How to Add a Paid Promotion Disclosure on YouTube

If your YouTube video includes a sponsorship, endorsement, paid product placement, free product, gifted service, affiliate relationship, or another commercial relationship that may have influenced the content, you need to handle the disclosure properly.

YouTube gives creators a paid promotion checkbox in the video details. When you tell YouTube that a video contains paid promotion, YouTube may show a disclosure at the beginning of the video. This helps viewers understand that the content includes a commercial relationship.

This setting is important, but it is not the whole job. YouTube also says creators and brands are responsible for understanding and following local legal obligations around paid promotion disclosures. That means you may still need to disclose the relationship clearly in the video itself, in the description, or in a way that matches the rules in your country.

This guide explains what counts as paid promotion on YouTube, how to add the disclosure, when you need to use it, what it does not cover, what products and services are not allowed in paid promotions, and how creators, businesses, and agencies should build a clean sponsorship disclosure workflow.

The Short Answer

To add a paid promotion disclosure on YouTube, open the video in YouTube Studio, go to the video details, and tick the paid promotion box if the video includes paid product placement, sponsorship, endorsement, or another commercial relationship that should be disclosed to viewers.

When you tick the box, YouTube can show a disclosure message at the beginning of the video. This does not automatically satisfy every legal requirement in every country, so you should also make any required disclosure in the video, description, or campaign materials.

If the video is directed at children, paid promotion disclosures must be understandable by children.

What Counts as Paid Promotion?

Paid promotion is broader than many creators think. It is not only a traditional sponsor read where a company pays you to talk about a product.

Paid promotion can include:

• Paid product placements
• Sponsorships
• Endorsements
• Free products or services given in exchange for coverage
• Brand-funded videos
• Affiliate or commercial arrangements that influence the content
• Company messages integrated into the video
• Videos created for a business in exchange for compensation

If a company, advertiser, brand, or partner has influenced the content through payment, free products, services, or another commercial relationship, treat the video as requiring review for paid promotion disclosure.

Paid Product Placement vs Sponsorship vs Endorsement

These terms overlap, but they are not identical.

Paid product placement

A paid product placement usually means a product, service, brand, message, or company is included directly in the video because there is a commercial relationship.

For example, if a company gives you money or a free product to feature that product in your video, that is likely paid product placement.

Sponsorship

A sponsorship usually means a company finances the video in whole or in part. The sponsor may not be integrated into every scene, but the brand relationship still influenced the content.

Endorsement

An endorsement usually involves a creator giving an opinion, belief, experience, recommendation, or statement about a product or service as part of a commercial relationship.

The safest rule is simple: if money, free goods, free services, discounts, affiliate benefit, or brand involvement influenced the content, disclose clearly.

How to Add Paid Promotion Disclosure During Upload

The usual process is:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Upload your video.
3. Open the video details step.
4. Find the paid promotion option.
5. Tick the box if the video includes paid promotion.
6. Complete the rest of the upload details.
7. Review your description, sponsor wording, and any legal disclosure.
8. Publish or schedule the video.

Do not leave this until the final seconds before publishing. Paid promotion should be part of the video planning checklist, not a rushed afterthought.

How to Add Paid Promotion Disclosure After Upload

If you forgot to add the disclosure, update the video details as soon as possible.

The general process is:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Go to Content.
3. Select the video.
4. Open the video details.
5. Find the paid promotion option.
6. Tick the box if required.
7. Save the change.

You should also update the description and pinned comment if the disclosure there was missing or unclear.

What the YouTube Disclosure Does

When a creator tells YouTube that the video contains paid promotion, YouTube can display a disclosure at the beginning of the video. This helps viewers understand that the video includes a commercial relationship.

This is useful, but it does not replace your own responsibility to follow the rules that apply to you. Some countries require disclosures to be clear, prominent, timely, and understandable before the viewer is influenced by the promotion.

In plain English: ticking the YouTube box is important, but do not assume it is the only disclosure you need.

Should You Also Say It in the Video?

Often, yes. A spoken or on-screen disclosure is clearer than relying only on the platform label.

Good plain-English examples include:

• This video is sponsored by [brand].
• [Brand] paid for this video.
• [Brand] sent me this product for free to review.
• This section includes a paid partnership with [brand].
• I may earn a commission if you buy through the link below.

Do not hide the disclosure at the very end of the video if the promotion happens at the beginning. The viewer should understand the relationship before or when the promotion appears.

Should You Add It to the Description?

Yes, when relevant. A description disclosure helps viewers who look below the video and gives the commercial relationship a written record.

Use clear wording near the top of the description, especially if the sponsor or affiliate relationship is central to the video.

Examples:

• Sponsored by [brand].
• This video includes a paid partnership with [brand].
• [Brand] provided the product shown in this video.
• Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A vague line such as thanks to our friends is not always enough. Be direct.

Paid Promotion in Videos Directed at Children

If your video is directed at children and contains paid promotion, the disclosure must be understandable by children. That means the wording should be simple, obvious, and not hidden in adult legal language.

Be especially careful with child-directed content because children may not understand advertising relationships in the same way adults do.

If your channel produces child-directed content, get proper advice and build a strict approval process for any commercial relationship.

Products and Services That Cannot Be Promoted

YouTube says paid promotions must follow Google Ads policies and YouTube Community Guidelines. Some products and services cannot be included in paid promotions.

Creators should review the rules carefully before accepting a sponsor. High-risk categories can include regulated, unsafe, misleading, or restricted products and services.

Before accepting a sponsor, ask:

• Is this product allowed under YouTube rules?
• Is this product allowed under advertising rules?
• Is the claim truthful?
• Is the audience appropriate?
• Does the product need age, location, or legal restrictions?
• Could this damage viewer trust?

A sponsorship fee is not worth risking the channel.

Embedded Third-Party Ads

YouTube also has rules around embedded third-party sponsorships and advertisements. Creators cannot include third-party promotions where YouTube offers a comparable ad format, such as pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll, or bumper-style ads.

Paid product placements and endorsements may be allowed when they follow the relevant policies, but creators should not insert unauthorized third-party ad formats into videos.

If a brand asks you to place a commercial inside your video like a normal ad break, check the rules before agreeing.

Affiliate Links and Paid Promotion

Affiliate links can create a commercial relationship because you may earn money if viewers buy through your link. That relationship should be disclosed clearly.

Use simple wording such as:

Some links in this description are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy through them.

Do not hide affiliate disclosures behind vague language. Viewers should understand the financial relationship.

Free Products and Gifted Services

Free products and gifted services can still require disclosure. A brand does not need to pay cash for there to be a commercial relationship.

Disclose when:

• A brand sent a product for free
• A company gave free access to software
• A hotel, venue, or travel company provided free service
• A brand gave a discount in exchange for coverage
• A partner influenced the content through benefits

The viewer should know when your access, experience, or opinion may have been influenced by a benefit.

Business and Agency Workflow

Businesses and agencies should make disclosure part of sponsorship approval.

Workflow:

• Identify the commercial relationship
• Confirm whether paid promotion disclosure is required
• Check whether the sponsor category is allowed
• Agree the spoken disclosure
• Agree the description disclosure
• Tick the YouTube paid promotion box
• Check local legal requirements
• Keep records of approval

Do not let editors, account managers, or creators decide disclosures casually at upload time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes:

• Forgetting to tick the paid promotion box
• Assuming the YouTube label is the only disclosure needed
• Hiding sponsor wording at the bottom of the description
• Using vague language viewers do not understand
• Failing to disclose free products
• Accepting sponsors that violate YouTube policies
• Not checking local advertising rules
• Letting agencies publish sponsor videos without disclosure approval

FAQ

What is paid promotion on YouTube?

Paid promotion includes paid product placements, sponsorships, endorsements, and other commercial relationships that may have influenced the content.

How do I tell YouTube my video has paid promotion?

Tick the paid promotion box in the video details in YouTube Studio.

Does YouTube show a disclosure?

When you declare paid promotion, YouTube can show a disclosure at the beginning of the video.

Do I still need to disclose in the video?

Often, yes. You are responsible for following local legal disclosure rules, which may require clear disclosure in the content or description.

Do free products count?

They can. If a free product, service, or benefit influenced the content, disclose it clearly.

Can I promote any sponsor?

No. Paid promotions must follow Google Ads policies and YouTube Community Guidelines.

Final Thoughts

Paid promotion disclosure is not just a checkbox. It is part of being honest with viewers. If a brand, sponsor, affiliate relationship, free product, or commercial benefit influenced the content, make that relationship clear.

Use the YouTube paid promotion box, but also use plain language in the video and description where required. Check sponsor categories before accepting deals, and keep disclosure approval in your publishing workflow.

For creators, disclosure protects trust. For businesses, it protects compliance. For agencies, it should be standard practice on every sponsored upload.