# Advertising disclosure rules for social media in Germany | Illia BizTech > When disclosure is mandatory, which wordings are accepted, how stories differ from posts and who carries responsibility. Source: https://illia-biztech.de/en/blog/werbekennzeichnung-social-media 1. [Home](/en) 2. [Resources](/en/blog) 3. When a social post has to be marked as advertising ![Smartphone screen showing a social feed held at a café table](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/medium_werbekennzeichnung_social_media_3f6d057376.png) ![Portrait of Illia Belichenko, technical specialist at Illia BizTech](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/small_Illia_Belichenko_author_81f88864f0.png) By: Illia Belichenko August 27, 2026 # When a social post has to be marked as advertising Advertising in the legal sense covers any message that promotes a product, service or brand while tied to the publishing person's commercial interest, whether or not money changed hands for the post. A post about a company's own product or service usually needs no separate advertising label, since the commercial nature of a business account is already obvious to a follower at first glance. Mentioning another brand changes that once a benefit flows back for it, money, a free product, a discount or any other form of compensation. That reciprocal benefit, not the mention itself, triggers the disclosure duty. Words like Anzeige or Werbung count as sufficient disclosure, while wording such as sponsored by, thanks to the brand for the gift or collab without the direct word advertising is usually not accepted as sufficient by German courts. The label has to sit where it is seen immediately, usually at the start of the text or directly on the image, not at the end of a long description behind a see more button that few people reach. The requirement applies equally to an ordinary post, Stories and video, but Stories leave less time to read, so the label gets lost there especially easily and needs a larger, more visible placement. A joint post with a partner needs disclosure on both accounts if the collaboration is commercial, and the partner already labelling their own side does not exempt the second account from doing the same. When an agency prepares the post on the company's behalf, the company as the account owner carries liability for a missing label, and the contract with the agency decides who covers the cost without removing liability toward third parties. This text explains the legal requirements and does not replace legal advice. Assessing a specific post depends on its wording, the platform and the details of the collaboration. **Share** [ ![Service van parked outside a customer's house as a tradesperson arrives](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/medium_google_unternehmensprofil_einrichten_40fb5b7ce8.png) Previous Post Setting up a Google Business Profile without a shopfront](/en/blog/google-unternehmensprofil-einrichten) [ ![Small business owner filming social media content on a phone inside their own shop](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/medium_content_plan_ohne_marketingabteilung_a8930e8101.png) Next Post A Content Plan When There Is No Marketing Department](/en/blog/content-plan-ohne-marketingabteilung) ![Portrait of Illia Belichenko, technical specialist at Illia BizTech](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/small_Illia_Belichenko_author_81f88864f0.png) ##### Illia Belichenko Illia is responsible for the technical side of Illia BizTech: website development, website updates, forms, integrations, automation and technical support. He works on connecting websites, content, advertising and internal workflows so they work together without creating unnecessary manual work. ##### Recent Posts [![An editor working in video editing software with AI features on screen](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/medium_ki_tools_videoschnitt_vor_und_nachteile_f3a71162be.png)](/en/blog/ki-tools-videoschnitt-vor-und-nachteile) #### [What AI Editing Tools Actually Do, and What They Don't](/en/blog/ki-tools-videoschnitt-vor-und-nachteile) October 16, 2026 [](/en/blog/ki-tools-videoschnitt-vor-und-nachteile) [![A video editor reviewing a flawed shot on a monitor before deciding on a reshoot](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/medium_content_nachdrehen_oder_um_fehler_schneiden_f8735cb368.png)](/en/blog/content-nachdrehen-oder-um-fehler-schneiden) #### [When a Reshoot Pays Off and When Editing Can Save the Footage](/en/blog/content-nachdrehen-oder-um-fehler-schneiden) October 15, 2026 [](/en/blog/content-nachdrehen-oder-um-fehler-schneiden) [![A video editor selecting a cover frame for a video on a laptop screen](/_ipx/f_webp,q_75/https://cms.illia-biztech.de/uploads/medium_thumbnail_vorschaubild_video_wirkung_a1fe6c0cd9.png)](/en/blog/thumbnail-vorschaubild-video-wirkung) #### [Why the Video Thumbnail Decides Whether Anyone Clicks](/en/blog/thumbnail-vorschaubild-video-wirkung) October 14, 2026 [](/en/blog/thumbnail-vorschaubild-video-wirkung) Advertising disclosure looks like a small detail until its absence brings a letter from a competitor or a consumer association. Illia BizTech checks every post that mentions another brand against this line in advance while managing client accounts, not after a complaint arrives. Illia BizTech builds and maintains websites for companies in Germany in German, English, Russian and Ukrainian, from the first version through ongoing maintenance and search visibility work. One monthly plan covers the website, advertising and content, the scope is agreed in advance and can be moved between them when priorities change. The domain, hosting and ad accounts stay registered to the company, so the work can continue on the existing setup without a full rebuild. That fits businesses moving to Germany or expanding into the German-speaking market who want to explain their task once.