Disclaimer
A statement in or accompanying an ad that limits liability, clarifies claims, or provides legally required disclosures.
What Disclaimer means
Disclaimers are qualifying statements that provide additional context, limit liability, or fulfill legal disclosure requirements in advertising. Common types include results disclaimers ('Results may vary'), financial disclaimers ('Past performance does not guarantee future results'), health disclaimers ('Consult your doctor'), testimonial disclaimers ('Results not typical'), and affiliate disclaimers. The FTC requires that disclaimers be clear and conspicuous — they cannot be buried in fine print or hidden behind click-throughs. Platform policies also address disclaimers — some require them for specific ad categories (financial services, health products) while others mandate that claims be truthful even with disclaimers. The principle that a disclaimer cannot cure a fundamentally misleading claim is universally applied by both regulators and platforms.
Related terms
Substantiation
The requirement to have evidence supporting advertising claims before making them, enforced by the FTC and platform policies.
Endorsement Disclosure
A clear statement revealing a material connection between an endorser and a brand, required by FTC guidelines and platform policies.
FTC
The Federal Trade Commission — the primary US federal agency enforcing truth-in-advertising laws and consumer protection regulations.
Health Claims
Advertising claims about health benefits of products, heavily regulated by the FTC, FDA, and all major ad platforms.