How to Check Collaboration on Instagram

Spotting a collaboration on Instagram used to be a guessing game, but today it’s a critical skill for brands, creators, and even curious users. Knowing how to identify partnerships gives you insight into a competitor's strategy, helps you find your next brand deal, and clarifies when you're seeing an ad versus a genuine recommendation. This guide will show you exactly how to check for collaborations on Instagram, from the officially labeled posts to the subtle sponsored content hiding in plain sight.

The Official Methods: Using Instagram’s Built-in Labels

In recent years, Instagram has introduced tools to make paid partnerships more transparent for everyone. These official labels are the most reliable way to confirm a collaboration. When you see one, you know money or product has been exchanged for the promotion. There are two primary labels to look for.

1. Identifying the "Collab" Feature Post

Instagram's Collab feature is a game-changer for creators and brands working together. Instead of two separate posts, it allows two accounts to co-author a single Feed post or Reel. This content then appears on both of their profile grids, and more importantly, it shares the likes, comments, and views. It's a powerful way to cross-promote and reach a new audience directly.

Here’s how to spot one:

• Look at the Header: The clearest sign of a Collab post is the header, right above the photo or video. Instead of a single username and profile picture, you'll see two. It will look like "[Creator's Username] and [Brand's Username]".
• Check Both Profiles: If you visit the profile of either account listed in the header, you will find the exact same post on their grid.
• Shared Engagement: The like count and all comments are unified. If someone comments on the post from the brand's profile, a user viewing it on the creator's profile will see that same comment. All engagement is pooled together, which is a massive benefit for reach.

This is the gold standard for a true, integrated content partnership on the platform. It signals a deep level of cooperation beyond a simple paid shout-out.

2. Spotting the "Paid Partnership" Label

The "Paid Partnership" label is the most common form of disclosure for influencer marketing and sponsored posts. It's a small but significant piece of text that appears directly underneath the account's username in Feed posts, Reels, and Stories. FTC guidelines in many countries require creators to disclose when they have a material connection to a brand they're promoting, and this label is Instagram’s tool to help them comply.

How to find it:

• On Feed Posts & Reels: Look just below the user’s handle in the top left corner of the post. You’ll see the text "Paid partnership with [Brand's Username]". Sometimes it just says "Paid partnership." Either way, it’s a direct declaration that the content is an advertisement.
• On Stories: The same label appears at the very top of the Story, just under the creator’s username. It's easy to miss if you're tapping through quickly, but it’s always there on properly disclosed sponsored Stories.

This label is straightforward. It tells you the creator has been compensated in some way for the post, whether with money, free products, or other benefits. For marketers, seeing this tag on a competitor’s feed is a clear signal that they are actively investing in influencer marketing.

The Investigator's Guide: Identifying Unofficial Collaborations

Not all collaborations use Instagram’s official labels, either because they don’t meet the criteria, the users aren’t aware of the feature, or they're trying to be less overt. This is where a little bit of sleuthing comes in. By analyzing captions, hashtags, and user behavior, you can uncover hidden partnerships and sponsored content.

1. Read the Caption Carefully

The text accompanying a post is often full of clues. Savvy creators might fulfill their disclosure requirements within the caption itself, even if they don't use the official tag. Look for specific keywords and phrasing.

• Brand Mentions (The @ Tag): The most obvious clue is a direct @mention of a brand. While people tag brands they love for free, a prominent, glowing mention - especially one that reads like ad copy - is a strong indicator of a partnership. For example, a caption that says, “I’m absolutely loving my new headphones from @AwesomeAudio! The sound quality is incredible for my morning workouts. 🎧” is likely a sponsored post.
• Disclosure Hashtags: Many creators use hashtags to disclose their relationship with a brand. Look for them at the end of the caption or in the first comment. Common disclosure hashtags include:
  • #ad
  • #sponsored
  • #brandpartner
  • #[Brand]Partner (e.g., #AmazonPartner)
  • #ambassador
  • #gifted (this indicates the product was sent for free)

While the FTC prefers clearer language than just a hashtag hidden in a sea of other tags, these are still common practice and a dead giveaway that content is promotional.

2. Check for Discount Codes and Affiliate Links

One of the most common ways collaborations are tracked and monetized is through custom discount codes and affiliate links. These are strong evidence of a formal partnership.

• Creator-Specific Discount Codes: Read the caption or watch the video for phrases like, "Use my code SARAH15 for 15% off your first order!" Brands create these unique codes to track how many sales a specific creator drives. It's a clear sign of a results-driven collaboration.
• The "Link in Bio" Funnel: Creators often direct their followers to the clickable link in their profile bio. If you see a caption telling you to “tap the link in my bio to shop,” go check it out. You’ll often find:
  • A direct link to a brand’s product page.
  • A Linktree, Beacons, or another "link-in-bio" landing page featuring product links. These are frequently affiliate links, meaning the creator earns a commission on any sales made through them.
  • A link to a specific campaign landing page.

3. Analyze the Content Itself

Sometimes the evidence is baked right into the visual content - the photo, Reel, or Story. Good branded content is designed to feel native and authentic, but there are still patterns you can spot.

• Consistent Product Placement: Is a creator suddenly a big fan of a specific energy drink, and it’s now appearing in three of their last five posts? A one-off mention might be genuine affection, but repeated, prominent placement of the same product over a short period of time is almost certainly an organized campaign.
• Verbal Callouts: In Reels and Stories, listen for mentions of the brand. Lines like, "I wanted to take a moment to thank @Brand for sponsoring this video," are obvious, but more subtle mentions like, "So many of you have been asking about my skincare routine, and the secret is this new serum from @GlowCo," are just as likely to be part of a collaboration.
• Checking Stories & Highlights: Since Stories disappear after 24 hours, they are a prime spot for more direct sales pitches. Look for link stickers that let users swipe up or tap to visit a brand's site. Some influencers also create a dedicated Story Highlight on their profile for their key partners (e.g., "Amazon Finds," "Style Edits"). These Highlights serve as permanent billboards for their most valuable brand collaborations.

Why It's Important to Check for Collaborations

Knowing how to spot a collaboration isn’t just about satisfying your curiosity. It’s valuable intelligence that serves different purposes depending on who you are.

For Brands and Social Media Managers

Checking collaborations is a fundamental part of competitor analysis. By monitoring who your competitors are partnering with, you can understand their influencer strategy, identify key opinion leaders in your niche, and see which creators drive real engagement for them. It helps you answer questions like:

• Which creators in my industry are getting the best brand deals?
• What type of content resonates with my target audience in a sponsored context?
• Are my competitors reaching a demographic that I'm missing?

This information is essential for building a smarter, more effective influencer marketing program of your own.

For Content Creators

As a creator, understanding the landscape of brand deals is your market research. By checking which brands are actively paying for collaborations, you can build a lead list of potential partners for your own channel. Looking at the content produced from these partnerships also gives you a template of what works and an idea of what brands expect in terms of style, messaging, and deliverables. You can see which of your peers are landing deals and use that as motivation and inspiration for your own outreach.

For Instagram Users

For the average user, identifying sponsored content is about media literacy. It helps you understand when you’re being advertised to, which allows you to make more informed purchasing decisions. Recognizing the difference between a genuine, unpaid recommendation and a paid endorsement makes you a savvier consumer and helps you appreciate the creators who are transparent about their business relationships.

Final Thoughts

Identifying collaborations on Instagram is a multifaceted skill, blending observation of official labels with a bit of investigative work into captions, hashtags, and content patterns. Whether you're a marketer or a creator, knowing who is working with whom is essential for staying competitive and effective.

Staying on top of these collaborations - both your own and your competitors' - requires a clear system. At Postbase, we've designed our platform to give you a clear, visual calendar of your entire content strategy. This lets you meticulously plan your own paid partnerships and campaigns across all platforms, ensuring your content goes live when it needs to - without the reliability issues old-school social media managers face. We built it so that every post, especially a time-sensitive collaboration announcement, publishes exactly when it's supposed to, every single time.