How to Fill Out and Submit an Influencer Partnership Verification Form

Setting up influencer partnership verification means switching your account to a creator or business profile, getting approved for branded content tools where the platform requires it, and then toggling the “paid partnership” label on each sponsored post. Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok each handle it differently, but the end result is the same: a viewer-facing label that identifies the post as sponsored and links it to the brand you’re working with.

The label is only half the job. Federal advertising rules still expect a clear written or spoken disclosure inside the content itself, so plan on doing both.

Account Type and Documents to Have Ready

Personal accounts can’t tag branded content on Instagram. You need to switch to a Creator account (built for influencers and public figures) or a Business account (aimed at brands and retailers) before the option appears. On YouTube, any channel can check the paid promotion box in video settings. On TikTok, the disclosure toggle is available to all accounts, with stricter enforcement on accounts posting commercial content.

Instagram also expects compliance with its community guidelines and an “established presence” with authentic content before approving branded content access. Government officials are ineligible.

Have these on hand before you start:

Government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, in case the platform requests identity verification as part of monetization eligibility.
Form W-9, which brands will ask you to complete so they can report payments to the IRS. You’ll provide either your Social Security number or your EIN if you operate through a business entity.¹
Business registration details, including your EIN and exact legal entity name if you operate as an LLC or corporation. Verification fields expect the name to match official records exactly.

Setting Up Branded Content on Instagram

Instagram’s “Paid partnership with [Brand]” tag sits at the top of sponsored posts and Stories. Access requires a one-time approval before you can tag anything.

To request it, open the Instagram app, go to your profile, and tap the menu in the top right. Go to Creator tools and controls (or Business tools and controls, depending on your account type), tap Branded content, and select Request a Review. Instagram sends a notification once you’re approved.²

Once you’re in, applying the label to a post works like this:

Create a new post as you normally would.
Near the caption area, tap Add Paid Partnership Label.
Tap Add Brand Partners and search for the brand’s Instagram account.
Select the brand, tap Next, then Done.

The brand gets a notification and can approve or decline the tag. Some brands pre-approve specific creators so the tag goes live immediately. Brands that want to block incoming tag requests entirely can toggle off Manually Approve Tags in their own business settings.

Setting Up Paid Promotion Disclosure on YouTube

YouTube’s version is a checkbox in your video settings. No separate verification application.

From a computer:

Sign in to YouTube Studio.
Select Content from the left menu.
Click the video you want to edit.
Select More options.
Check the box next to “My video contains paid promotion like a product placement, sponsorship, or endorsement.”
Click Save.

YouTube then shows a disclosure message to viewers for 10 seconds at the start of the video. You can also use a static title card (up to 5 seconds, placed at the start) or an end card within the last 30 seconds, featuring the sponsor’s logo. A title card at the very beginning must be co-branded with your own name or logo. YouTube is explicit that its label supplements, rather than replaces, your own legal obligations around advertising disclosure.³

Setting Up Content Disclosure on TikTok

TikTok requires a content disclosure setting whenever a post promotes a brand, product, or service. Skip it and the post can be removed or restricted.⁴

From the post screen:

Create your video and advance to the post screen.
Tap Content disclosure and ads. If it isn’t visible, tap More options first.
Turn on the Disclose commercial content toggle.
Choose whether you’re promoting your own brand or posting branded content for a third party.
If it’s branded content, tag the brand partner directly.
Tap Save, then Continue.

TikTok labels the finished post as either “Promotional content” (your own brand) or “Paid partnership” (a third-party brand). To add disclosure to an existing post, tap the three-dot menu on the video, select Ad settings, and turn on the toggle. For live streams, set the disclosure through LIVE settings before going live.⁴

Writing the Disclosure Inside Your Content

Platform labels on their own aren’t enough. The FTC treats any built-in tool as a supplement, and expects a clear disclosure in the content itself, placed where it’s “hard to miss.” That rules out burying it on a profile page, dropping it after a long caption, hiding it behind a “More” button, or stacking it inside a group of hashtags.⁵

Acceptable wording includes “ad,” “advertisement,” “sponsored,” or “Thanks to [Brand] for the free product.” Shorthand like “sp,” “spon,” “collab,” or a bare “thanks” does not meet the standard. The disclosure must appear in the same language as the endorsement.

Disclosure obligations apply even when the brand didn’t ask you to say anything. The FTC’s own guidance puts it plainly: you must disclose “even if you weren’t asked to mention that product.” A free product you mention in a video weeks later still counts.⁵

Format matters:

In videos, include the disclosure in both the audio and an on-screen overlay. Some viewers watch on mute; others skim past text.
For images or Stories, superimpose the disclosure on the image and leave it on screen long enough to read.
During live streams, repeat the disclosure periodically since viewers drop in and out.
In written posts, place the disclosure before any “read more” cutoff so it’s visible without expanding.

What a Missed Disclosure Costs

Consequences run on two tracks. Platforms can remove the post, flag the account, or suspend monetization access. TikTok’s policy says it may remove or restrict posts without proper disclosure.⁴

Federally, the FTC can pursue enforcement under Section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45.⁶ The statutory base civil penalty is $10,000 per violation, adjusted annually for inflation; the current adjusted amount is $53,088 per violation.⁷ Each separate undisclosed post can count as its own violation. The 2023 revisions to the Endorsement Guides also extended liability to advertising agencies, public relations firms, and talent managers who arrange undisclosed partnerships.⁸

The underlying rule is 16 CFR Part 255. Section 255.5 requires that any material connection between you and the brand be disclosed “clearly and conspicuously” if the audience wouldn’t reasonably expect it. A material connection covers payment, free or discounted product, early access, a chance to win a prize, and even a personal or family relationship with the brand’s representatives.⁹ The platform toggle is how you show that connection to viewers; the written or spoken disclosure in the post is how you prove it to a regulator.

1
Internal Revenue Service. Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
2
Instagram. Get Started With Branded Content on Instagram
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YouTube. Add Paid Product Placements, Sponsorships and Endorsements
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TikTok. Promoting a Brand, Product, or Service
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Federal Trade Commission. Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 45 – Unfair Methods of Competition Unlawful
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Federal Register. Adjustments to Civil Penalty Amounts
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Federal Register. Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
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eCFR. 16 CFR Part 255 Section 255.5 – Disclosure of Material Connections