Supplement claims: what you may say.
Plain rules for sponsored supplement content in our campaigns: what creators and brands may say, what they may not, and how we check. A summary of US guidance, not legal advice.
Based on FTC and FDA guidance · Checked before any post is approved
Three rules cover most of it
Share your honest experience
Say what you actually used, for how long, and what you noticed. You must have used the product yourself before you talk about it.
Stay within the approved claims
Describe what the product is made to support using the brand's written list of approved claims, such as "supports restful sleep". If a claim isn't on the list, leave it out.
Never a disease claim
No supplement may be presented as diagnosing, treating, curing, mitigating or preventing a disease, or as a replacement for medicine.
What you may say, and what you may not
Real-sounding lines from sponsored supplement videos. The ones on the right are never allowed, whoever wrote them.
You may say
I've taken this magnesium before bed for six weeks, and it's become part of my wind-down routine.
Your own honest experience, with how long you've used it.It's formulated to support restful sleep.
A structure/function claim, only if it is on the brand's approved list.Each scoop is just creatine monohydrate, per the label.
A fact printed on the label.I like the unflavoured one because it mixes into my coffee.
Taste, texture and how it fits your day.#ad The brand sent me this and paid me for this video.
A clear disclosure at the very start.
Never say
This cured my anxiety.
A disease claim.It lowers blood pressure.
A disease claim.It replaces medication for me.
Never suggest stopping or replacing a medicine.Treats joint pain.
A disease claim.FDA approved.
The FDA doesn't approve dietary supplements before they are sold.Clinically proven to boost immunity.
A study claim the brand must prove, and a health claim on top.Guaranteed weight loss.
A result nobody can promise.Doctor recommended.
Only with written evidence from the brand, word for word.
The rules for each side
Creators keep to their own experience and the approved claims; brands supply those claims and the evidence behind them.
For creators
Before you film and post
- Disclose every sponsored post at the start: #ad or #sponsored before the caption's "see more" cut, plus the platform's paid-partnership label, and say it on screen in a video. Free product is a material connection too.
- Only talk about a product you have used yourself, and keep to your real experience. Don't present an unusual result as what everyone can expect.
- Use the brand's approved claims word for word, or not at all. Don't add studies, statistics or doctor quotes the brand hasn't given you in writing.
- No weight-loss promises and no before-and-after body claims.
- Never tell viewers to stop, reduce or replace a medicine. Suggest they ask their doctor instead.
For brands
Before you brief a creator
- Give creators a written list of approved claims, and hold the evidence for each one. US rules expect health claims to be backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
- You are responsible for what creators say about your product in your campaign. Don't ask a creator for a claim you couldn't make in your own ads.
- Structure/function claims such as "supports restful sleep" need the FDA's standard disclaimer on your label, and the FDA must be notified of them. Disease claims are not allowed at all.
- Don't ask for "FDA approved" wording: the FDA doesn't approve dietary supplements before they are sold.
- Product sent for free, and any fee, is a material connection the creator must disclose.
Checked before anything goes live
Our team reviews every post. Nothing is approved until the checklist is complete.
The limits are in every brief
Each brief lists the brand's do's and don'ts, and every deliverable carries the FTC disclosure checklist, so creators know the limits before they film.
Our team checks before approval
Before a post can be approved, our team confirms every checklist item: the disclosure tag before the "see more" cut, the platform's paid-partnership label, real experience only, and no medical or performance claim the brand can't back up.
Claim words screened by our team
Our team screens every caption for claim words such as "cures", "treats", "clinically proven" and "FDA approved", and compares them with the brand's approved claims.
We look at the brand's claims too
Before we take on a supplement brand, we look at how it describes its products. Drug-like claims, such as "cures disease", are a reason to say no, or to ask the brand to fix them first.
Questions about supplement claims
Can I say a supplement helped me?
You can describe your own honest experience, as long as it doesn't become a disease claim. "I sleep better since I added it to my evening routine" is an experience; "it cured my insomnia" is a disease claim.
Do the same rules apply to fitness products?
The disclosure rules apply to every sponsored post in every niche. Fitness gear rarely carries health claims, but promises such as "lose weight fast" are off limits there too.
Who checks the brand's approved claims?
The brand holds the evidence for its claims and gives us the approved list in writing. Our team checks every draft against that list and the disclosure checklist before it can be approved. We don't judge the science ourselves.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a plain-English summary of US guidance for the campaigns we run. Brands should ask their own counsel about their specific claims.
Sources
- FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance
- FTC: Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers
- FTC: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
- FDA: Structure/Function Claims
A plain-English summary, not legal advice. See also who we pick and how creators earn.
Creator content that stays inside your claims
Send us your approved claims, and every brief, draft and post in your pilot is checked against them and the FTC disclosure rules before it goes live.