Affiliate 2026

Is your ad disclosure actually clear?

Eight patterns Japan's stealth marketing guidelines call unclear, turned into before-and-after fixes for blogs, X, Instagram and YouTube.
8
patterns called unclear
4
example words that count
4
platforms, with fixes
9 slides
2

Writing "PR" isn't the finish line

2 / 9
Written somewhere is not the same as seen.
Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency lists eight ways a disclosure can still count as unclear, even with the right word in it.
💡 The effective date, scope and first enforcement are in our earlier guide. This one is about where and how
3

As a rule, advertisers face enforcement. Why referrers should still care

3 / 9
🏢
Content with paid referral links is named in the guidelines as an example of an advertiser's own advertising
📩
If your disclosure falls short, the advertiser answers for it. That is why advertisers set rules for referrers
🤝
Readers who know up front can read with that in mind
4

Words that count as clear

4 / 9
🏷️
Ad, promotion (two Japanese words), the loanword "promotion", PR. The four examples in the guidelines
✍️
"I received this from Company A and am posting about it" also works
🔍
Even with those words, it may not count if the whole is unclear.
⚠️ "This site uses affiliate advertising" is not official wording. Check placement too
5

Unclear patterns (a to d)

5 / 9
a
Partial: covers only part of the content
b
Contradicted: "Ad" at the top, "independent opinion" in the body
c
Hard to catch in video: a flash, or only mid-video or at the end
d
Unrecognizable wording: does not read as an ad
6

Unclear patterns (e to h)

6 / 9
e
End only, where it is hard to see.
f
Smaller than the surrounding text.
g
Buried in long text or faint type.
h
Lost in a pile of hashtags.
✅ The common thread: first, full size, not buried
7

Blogs and X

7 / 9
📝
Blog. Wrong: a faint footnote at the bottom. Fix: under the title, body-text size
📊
Comparison sites: no per-product label needed if the whole site is clearly an ad
💬
X. Wrong: in the replies or the hashtag pile. Fix: "PR" at the start of the post
💡 X was reported to add a paid partnership label in March 2026. Check its help center
8

Instagram and YouTube

8 / 9
📷
Instagram. Wrong: a lone "*PR" mid-caption. Fix: "PR" in line one, plus the paid partnership label
▶️
YouTube. Wrong: only at the end. Fix: opening, when the referral comes up, and the description. Declare paid promotion in advanced settings (shown for the first 10 seconds only)
⚠️ Labels help. The words in your post do the work

Placement decides it. First, full size, not buried.

1
Put "PR" or "Ad" at the top, as large and dark as the body text
2
Don't undercut it with "just my personal opinion"
3
X: in the post. Instagram: line one. YouTube: start, middle and description
4
Disclosure and financial rules are separate. No trading tips, no "guaranteed profit"
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