This page is the checklist. Disclosure on paid clips explains the rule behind it and how each platform's tool works.
Three places, every clip
| Where | What goes there | The standard |
|---|---|---|
| In the video | "Ad" or "Paid partnership" as on-screen text | The clipper burns it in during the first one to two seconds, large enough to read on a phone and on screen long enough to read |
| The caption's first line | "#ad" or "Paid partnership", with the buyer's name or handle where the brief gives one | Inside the part of the caption a viewer sees before tapping "more". RUCKUS reviewers treat that as the first 125 characters |
| The platform's setting | TikTok's commercial content disclosure, Instagram's paid partnership label, YouTube's paid promotion box | The clipper switches it on for every paid clip on a platform that has one. X has no dedicated setting, so the caption line carries the disclosure there |
The brief gives every clipper the exact line to use. The default RUCKUS line is "#ad Paid partnership", followed by who the clip was made for.
The clipper writes the disclosure in the clip's own language. A clipper who captions in Portuguese discloses in Portuguese.
What counts
- #ad or #sponsored at the start of the caption.
- Ad, Advertisement, Sponsored or Paid partnership, written out.
- The platform's paid-content setting, as the third layer. It counts alongside the words, never instead of them.
What does not count
| What a clipper wrote | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| #adventure, #advice, or any other tag that only starts with the letters "ad" | A viewer reads a different word |
| #sp, #spon, #collab, or #ambassador on its own | A viewer cannot tell that the clipper was paid |
| "Thanks to" the buyer | Thanks does not tell a viewer that the clipper was paid |
| "Not sponsored" or "not an ad" on a paid clip | It denies a connection that exists, which is the deception the law targets |
| #ad at the end of a long pile of hashtags | A viewer who scrolls past never reaches it |
| A disclosure only in the bio, a comment, a link, or behind "more" | A viewer has to go looking for it |
| The platform setting alone, with no words | The FTC's own guidance for influencers warns against assuming a platform's tool is enough by itself |
| On-screen text that flashes for a split second, or sits in small, faint type | A viewer cannot read it |
Who checks it, and when
- At review, before the clip counts. A RUCKUS reviewer checks all three places. The reviewer does not approve a clip that is missing any of them, and an unapproved clip earns nothing. The denial names the missing place, so the clipper can fix it and resubmit.
- Day 7 and day 14. A reviewer spot-checks approved clips inside the earning window.
- Day 30. A reviewer re-checks every approved clip: still live, deleted, or changed.
- Day 90. A reviewer checks a sample.
When a disclosure disappears after approval, the clip stops earning and RUCKUS tells the buyer within 24 hours.
The legal basis
- 16 CFR Part 255, the FTC's Endorsement Guides. A clipper paid to post has a material connection to what the clip promotes. The Guides say the clipper has to disclose that connection clearly and conspicuously, where viewers will notice it. That is why the disclosure sits inside the content and above "more".
- Section 5 of the FTC Act. Section 5 prohibits deceptive acts and practices in commerce, and it is the law the FTC enforces. The Guides are the FTC's explanation of how it applies Section 5 to endorsements. A paid clip presented as an unpaid opinion is the deception, and the FTC has pursued both advertisers and endorsers over it.
A different rule covers a different problem. 16 CFR Part 465 bans fake indicators of social influence, such as bought views and followers. RUCKUS enforces it through a separate denial, covered in why clips get denied.
TikTok, Instagram and YouTube also require their own paid-content settings on paid posts under their own policies, which is why the setting is the third place in the table above.
This page describes RUCKUS's own standard. It is not legal advice.
Where GTA appears
A clip that shows or names GTA also carries "Not affiliated with or endorsed by Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive," because "GTA" and "Grand Theft Auto" are Take-Two trademarks. The clipper adds that line beside the disclosure. It does not replace the disclosure.
FAQ
Can a clipper disclose with the platform setting alone?
No. The setting is one of three places. The FTC's guidance warns that a platform's tool may not be enough by itself, so every RUCKUS clip also carries the words on screen and in the caption.
What if the caption is in another language?
The clipper writes the disclosure in the same language as the caption.
Who is responsible if a clipper skips it?
The agreement, the brief and the review all carry the duty. A reviewer denies the clip at review, and a disclosure removed after approval stops the clip earning. The FTC has pursued both advertisers and endorsers, which is why RUCKUS checks every clip instead of trusting it.
