How to Add a Paid Partnership Label on Instagram

The paid partnership label is the 'Paid partnership with' line that sits above a post when a brand is involved. Instagram doesn't treat it as optional. Its Branded Content Policies require you to use it whenever you've been paid, and that includes being sent free products. The label protects you, keeps you on the right side of advertising rules and gives the brand your post's insights.

When you need the label

Situation	Label needed?
A brand paid you to post	Yes, tag the brand
A brand sent you a free product to feature	Yes, gifted products count
Your post includes an affiliate link	Yes, the label, though no brand tag is required
You're recommending something you bought yourself	No exchange of value, so no

Add the label to a post

1. Pick your photo or video and add your caption, effects and filters.
2. Tap Next, then More options.
3. Under Ads and monetisation, select Partnership label and ads.
4. Turn on Add paid partnership label.
5. Tap Add brands manually or Add a brand from a project and choose up to two brands.
6. If the brand wants to run your post as an ad, turn on Allow brand partner to boost.
7. Tap Done and share.

Note the boost catch: if you add two brand partners, the post can't be boosted. If a brand has asked to put spend behind your content, tag just that one brand.

Stories, reels, lives and channels

Format	Where the switch is
Story	Tap the tag icon at the top of the editing screen, then Add paid partnership label
Reel	Next, More options, Add paid partnership label
Live	Tap Details before you go live, then Add brand partner
Broadcast channel	Tap and hold your sent message, then Paid partnership

Lives are the strict one. You can only tag a brand that has already approved you, and only before the broadcast starts; there's no adding it halfway through.

What happens after you tag a brand

The first time you tag a brand, Instagram sends them a request. Until they approve, your post shows the paid partnership label without their name. If they deny it, the label comes off, so check you've tagged the right account and talk to them. Once it's live, the brand gets a notification and can see your post's insights. Remove them from the label later and they lose that access.

Things you can't promote with branded content

Instagram's Branded Content Policies have a hard 'no' list, including tobacco and vapes, drugs, weapons, adult products, payday loans, multilevel marketing, initial coin offerings and state lotteries. Some categories are allowed with restrictions, such as alcohol, subscription services and financial products. Others need written permission from Meta before you post at all, including dating services, real money gambling, pharmacies and cryptocurrency.

Two format rules worth knowing

• No title cards in the first three seconds of a branded video.
• Any card later in the video can't stay on screen for more than three seconds in a row.

And one ethics rule: you can't accept payment to post content that doesn't feature you or that you weren't involved in making.

Common mistakes I see

• Writing #ad in the caption but skipping the label. The label is what Instagram's policy asks for.
• Tagging the brand's personal account instead of its business account, so the request is never approved.
• Forgetting the label on stories, which disappear but still count as branded content.
• Adding two brands to a post the client wanted to boost.
• Leaving a gifted product unlabelled because 'nobody paid me'. Gifts count.

If a brand asks you not to use the label, that's a red flag. Instagram's policy puts the duty on you as the creator, so it's your account at risk, not theirs.

What your followers see

Your audience sees 'Paid partnership with' and the brand name above the post. Followers rarely mind the label itself; they mind finding out later that a glowing review was paid for. A clear label paired with an honest caption usually performs better than a disguised ad, because people trust what you say next.

If you can't see the label option

Branded content tools need eligibility: an established presence with a sufficient follower base, following the Community Standards and sharing accurate information. Check you're on the latest app version and using a professional account, because the label lives in the mobile app only. If you're new to brand work, how to DM a brand on Instagram covers the first approach, and what brands pay for influencer marketing shows the other side of the deal.

My verdict

Use the label every time money or free stuff changes hands, tag the brand before you post, and agree up front whether they'll boost it. It takes a few extra taps, and it saves you from the awkward conversation when a brand, a follower or a regulator asks why it wasn't there.

Related: writing for us on loans.

I keep every related walkthrough in the Instagram Help: 81 Guides to Followers, Hashtags, Money, Accounts and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a paid partnership label on Instagram?

After your caption, tap Next, More options, Partnership label and ads, then turn on Add paid partnership label and add the brand.

Do I need a paid partnership label for free products?

Yes. Instagram counts gifted products as an exchange of value.

Why doesn't the brand's name show on my label?

The brand hasn't approved your request yet. Their name appears once they do.

Can I edit a post after adding the paid partnership label?

Yes. Instagram says you can still edit posts, stories and reels after tagging a brand. On lives, tagging only works before you go live.

How many brands can I tag in a paid partnership?

Up to two, but a post with two brand partners can't be boosted.