What does 'paid partnership' mean on Instagram and how do you add the label?

Last updated · by Buse Dülger

'Paid partnership' is the label Instagram adds under a creator's handle when a post, Reel or Story is branded content. That means a brand paid the creator or gave them something of value. Creators switch the label on in Advanced settings or the Story tag menu and tag the brand. The brand then approves it.

What does 'paid partnership' mean on Instagram?

'Paid partnership' means the creator got money, free product or some other benefit from a brand for the content you're looking at, and has disclosed it with Instagram's built-in label. Once the brand approves the tag, the line under the creator's handle reads 'Paid partnership with [brand]'. Until then it shows only 'Paid partnership'.

Outside Instagram, people also use 'paid partnership' loosely for any sponsored deal between a creator and a brand, such as a one-off post, a retainer or an ambassador arrangement. On Instagram, the label is the platform's branded content tag, and it does three jobs.

It discloses the deal

It tells followers the post is commercial. Regulators accept it as one way of showing that an ad is an ad. UK and US guidance still expects the disclosure to be prominent, though, so many creators also put 'Ad' or '#ad' at the start of the caption or on screen.

It shares the post's data

The tagged brand can see the post's performance insights in its own account, so it doesn't have to ask the creator for screenshots of reach and engagement. Reporting on a creator campaign gets faster, and neither side can easily fudge the numbers.

It lets the brand pay to promote the post

If the creator gives permission, the brand can spend money promoting the post as a partnership ad that runs from the creator's handle. A post without the label can't be used this way, which is why brands write the label into the brief.

How does Instagram influencer marketing work for brands

When do you have to use the paid partnership label?

You have to disclose whenever a brand has paid you, gifted you something or is otherwise connected to you, and on Instagram the label is the cleanest way to do it. According to the ASA and CMA influencers' guide, free products, trips, discounts and commission all count as payment, even if you weren't obliged to post. The guide expects you to keep disclosing throughout the relationship and in related content for 12 months after it ends.

The same guide says Instagram's 'Paid partnership' tool may be enough on its own if it is upfront, clear and prominent. If the label is hard to see against your image, or doesn't make clear that the content is an ad, add an 'Ad' label as well. Gifted posts are still ads: use '#ad' in the US and 'Ad' in the UK.

Paid posts

A fee for a post, Reel, Story or Live is the obvious case. Switch the label on, tag the brand and put 'Ad' at the start of the caption or on screen. The creator and the brand share responsibility for getting this right, so brands should check the disclosure before anything goes live.

Gifted products

Gifting is where most disclosure mistakes happen. A free serum, supplement bundle or clothing haul counts as payment once you post about it, whether you asked for it or not. Add the label and 'Ad'. In the UK, words like 'gifted' or 'PR' on their own are not enough.

Affiliate links and codes

If you earn commission from a link or discount code in the content, that content is advertising too. Make clear which parts are affiliate-linked. A general note that some links might earn you money is not enough, and avoid shorthand like 'aff' that followers won't recognise.

Your own or a friend's brand

Promoting a brand that you, your family or your friends own also needs disclosing, even though nobody paid you. The paid partnership tag is built for third-party brands, so the safer route here is a clear 'Ad' label at the very start of the content.

What are the FTC and ASA rules for sponsored content and #ad disclosure

How do you add the paid partnership label to a post, Reel or Story?

Before you publish, switch on 'Add paid partnership label', tag the brand as your partner and share. The brand then approves the tag. You need a professional (creator or business) account, and you can only add the label in the Instagram app.

Menu names change between app versions, so treat the steps below as a guide to where to look rather than exact wording. If you can't see the option, check that your account is set to creator or business. Then check that branded content tools are switched on for you in your account settings, under the business or branded content section.

Feed post

1. Choose your photo or carousel and tap Next. 2. On the caption screen, open Advanced settings. 3. Under Branded content, turn on Add paid partnership label. 4. Tap Add brand partners and search for the brand's handle. 5. Go back and share. Put 'Ad' at the start of the caption as well.

Reel

1. Record or upload your Reel, edit it, then tap Next. 2. Scroll down and tap Advanced settings. 3. Turn on Add paid partnership label. 4. Add the brand partner. 5. Share. Also say or show 'Ad' in the first few seconds, because many viewers never open the caption.

Story

1. Create your Story frame. 2. Tap the tag or link icon at the top of the screen (in some app versions it sits in the three-dot menu). 3. Choose Add paid partnership label and select the brand. 4. Share. Label every frame in a sponsored sequence, because people can see any frame on its own.

Post already published

Open the post or Reel, tap the three dots, then Edit or Partnership label and ads. Turn on Add paid partnership label and add the brand. This fixes a missing label, but the post was an undisclosed ad until you did, so add the label before publishing next time.

Live

Before you go live, open the settings or title panel and add the paid partnership label with the brand partner. During long streams, repeat the disclosure out loud every so often so that viewers who join late still hear that it's an ad.

How do brands approve creators for the label?

Brands approve a creator's tag from their own professional account. They can either accept requests one at a time or pre-approve creators so their tags apply straight away. If a creator who isn't pre-approved tags your brand, Instagram sends you a request. Until you accept, the label shows without your brand name. If you decline, Instagram removes the label.

For ongoing programs, pre-approval saves a lot of chasing. Add the handles of contracted creators in your branded content settings before any content goes live. Write the label into the brief too, so neither side assumes the other is handling it.

Require approval

This is the usual setting: anyone can tag your brand, but your name only appears once you accept. It suits small teams, because you see every request. During launch weeks, keep an eye on notifications so creators' posts aren't left half-labelled.

Pre-approve creators

Add the creators you have contracted as approved partners in your branded content settings. Their tags then apply instantly with your brand name showing. That matters for timed launches, and for Stories, which can expire before a slow approval comes through.

Ask permission to promote posts

If you plan to put ad spend behind a post, ask the creator to turn on the setting that lets a brand partner boost it, or to share a partnership ad code. Agree this in the contract first, including the spend period and usage terms, so the request doesn't come as a surprise.

How does Instagram influencer marketing work for brands

Partnership ads vs licensed UGC

  • 19% higher click-through rate when the same creator video runs from the creator's handle instead of the brand's
  • 10% higher conversion rate for partnership ads than for licensed UGC run from the brand's account
  • 5% lower cost per acquisition for partnership ads than for brand-run licensed UGC
  • 36 days average time before a winning partnership ad starts to wear out and costs rise

Source: Agentio, A Playbook to Unlock an Infinite Creative Engine, 2026

Is the paid partnership label enough, or do you still need #ad?

Use both. The label plus a plain 'Ad' or '#ad' at the start is the safest approach in the UK and the US. The FTC's Disclosures 101 guide tells influencers not to assume a platform's disclosure tool is good enough. It says to use the tool alongside your own clear disclosure, placed where people can't miss it rather than buried among hashtags or hidden behind 'more'.

The label and the hashtag do different jobs. The label is a platform feature: it links the brand, shares insights and makes the post eligible for paid promotion. The word 'Ad' is the plain-language disclosure that regulators judge you on.

Paid partnership label

It sits under your handle, names the brand once approved, gives the brand insights and makes partnership ads possible. On some layouts it is small and easy to miss, so it rarely works as the only disclosure on busy images or videos.

'Ad' or '#ad'

Use plain wording at the very start of the caption, on screen in a video, or spoken aloud. Words like 'sp', 'spon', 'collab' or a bare 'thanks' are too vague. In the UK, use 'Ad'. In the US, 'ad', 'advertisement' or 'sponsored' all work if they are prominent.

Tagging the brand only

Simply tagging @brand in the caption or image doesn't count as disclosure in either the UK or the US. Followers can't tell a paid tag from a fan's tag, so the tag alone doesn't tell them about the deal.

What are the FTC and ASA rules for sponsored content and #ad disclosure

How is a paid partnership post different from a partnership ad?

A paid partnership post is organic content that the creator publishes with the label. A partnership ad is the same post, or a new creative, that the brand pays Meta to show to a wider audience from the creator's handle. The label comes first: the brand needs it on the post, plus the creator's permission to promote it, before it can run the ad in Ads Manager.

The format is growing fast because ads run from a creator's handle tend to beat brand-run versions of the same video. Agentio analysed $130 million in spend across 65,000 Meta partnership ads. Compared with the same licensed UGC run from the brand's own handle, the partnership ads had 19% higher click-through, 10% higher conversion and 5% lower cost per acquisition. Partnership ads are not the same as whitelisting, where the brand gets access to run ads as the creator. The rights and fees differ.

Organic paid partnership

The creator posts to their own followers with the label. The brand pays the creator's fee and gets the post's insights. Reach depends on the creator's audience and how the post performs organically, and nothing extra is spent on media.

Partnership ad

The brand pays for media on top of the creator's fee and sets the targeting and budget. The ad shows the creator's handle and the label. Before the creator grants permission, agree the promotion period, the spend cap and whether the brand may edit captions.

What is influencer whitelisting (creator licensing) and how does it work

How do you make paid partnership content that people actually watch?

Make it look and sound like your normal content, put the disclosure upfront, and give the brand material it can reuse. Labelled posts don't lose trust because of the label. They lose it when the script reads like a press release.

Plan the disclosure as part of the content, not as an afterthought. The ASA's influencer guide expects every Story in a sponsored series to be labelled, and the disclosure to appear wherever people look first. So build it into your opening hook rather than leaving it for the end card.

Open with the problem, not the brand

Start with a moment your audience recognises: dry skin by 3pm, a supplement routine that never sticks, nothing to wear to a wedding. Bring the product in once the viewer is listening, and say 'Ad' in that opening line.

Show the product in real use

Film the product in your own space and routine, showing texture, fit or taste. Don't claim results you haven't had. Avoid health or skin claims the brand can't back up, especially for supplements and skincare.

Agree the brief, then keep your own voice

Ask the brand for key messages, claims to avoid, deadlines and approval rounds in writing. Then write the script in your own words. When a brief dictates every line, the result is content that followers scroll straight past.

Shoot extra footage for ads

If partnership ads are part of the deal, deliver two or three different opening hooks and a version without music. Ads lose their effect over time, and fresh openings let the brand keep a winning post running for longer.

Check the label before you post

Confirm the brand has approved your tag, or ask to be pre-approved, so its name appears from the first minute. Check that the label is still visible over your cover image and against light backgrounds.

How do paid partnership programs work for creators?

A paid partnership program is a brand's ongoing arrangement for working with creators. Pay is usually per post, by monthly retainer, by commission, or a mix. Every piece of content made under the program needs the label and an 'Ad' disclosure. You can join by applying through the brand's creator or ambassador page, through a creator marketplace, or by pitching the brand directly with a media kit.

Before you sign, check what the program actually pays. Product-only and commission-only programs still count as advertising, so you have the same duty to disclose without a guaranteed fee. Creator marketplaces such as #Collabz, where DTC brands post briefs and vetted creators apply, keep the brief, usage rights and payment in one place.

Fee-based programs

You get a set fee per post, Reel or Story bundle, sometimes paid as a monthly retainer. Expect a brief, approval rounds and an agreed usage period. Ask whether the fee covers partnership ads or whether the brand pays separately to promote your posts.

Commission and discount-code programs

You get a personal discount code or affiliate link and earn a share of the sales, sometimes alongside free product. Many always-on ambassador programs work this way. Disclose every post that carries the code, not just the launch post.

Product-only programs

The brand sends you product, either in exchange for content or just hoping you'll post. There is no fee, but the gift still counts as payment, so add the label and 'Ad'. Treat these as a way to build your portfolio, not as income.

Sources and further reading

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Instagram paid partnership label sometimes show no brand name?

Until the brand approves the tag, the line under the creator's handle reads only 'Paid partnership'. Once approved, it reads 'Paid partnership with [brand]'. If the brand declines, Instagram removes the label.

Do I need a professional account to add the paid partnership label?

Yes. You need a professional (creator or business) account, and you can only add the label in the Instagram app. If you can't see the option, check your account type and that branded content tools are switched on in your account settings.

Do gifted products count as a paid partnership?

Yes. According to the ASA and CMA influencers' guide, free products, trips, discounts and commission all count as payment, even if you weren't obliged to post. Add the label and 'Ad', because in the UK words like 'gifted' or 'PR' on their own are not enough.

Can I add the paid partnership label after a post has gone live?

Yes. Open the post or Reel, tap the three dots, then choose Edit or Partnership label and ads, and turn on the label and add the brand. This fixes a missing label, but the post was an undisclosed ad until you did, so add it before publishing next time.

Is tagging a brand enough to disclose a sponsored post?

No. Simply tagging @brand in the caption or image doesn't count as disclosure in either the UK or the US. Followers can't tell a paid tag from a fan's tag, so the tag alone doesn't tell them about the deal.

What can brands do with the paid partnership label that they can't do otherwise?

The tagged brand can see the post's performance insights in its own account without asking for screenshots. If the creator gives permission, the brand can also pay to promote the post as a partnership ad from the creator's handle. A post without the label can't be used this way.

Is a partnership ad the same as whitelisting?

No. A partnership ad is a post or creative that the brand pays Meta to show from the creator's handle, using the label and the creator's permission. Whitelisting is where the brand gets access to run ads as the creator, and the rights and fees differ.

Do affiliate links and discount codes need to be disclosed?

Yes. If you earn commission from a link or code in the content, it is advertising too. Make clear which parts are affiliate-linked, because a general note that some links might earn you money is not enough, and avoid shorthand like 'aff'.