Near the top, before the first affiliate link, and close to your recommendations. The FTC says the closer the disclosure is to the recommendation, the better. A footer or a separate disclosure page alone isn't enough.
Do I need a disclosure in YouTube videos?
Yes. The FTC advises disclosing the affiliate relationship in the video itself and in the description near the links, because viewers can easily miss text in the description.
Is writing "affiliate link" a good enough disclosure?
Probably not on its own. The FTC says many consumers may not understand "affiliate link". "Paid link" next to the link, or a sentence saying you earn a commission, is clearer.
Can I put Amazon affiliate links in emails or PDFs?
Amazon allows Special Links in emails people have opted into, with a disclosure. It doesn't allow them in printed material, ebooks, PDFs or email attachments.
Where these facts come from
- Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement (Section 5)
- Amazon.co.uk Associates Operating Agreement (Section 5)
- Amazon Associates Program Policies (disclosure, email, offline use)
- FTC: Endorsement Guides, What People Are Asking
- FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
Not legal advice. Amazon changes these rules from time to time; check Associates Central for the current terms.