A viewer can decide whether to trust a recommendation only when they can see who paid for it. Write the relationship into the first seconds of the Short, then set the platform's commercial-content control. Inspect the title, thumbnail, caption, opening frame and published label in the places viewers actually see them.
This page deals with a sponsor or other commercial relationship. The separate YouTube altered-content guide covers realistic synthetic media. Both controls may matter on one upload.
Write down the relationship before scripting
| Situation | Plain opening wording | Control to check |
|---|---|---|
| A brand pays the creator to recommend its product | Ad. [Brand] paid for this video. | YouTube paid promotion; TikTok third-party branded content. |
| A brand supplies a free product or another incentive | Ad. [Brand] gave me this product to feature. | Platform commercial-content setting and the wording required for the audience. |
| A creator promotes their own business on TikTok | Ad. My business makes [product]. This video shows [task]. | TikTok's own-brand content disclosure choice. |
The US FTC guide treats payment, free or discounted goods, employment and other material connections as relationships to disclose in endorsements. A discount code or brand tag alone can leave that relationship unclear. Say what happened. If you have not used the product, do not say you have.
Set the platform control, then check the visible post
- YouTube Shorts: YouTube Help says a video with branded content, a sponsorship, an endorsement or another commercial relationship must use the paid-promotion button in video details. YouTube adds a label at the beginning. Check the control and the resulting label on the processed Short.
- TikTok: TikTok Help says to turn on Content disclosure for own-brand promotion or an incentivised third-party promotion. Own-brand posts receive a Promotional content label; third-party branded posts receive Paid partnership. TikTok says a published label choice cannot be changed; correcting a wrong choice requires a new post.
Those platform labels do not settle every audience-facing wording choice. Review the actual viewing surface after upload, including when the caption is collapsed or sound is off.
What changes between UK and US viewers?
For the UK, ASA/CAP's August 2026 guidance says influencer advertising should be obviously identifiable and lists “Ad” among the labels very likely to be acceptable. For a YouTube video, the title and/or thumbnail will likely need an identifier before a viewer clicks. For a TikTok-style feed, show commercial intent at or before the opening. Text hidden behind “more” or placed only in a profile can arrive too late.
For the US, the FTC says a video endorsement needs its disclosure in the video, not only its description. It notes that disclosure in both sound and picture is more likely to be noticed. A platform disclosure tool alone should not be assumed to reach every viewer. Use plain words about the actual relationship.
A 20-second example with no invented sponsor result
“Desk Timer Co.” below is an invented brand in a teaching example. There is no sponsor agreement, product test, posted Short or measured response. The imagined creator is paid to show a mock timer interface; they make no claim that it improves productivity.
| Place | Example |
|---|---|
| YouTube title and thumbnail | Title: ‘Ad | A 20-second look at a desk timer’. Put a legible ‘Ad’ marker on the thumbnail shown before click. |
| TikTok caption opening | ‘Ad — Desk Timer Co paid for this video. Here is its timer interface.’ |
| 0–3 seconds, picture | Large text inside the safe vertical frame: ‘Ad · Desk Timer Co paid for this video’. |
| 0–3 seconds, voice | ‘Ad. Desk Timer Co paid for this video.’ |
| 4–20 seconds | Show only an illustrative mock interface. A real campaign would need authorized footage and checked product claims. |
Do not move the disclosure to an end card. In a real Short, use the sponsor's real name and the real deal: payment, a free item, an affiliate commission or another material tie. A script cannot verify the final crop, volume or platform label; play the published version on a phone with sound and without it.
Keep a short release record
- Write the actual relationship and check every claim against evidence from real use.
- Place the relationship where UK/US viewers see or hear it at the start; check title and thumbnail where shown.
- Choose the right YouTube or TikTok commercial-content control for this upload.
- Review the rendered opening and live label. Save the final title, caption, video and live URL with the campaign record.
For the separate question of what makes a Shorts sponsorship financially useful, estimate real production and review cost before promising a result. A paid label says who has a stake in the recommendation; it does not prove the product works.