Affiliate links on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and X: what each platform allows
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On this page
- Where can an affiliate link go on each platform?
- Which platforms run their own affiliate program, and who can join?
- Which label does each platform want on an affiliate post?
- What link rules do the platforms state?
- What does the affiliate program itself require?
- Checklist before you post an affiliate link
- Frequently asked questions
The rule
Yes. Instagram allows affiliate links in up to five profile links, Story link stickers and, for eligible creators, product links on reels and feed posts. Meta says content with an affiliate link should carry the Paid partnership with label, with no brand tagged.
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TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and X allow affiliate links too. What differs by platform is where a link is clickable, whether the platform runs its own affiliate program and who can join it, which label it asks for, and which link formats it blocks. This page puts those four questions in one table each, then covers what an affiliate program itself asks of you, using Amazon Associates as the worked case. Every row links the platform's or program's own page, checked on 28 September 2026. These pages change without notice, so the linked page is the authority, not this summary. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where can an affiliate link go on each platform?
The places below are the ones each platform's help pages name for an outside link in a creator's own posts and profile, outside paid ads.
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| Platform | Clickable places for an outside link | Stated limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 websites on the profile; the link sticker in Stories. For eligible creators, affiliate product links on reels and feed posts through a connected affiliate programme (next section) | Link stickers work in organic Stories only. A Story with an organic link sticker cannot be turned into a partnership ad | Instagram, Instagram, Instagram | |
| TikTok | A website link on the profile, once the account has at least 1,000 followers or is a Verified Business Account. TikTok Shop affiliates also earn through shoppable videos, shoppable LIVEs and sharable affiliate links | Links that open or log you into other social media apps are no longer supported. The in-app browser limits browsing of external link chains, and TikTok recommends direct links | TikTok, TikTok Shop |
| YouTube | Up to 14 channel profile links. URLs in long-form video descriptions and long-form comments, once the channel has access to advanced features. External brand deal links. YouTube Shopping affiliate program links | URLs in Shorts descriptions and Shorts comments are not clickable, and YouTube lists URLs in posts as not clickable. A brand link on a Short is only for a reported brand deal campaign and must lead directly to the partner brand's website | YouTube, YouTube |
| The Pin's own link. Product tags on a Pin from a business account, up to 24 of your own or other merchants' products | Some link shortener services are not supported; a Pin whose link is blocked can be edited | Pinterest, Pinterest | |
| X | Links in posts and in Direct Messages | Every link is shortened to a t.co link and you cannot opt out. You can still use your own shortener, such as bit.ly | X |
Two differences matter when you move a link plan from one platform to another. On YouTube, a Short cannot carry a clickable affiliate URL in its description, so the profile links or program product tags do that job. On TikTok, the profile link depends on the follower count or a verified business account, while the Shop affiliate route has its own gate, covered next.
Which platforms run their own affiliate program, and who can join?
Two of the five, TikTok and YouTube, run a native program that pays creators commission on products they tag. Instagram lets eligible creators tag products from outside affiliate programmes, and the partner pays the commission. Pinterest routes affiliate commission through Amazon. X lists none.
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| Platform | Program | Who can join | Where products are tagged | How commission is paid | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | TikTok Shop affiliate (United States) | At least 18, based in the US, at least 1,000 followers, no earlier revocation of e-commerce permissions, and Creator Identity Verification. Under 5,000 followers, a 30-day pilot with posting caps applies | Shoppable videos, shoppable LIVEs, sharable affiliate links | Commission on orders placed through your content. Commission withdrawals open once identity verification succeeds | TikTok Shop |
| YouTube | YouTube Shopping affiliate program | Channel in the YouTube Partner Program and at its subscriber threshold; creator based in one of 14 countries; not a music channel, Official Artist Channel or channel associated with music partners; audience not set as made for kids and no significant number of videos set as made for kids | Product tags on your content, added in YouTube Studio | Through AdSense for YouTube, 60 to 120 days after the purchase; reversed if the product is returned | YouTube |
| Affiliate partnerships, which connect your account to a partner's affiliate programme | At least 18, a public professional account, more than 1,000 followers, a supported market (availability varies), and compliance with Meta's monetisation policies. Rolling out gradually | Affiliate product links on reels and feed posts, added with Add products | By the affiliate partner. Meta does not process these payments | Instagram, Instagram | |
| No own program. An Amazon Storefront can be linked | A Pinterest business account, a place in the Amazon Influencer Program and an Amazon Storefront | Amazon products tagged on Pins; affiliate links are applied automatically | Through the Amazon Influencer Program | ||
| X | None listed. "Affiliates" on X is a badge that links an organisation's representatives to its brand, available in the Premium Business and Premium Organizations Full Access tiers | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | X |
The 14 YouTube Shopping affiliate countries are Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. YouTube adds that criteria may differ for pilot programs. The YouTube Partner Program's own subscriber and watch-time figures are in creator monetization requirements by platform.
How does the TikTok Shop pilot limit a new affiliate?
TikTok places an affiliate with fewer than 5,000 followers in a 30-day pilot and sorts each one as Non-Extended or Extended after its security and compliance checks. The status shows on the Pilot Program page.
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| Pilot status | Products you can promote | Posting cap | Campaigns | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Extended | Marketplace products with a shop performance of at least 95% | 3 product promotion videos per day and 3 shoppable LIVEs per week | Not eligible | TikTok Shop |
| Extended | Marketplace products with a shop performance of at least 95% | 3 product promotion videos and 1 LIVE per week | Not eligible | TikTok Shop |
A Non-Extended creator graduates after at least 30 days onboarded and 5,000 followers, which lifts the pilot limits. The same page lists how the cap is counted, and several rules catch people who plan posts ahead:
- A scheduled shoppable video counts toward the limit when it is scheduled, not when it posts.
- A posted shoppable video still counts after you delete it, and so does one removed for a violation.
- Adding a product link to an older video makes it a shoppable video that counts.
- Drafts, failed uploads and videos with no product link do not count.
The page contradicts itself once. Its FAQ says creators under 5,000 followers can post up to 5 shoppable videos per week, which matches neither pilot row above. Treat the Pilot Program page in your own account as the figure that applies to you.
Which label does each platform want on an affiliate post?
Each platform has its own label tool. Two of them, Instagram and X, name affiliate links outright.
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| Platform | Label tool | What it says about affiliate or commission posts | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid partnership label, in the Instagram mobile app only. Branded content has to be enabled in settings | "Content that features an affiliate link should have the Paid partnership with label, but does not need to have a business partner tagged" | Instagram, Instagram | |
| TikTok | Content disclosure setting: "Your brand" gives the label Promotional content, "Branded content" gives Paid partnership | Covers promoting a third-party brand "in exchange for payment or any other incentive". The label cannot be changed after the post or LIVE is published. Posts without the proper disclosure may be removed or restricted | TikTok |
| YouTube | Paid promotion button in the video details, which adds a disclosure label at the start of the video | Required for branded content, sponsorships, endorsements or other commercial relationships. The Shopping affiliate program tells creators to follow YouTube's branded content policies | YouTube, YouTube |
| Paid partnership tool in the Pinterest app: one brand per Pin, cannot be added after publishing. Pins with Amazon affiliate links get an automatic affiliate link disclosure | The guidelines accept #ad or the paid partnership tool as a clear disclosure for paid partnerships | Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest | |
| X | "Paid Partnership" toggle in the Content Disclosure settings when you create a post | X's definition of a paid partnership includes products that earn you a commission "through affiliate links or discount codes" | X |
Four details change how the tools work in practice. Pinterest's label cannot be added after a Pin is published; you create a new Pin instead. TikTok's setting can be turned on after posting, but once the post or LIVE is published its label type cannot be changed, and TikTok's page says to remove it and post again with the correct selection. Instagram shows the label without the brand's name until the brand approves the tag. And on Pinterest, the brand partner is the one that promotes a Pin with a paid partnership label as an Idea ad, and Pins that contain mentions or affiliate links are currently not eligible for that promotion (Pinterest).
These tools satisfy the platforms' own rules. On the legal side, the US regulator's guide for influencers says "Don't assume that a platform's disclosure tool is good enough" (FTC).
What link rules do the platforms state?
None of the five bans affiliate links as such. Each one has rules about how a link behaves and how often it appears.
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| Platform | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | The external links policy covers every surface, including URLs shown as text in a video, obfuscated URLs such as "dot com", and verbal directions to a site. "If we can't verify that a link you post is safe, we may remove the link." Affiliate content does not violate the Terms of Use, but "Excessively posting affiliate content in dedicated accounts may violate our policies around spam." | YouTube |
| Be transparent about your links and how they behave. Some shorteners are not supported. Prohibited: creating affiliate Pins repetitively or in large volumes, asking others to save your affiliate Pins in a quid pro quo, and asking others to create Pins with your affiliate identifier | ||
| X | No deceptive links that redirect people to unexpected destinations. No editing a link so its destination changes significantly. No repeatedly posting links without commentary as the bulk of your activity. X denylists or warns about URLs it believes unsafe | X, X |
| TikTok | No links that open or log into other social media apps. TikTok recommends direct links, and its in-app browser limits browsing of external link chains. During TikTok Shop identity verification, product links may be hidden from viewers | TikTok, TikTok Shop |
| Link stickers are for organic Stories. To run a partnership Stories ad with a link, the creator leaves the sticker off and the link is added as the ad's call-to-action sticker. An affiliate product tag is hidden if the product does not appear in the reel or feed post, is out of stock, or fails Meta's commerce integrity checks | Instagram, Instagram |
On YouTube the external links policy is part of the Community Guidelines: a first violation usually brings a warning, and three strikes within 90 days can end the channel (YouTube). The strike system for all three video platforms is in strikes on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
The link-in-bio page is where the platform rules and the program rules meet. TikTok recommends direct links, Pinterest does not support some shorteners, and, as the next section shows, Amazon bars redirects that hide the destination. A link that passes through two services before it reaches the shop can run into all three rules.
What does the affiliate program itself require?
The platform decides where a link may sit. The affiliate program decides what the link must look like and what you must say next to it. Amazon Associates is the worked case here, and its documents are explicit.
The required statement. Section 5 of the Associates Program Operating Agreement (updated 15 October 2025) says you must "clearly and prominently" state "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." on your Site (Amazon). The agreement defines your Site as "your website, social media user-generated content, online software application, or Alexa skill", so the statement belongs with the social content that carries the links. Outside that statement and what the law requires, the same section bars other public statements about the agreement or your participation without Amazon's advance written permission, and any suggestion that Amazon sponsors or endorses you.
Link format. The Program Policies (updated 14 April 2026) set three rules that matter for social links (Amazon):
- You may not use a link shortening service "in a manner that makes it unclear that you are linking to an Amazon Site".
- You may not cloak, hide or obscure the URL of your Site containing Special Links, including by Redirecting Links.
- Purchases that arrive through a Redirecting Link are disqualified from commission. Amazon defines one as a link that sends users to Amazon through an intermediate site without the customer having to click or take another action there.
Direct messages. Special Links may go into emails, SMS and direct messages from your social media Sites only when the recipient opted in to them (Amazon).
Influencer tier. The Amazon Influencer Program, which Pinterest's Storefront link requires, is country specific and available in select countries. Entry depends on Amazon's "qualitative and quantitative thresholds" (Amazon).
Other programs set their own versions of the same three things. Before you post a link from any program, find in its agreement: the exact statement it requires and where, which link formats it accepts (shorteners, redirects, link-in-bio services), and where links may not go (direct messages, email, offline). If a brand deal pays partly in affiliate commission, the brand deal contract checklist covers the clauses to read. Commission is income, and what platforms report about creators covers which forms it triggers.
Checklist before you post an affiliate link
Derived from the sources above; tick each item for the platform and program you use.
- Placement. The link sits somewhere the platform makes clickable: profile links, a Story sticker, an affiliate product link on an Instagram reel or feed post, a long-form YouTube description, a Pin's link, or a post on X.
- Gate. For TikTok's profile link, you have 1,000 followers or a Verified Business Account. For a native program, you meet its eligibility row above.
- Label. The platform's label is on before you publish. Pinterest's cannot be added afterwards, and TikTok's label type cannot be changed once the post is live.
- Program statement. The program's required statement is on the post or profile carrying the link, word for word where the program gives the words.
- Link format. No shortener or redirect that hides where the link goes, and none that the platform or program blocks.
- Volume. Affiliate posts are a share of your content, not all of it. YouTube, Pinterest and X each list repetitive or bulk link posting in their spam rules.
- Records. Save the program's agreement version date. Amazon's two documents carry different update dates, and both change.
Frequently asked questions
Are affiliate links allowed on Instagram?
Yes. Put them in your profile links (up to five) or in a Story link sticker. Creators who are at least 18, have a public professional account with more than 1,000 followers and are in a supported market can also add affiliate product links to reels and feed posts through Instagram's affiliate partnerships; the partner pays the commission (Instagram). Meta's help center says content that features an affiliate link should have the Paid partnership with label, and that no business partner needs to be tagged (Instagram).
Do affiliate links need a paid partnership label?
On Instagram and X, the platform says so directly. TikTok's setting covers any promotion of a third-party brand "in exchange for payment or any other incentive", and commission is an incentive. Pinterest adds its own affiliate link disclosure to Pins tagged with Amazon products. YouTube asks you to tick the paid promotion button for any commercial relationship in a video.
Can I use a link shortener for affiliate links?
It depends on the program and the platform. Amazon allows one only when it stays clear that the link goes to Amazon. Pinterest does not support some shorteners. X shortens every link to t.co anyway and lets you keep using your own shortener.
Why aren't the links in my YouTube Shorts description clickable?
YouTube made URLs in Shorts descriptions and Shorts comments non-clickable to reduce spam and scam attempts. The clickable routes are your channel profile links (up to 14), YouTube Shopping affiliate product tags if you are in the program, and a brand link on Shorts that belong to a reported brand deal campaign (YouTube).
Can I join TikTok Shop affiliate with fewer than 5,000 followers?
Yes, in the US, from 1,000 followers. You start in a 30-day pilot with posting caps and no access to campaigns. A Non-Extended pilot creator graduates after 30 days onboarded and 5,000 followers (TikTok Shop).