In short
- Meta's policy requires the label on branded content, which includes posts where the creator was paid or simply gifted a product.
- The brand must approve the creator's first tag request. Until it does, the post shows the label without your brand's name.
- ASCI lists a platform disclosure tool as a permitted label, but its placement rules still apply, so videos and Stories also need an on-screen Ad label.
- Audit every live post within 24 hours: right brand, right name, label visible, boost permission set as agreed.
The Instagram paid partnership label is the tag that reads "Paid partnership with" followed by a brand's name, shown above a post, Reel or Story. Meta's policy requires creators to use it whenever they post branded content, and it only fully works after the brand has approved the creator. For a brand, the job is to approve creators before posting day, check that the label is on the right posts, and back it up with the on-screen label ASCI expects.
This guide sits under our Instagram influencer marketing work and our complete guide to influencer marketing in India. It is about the tool, not the law: the law and ASCI's rules are covered in our ASCI influencer guidelines explainer. Menu names in the Instagram app change often, so the steps below follow Meta's Help Centre wording at the time of writing and should be checked on a test post.
What triggers the label
Meta defines branded content as organic content for which the creator has been compensated by a brand, and says that may include products and services gifted for free. Its policy says anyone on a creator, business or personal account must tag the business partner when there is an exchange of value. The ASCI test in India is similar: a "material connection" covers money, free or discounted products (even unsolicited), gifts, trips, barter, awards and family or employment ties.
| Situation | Label needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Creator is paid a fee | Yes | The standard case |
| Creator keeps a free product and posts | Yes | Meta counts gifted products; so does ASCI |
| Creator gets a discount or affiliate link | Yes | Meta says content with an affiliate link should carry the label, but it does not need a business partner tagged |
| Creator buys and likes a product, no connection | No | ASCI says no disclosure is needed if there is no connection |
| Brand lends a product that is returned after the shoot | Treat as yes (our rule of thumb) | The creator is still doing work for the brand |
| Creator is an employee or a relative of the brand's owner | Yes | ASCI lists employment and family ties as a material connection |
| Creator co-authors the post with your account | Still yes | A collab invite is not a disclosure; see our note on collab posts |
The approval handshake
The label is a request-and-approve system.
- The creator tags your brand for the first time. A request goes to the brand.
- The brand approves. Once approved, the creator can tag the brand in future posts and the name appears in the label.
- If the brand has not approved yet, Meta says the content carries the paid partnership label without the partner's name.
- If the brand denies the request, the label is removed from the content.
Your brand needs an Instagram professional account to take part. To approve creators in advance, Meta's page on giving creators permission says to go to your business profile, tap Menu, then Business tools and controls, then Branded content, and switch on Manually approve content creators. Then open Approved content creators and add each handle. Doing this a few days before posting removes the commonest cause of a missing brand name.
On the creator's side, Meta's getting started page describes enabling the tools from the profile menu: Business tools and controls or Creator tools and controls, then Branded content, then Set up branded content tools, then Enable. A creator who is not eligible can request a review. Tools require compliance with Meta's branded content policies, Community Standards and content monetisation policies. Meta also says creators using partnership ads are paid off the platform, so the label is a disclosure and permission tool, not a payment route.
Applying the label by format
Meta says the label can be used in Feed, Stories, broadcast channels, Live, Reels and Instagram videos, and that adding it is only possible in the Instagram app, not on a computer. These are the steps Meta lists, which a creator follows before sharing:
| Format | Steps in Meta's Help Centre | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Post | After the caption and effects, tap Next, then More options. Under Ads and monetisation choose Partnership label and ads. Turn on Add paid partnership label, then Add brands manually (or add from a project) | Up to two brands can be added |
| Reel | After the caption and effects, tap Next, then More options, then Add paid partnership label, and turn the toggle on. Add the brand | Check any Reels bonus programme rules the creator takes part in |
| Story | After choosing the photo or video, tap the tag icon at the top, toggle on Add paid partnership label, and add the brand | Stories also need a label on the visual under ASCI |
| Live | Before going live, tap Details, then Add brand partner | You can only tag brands you have approval from, and tagging is only possible before the Live starts |
In a post or Story the creator can also switch on Allow brand partner to boost, which lets the brand run ads from the content. Meta says that if more than one brand partner is added, the content cannot be boosted. If you plan to run partnership ads, tell creators to tag only your brand.
What happens after posting
Once the content is published, Meta says the brand partner receives a notification and gets access to the content's insights. For posts in Feed the brand sees reach and engagement. For Stories, a tagged partner has a 14-day window to see reach, taps forward, taps backward, replies and exits. Live insights last two years or until deleted. Meta's wording does not list link taps among the tagged-partner Story metrics, so ask creators for their own screenshots if a link sticker was used; see our post on Story link sticker campaigns.
Creators can still edit a post after tagging a brand. If they later remove the brand from the label, the brand is notified and stops seeing insights for that content. Meta's permissions page also describes turning on the label after publishing from the post's options, though that route is for Instagram content only. Once a post is boosted, Meta says an Ad label appears, as with any ad.
The label and ASCI
ASCI's influencer guidelines list a platform disclosure tool among the permitted labels, next to words such as Advertisement, Ad, Sponsored, Collaboration and Partnership. The label has to be easy for an average consumer to understand. ASCI also sets placement rules: upfront and prominent, not only in a bio, not at the end of a post, not behind a "more" click and not buried in hashtags. For an image or video without a caption, which describes Stories, the label goes on the visual. For a video of 15 seconds or less, it must be on screen for at least three seconds; for a video between 15 seconds and two minutes, one third of the video; for two minutes or more, the whole section that mentions the brand. Read ASCI's own text on its guidelines page.
Our practice, which is a choice and not an ASCI requirement, is belt and braces. The creator uses the paid partnership label and also puts "Ad" or "Paid partnership" on the first frame of any Reel or Story. The label sits in a header that some viewers scroll past; the on-screen text travels with the video if it is downloaded or reposted.
The stakes are not hypothetical. ASCI's 2025-26 annual report counts 1,609 influencer ads processed, with 97.3 percent needing modification. In a second check of Forbes India's Top 100 Digital Stars 2024, ASCI reported that 76 percent failed its disclosure norms. This is general information, not legal advice.
The 24-hour audit
Run this on every live post, ideally within the first hour and again the next day.
| Check | How | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Label present | Open the post from a different account | Ask the creator to add it from the post's options |
| Correct brand named | Read the "Paid partnership with" line | Creator removes and re-tags the right brand |
| Brand approved | Name shows in the label, not just the words | Approve the pending request in the app |
| On-screen label in video | Watch the first three seconds | Creator re-edits or adds a caption if the platform allows |
| Boost permission as agreed | Check the Allow brand partner to boost toggle, or the ad code | Align with the contract before the post is a day old |
| Screenshot saved | Capture the live post with the label and the date | Keep it with the contract file |
Contract clauses that make it stick
- The creator applies the label on every sponsored post, Reel and Story, and the on-screen Ad label on video formats.
- The creator accepts the brand's tag request within one working day of the brand sending the handle, and the brand adds the handle to its approved list at least three days before posting.
- If the label is missing or wrong, the creator fixes it within two hours of being told.
- Boosting permission, window and platforms are stated, and creators tag only the contracted brand.
Our influencer contract guide places these alongside payment, rights and exclusivity.
What the label costs
We found no fee for the label itself on the Meta pages we read. The cost to budget is process time: approvals before posting, the audit afterwards and any re-edit. Creator fees are separate; typical asking prices for one Reel are about ₹2,000 to ₹10,000 for nano creators and ₹8,000 to ₹80,000 for micro creators, with GST at 18 percent and agency fees extra. See the influencer rates guide for the sources and caveats.
For campaigns with many creators, a named strategist runs this audit for you; see how we work with brands or send a brief. Disclosure is also part of what we write into the creator ads and whitelisting process.
Sources
- How to use the paid partnership label to tag organic branded content on Instagram, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- About branded content on Instagram, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Get started with branded content on Instagram, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- About labels on paid partnership posts, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Give a creator permission to tag your business in branded content, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Manage content-level permissions for partnership ads, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- View branded content insights, Instagram Help Centre (Meta) (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- ASCI Code and guidelines, including the influencer advertising guidelines, Advertising Standards Council of India (undated, accessed 31 Oct 2026)
- Annual complaints report 2025-26, Advertising Standards Council of India (28 May 2026)
- Half-yearly complaints report 2025-26, Advertising Standards Council of India (Nov 2025)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Instagram paid partnership label?
It is a label that appears above a post, Reel or Story as Paid partnership with followed by the brand's name. Meta's policy requires creators to use it on branded content, meaning content the creator was paid for or received something of value for. The creator adds it in the Instagram app and the brand approves the tag.
Do I need the label if I only sent a free product?
Yes, on Meta's definition. Branded content includes posts where products or services were gifted for free. ASCI also treats free or discounted products, even unsolicited, as a material connection that needs a disclosure. If you want help drafting the rule into a brief, see our campaign brief template.
Why does the label show without my brand's name?
Meta says the post carries the label without the partner's name if the brand has not yet approved the creator. The first time a creator tags a brand, a request goes to the brand. Approve it in the app, or add the creator to your approved list before the post goes live. If the brand denies the request, the label is removed.
Is the paid partnership label enough for ASCI?
ASCI lists a platform disclosure tool among permitted labels, but it also sets placement rules: upfront and prominent, and superimposed on the visual where there is no caption, as in Stories. We ask creators to add an on-screen Ad label in videos and Stories as well. See the ASCI influencer guidelines. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can the label be added after a post is live?
On Instagram, Meta's permissions page describes turning on the paid partnership label from the post's options after publishing. Because menu names change, ask the creator to check the current path. Adding it late is a fix, not a plan: viewers who saw the post in its first hours saw no disclosure.
Can I boost a post that carries the label?
Yes, if the creator turns on Allow brand partner to boost, or shares an ad code. Meta says that if a post tags more than one brand partner it cannot be boosted. Our guide to setting up partnership ads covers the next steps.