Trust, Risk, and Regulated Communication

Sponsorship Disclosure Statement

Disclose a paid, gifted, funded, hosted, or otherwise supported relationship clearly, specifically, and close to the content it may influence.

Free editable Markdown · Publishers, influencer teams, and compliance reviewers · Updated July 30, 2026

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Relationship record

Sponsor: [Legal/approved public name]
Recipient: [Creator, publisher, team, event, project]
Support: [Payment, product, travel, access, funding, production, other]
Value or terms record: [Secure internal location]
Covered content: [Page, video, post, episode, event]
Campaign period: [Start/end]
Platforms/markets: [Scope]
Sponsor role: [Topic, claims, review, approval, distribution]
Editorial owner: [Person/team]
Qualified reviewer: [Compliance/legal role]

Disclosure draft

Plain statement: [Specific relationship]
Sponsor named: [Yes/no]
Support named: [Yes/no]
Editorial role explained: [If relevant and accurate]
Placement: [Before article, opening audio, caption, overlay, other]
Duration/prominence: [For timed media]
Platform tool used: [If applicable]
Locale version: [Reviewer and text location]
Approval/version: [Name/date/ID]

Publication checks

Material non-cash support is included.
Wording is more specific than “partner” or “thanks.”
Editorial-role statement matches actual workflow.
Disclosure appears near the relevant endorsement.
Visual and audio formats are both covered where needed.
Platform tools are not assumed sufficient without review.
Localized disclosures are understandable and approved.
Live placement and campaign records are verified.

How to use this template

Identify sponsor, recipient, exact material support, campaign, content, platforms, markets, and dates.
Record sponsor influence over topic, claims, access, review, approval, and distribution.
Draft plain wording that names the relationship and covered content.
Obtain qualified compliance, editorial, platform, accessibility, and locale review.
Verify placement in every published format and retain approval plus campaign records.

Name the material relationship

Record who supplied money, products, travel, access, production support, event hosting, research funding, or another benefit and who received it. State whether the sponsor commissioned the content or supported a broader project. “Partnered with” can conceal whether payment occurred; use specific wording approved for the context. Include non-cash support when it could affect how a reasonable reader evaluates the content.

Define sponsor and editorial roles

Document whether the sponsor selected the topic, provided claims, reviewed facts, approved wording, controlled publication, or had no editorial role. Do not promise independence that the workflow cannot demonstrate. Any sponsor-supplied claim still needs verification and clear attribution. If the sponsor appears in the content, explain that relationship without implying the disclosure guarantees objectivity. Record conflicts involving creators, organizations, and links separately.

Put disclosure where it works

Place the statement before or at the first meaningful exposure to the endorsed content, not behind a vague link, at the end after the recommendation, or only on a profile page. Review video, audio, livestream, email, social caption, short-form, image, and translated contexts; a platform label may or may not be sufficient under applicable guidance. Ensure the wording is readable, audible, persistent enough, and not obscured by other interface elements.

See the fields in context

Fictional example: sponsored craft video

Pine Thread and Northmill Tools are invented organizations; the relationship is illustrative.

Support: The fictional tool company pays production costs and supplies the tool shown.
Editorial role: It may correct product specifications but does not approve the creator's opinion, according to the invented agreement.
Disclosure: “Northmill Tools paid for this video and supplied the featured fictional tool.”
Placement: Spoken and visible at the opening, repeated in the description before purchase links.
Verification: Compliance reviewer checks wording and placement in every localized platform version.

Frequently asked questions

Is “sponsored” by itself enough?

Requirements vary. Specific plain wording naming the sponsor and relationship is usually clearer; obtain qualified review for the actual context.

Must gifted products be disclosed?

They may create a material connection even without cash. Record the benefit and have the responsible compliance reviewer decide treatment.

Can a platform's paid-partnership label replace the statement?

Do not assume so. Review applicable rules and whether the label is clear, available, and sufficient across devices and formats.

Where should video disclosure appear?

Use approved spoken and visual placement early enough for viewers to understand the relationship before the endorsement, with other required repetitions.