Instagram introduced the “Paid Partnership” label in 2017.
The label was part of Instagram's branded-content tool, announced in June 2017. It appears as “Paid partnership with” followed by the business partner's name, making a commercial relationship more visible at the top of a post or Story. The rollout expanded to additional creators and publishers later that year.
Instagram created the tool as influencer marketing grew and regulators, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, pushed for clearer advertising disclosures. The system also gave brands and creators access to shared performance information for branded posts and Stories.
The label is not the same as an ordinary brand mention, a product tag, or a hashtag such as #ad. It specifically identifies branded content through Instagram's built-in disclosure system. Eligibility and exact controls have changed over time as Instagram expanded branded-content and partnership-ad tools.