Open the visual model ↗
Start with what the reader will understand
A reader should understand who paid for a message and whether the advertiser controlled it. The FTC’s native-ad guidance addresses misleading commercial formats; the CAP Code requires recognisable marketing communications; EU rules address undisclosed paid editorial. Their scopes differ. None makes a decorative badge a universal compliance guarantee.
The matrix below is a proposed editorial house standard adapted from the supplied research. It is a starting point for layout and review, not statutory wording or a claim that one label satisfies every jurisdiction.
Source notes: FTC: Native Advertising — A Guide for Businesses · CAP Code: Recognition of marketing communications · Directive 2005/29/EC: Unfair Commercial Practices
Choose a label for the actual relationship
Use the same meaning in the card, article, email, social preview, and syndicated rendition. Funding without control deserves a different explanation from advertiser-approved copy. Document the relationship before selecting the template.
| Format | Suggested wording | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Display ad | Advertisement | Next to the slot; clear separation from article content |
| Paid in-feed link | Advertisement · [Advertiser] | On the tile before the click |
| Advertiser-controlled feature | Paid content from [Brand] | Teaser, headline area, and shared versions |
| Independently edited supported work | Supported by [Sponsor] · We retain editorial control | Section and article, with the actual role explained |
| Affiliate recommendation | We earn a commission when you buy through these links | Before the first relevant link; selection method nearby |
| Gifted or loaned product | [Brand] supplied this product [free/on loan] | At the start of the review |
| Newsletter unit | Advertisement from [Brand] | At the beginning of the commercial unit |
| Paid directory placement | Sponsored placement | On each paid entry and in the ranking explanation |
| Host-read audio or video | This is an advertisement for [Brand] | Spoken before the read; visible video label as appropriate |
| Sponsored event | [Sponsor] supports this event; [describe role] | Event page and registration; separate data-sharing explanation |
Editorial suggestions, subject to context and jurisdiction. Political ads, regulated products, and realistic synthetic media require separate review.
A commission is part of the context
The FTC’s endorsement guidance explains that unexpected material relationships can affect how people weigh a recommendation. Payment is one form; products, services, employment, and other benefits can also matter. The relevant question is what the audience reasonably understands, not whether the publisher calls the arrangement a partnership.
Our proposed practice is to state the benefit plainly and retain an editorial record of who selected the product and who could approve the copy. A returnable sample and a cash commission are different arrangements. Explain the actual one. Do not invent experience with a product or use an artificial reviewer as evidence.
Source notes: FTC: Endorsement Guides — What People Are Asking · FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule Q&A
Review the label as a reader encounters it
Check a phone, a wide screen, a dark appearance if supported, an email client, and a shared card. Start at the first encounter, not just the destination page. Test whether the label remains visible when the image is cropped, the headline wraps, or a partner republishes the unit.
Keep a dated screenshot of approved renditions, the relationship description, responsible reviewer, and revision. Those records support a correction if a unit escapes its template. “Sponsored” in a footer does not explain every commercial relationship on the site.
- Identify the paying party and any approval rights.
- Select the format before the creative is delivered.
- Check labels without hovering, expanding, or opening a second page.
- Review every rendition when the relationship or design changes.
- Keep political and restricted-category advertising out of the standard workflow until its requirements are separately resolved.
Sources & limits
These are proposed editorial controls, not a jurisdiction-specific legal opinion or an adopted advertising policy.
Adapted from supplied research. See the evidence and review method. Section source notes identify supporting references; operational suggestions remain editorial judgment.
- FTC: Native Advertising — A Guide for Businesses
Primary guidance · Publication date not stated · Primary source checked · 15 September 2026 - FTC: Endorsement Guides — What People Are Asking
Primary guidance · Publication date not stated · Primary source checked · 15 September 2026 - FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule Q&A
Primary guidance · Publication date not stated · Primary source checked · 15 September 2026 - CAP Code: Recognition of marketing communications
Primary guidance · Publication date not stated · Primary source checked · 15 September 2026 - Directive 2005/29/EC: Unfair Commercial Practices
EU legislation · Source published 11 May 2005 · Primary source checked · 15 September 2026
Source claims and editorial judgments remain separate. Send a correction with the passage and supporting evidence.
