How to Get the Instagram Branded Content Tool

Gaining access to Instagram's branded content tool is a significant step for any creator looking to professionalize their brand partnerships. This approval unlocks the Paid partnership with... label, signaling transparency to your audience and opening up new advertising capabilities for your brand partners. This guide will walk you through exactly what the tool is, who can get it, and the step-by-step process of accessing and using it to legitimize your collaborations.

What is the Instagram Branded Content Tool?

At its core, the Instagram Branded Content tool is a feature designed to create clear and transparent relationships between creators and the brands they work with. When a creator publishes a post, Story, or Reel as part of a paid partnership, this tool allows them to add a clear label - "Paid partnership with [Brand Name]" - right at the top of the content.

This isn't just a simple tag, it's a powerful feature that serves three primary purposes:

• Promotes Transparency: It clearly discloses to your audience that you are being compensated for the post, which is a requirement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States and similar regulatory bodies worldwide. It builds trust and keeps your content authentic. Simply using hashtags like #ad or #sponsored is good, but the official tool makes the disclosure unavoidable.
• Unlocks Analytics for Brands: When a creator uses the label, their brand partner gains access to the post's organic performance metrics directly in their Meta Business Suite. They can see reach, engagement, and other key insights without having to ask the creator for screenshots.
• Enables Branded Content Ads: Perhaps the most significant benefit for brands is the ability to amplify a creator's post. Once tagged, a brand can turn the creator's organic post into a paid ad, running it to a broader, targeted audience. This leverages the creator's authentic voice and content with the power of Meta's advertising system.

Eligibility: Who Can Get the Branded Content Tool?

Instagram has specific requirements in place to ensure that creators using monetization tools are credible and adhere to community standards. While the platform has largely automated the approval process for those who meet the criteria, you still need to tick the right boxes. Here’s what you need:

1. A Professional Account

You must have either a Creator Account or a Business Account. Personal accounts are not eligible for any monetization tools. If you're still on a personal profile, switching is your first step. A Creator account is generally the best fit for influencers and public figures, offering more flexible profile controls and growth tools tailored to content creation. A Business account is better suited for brands, retailers, and service providers.

2. Adherence to Policies

Your account and its content must comply with Instagram's rules. This isn't just about avoiding a temporary ban, it’s about consistently following the platform's guidelines. The two main policies to be aware of are:

• Community Guidelines: These are the basic rules of Instagram regarding hate speech, nudity, violence, and general safety. Every user agrees to these, but creators under scrutiny for monetization must have a clean record.
• Partner Monetization Policies: This is a stricter set of rules for anyone making money on Meta's platforms. It covers things like creating original content, avoiding engagement bait, and operating from an eligible country. Violating these can result in a loss of access to monetization features.

3. An Established Presence

Instagram doesn't publish a hard-and-fast follower count requirement for the branded content tool anymore. However, your account needs to show an authentic, established presence. This generally means:

• A history of creating original content.
• A baseline level of engagement from a real audience.
• A professional-looking profile (bio, profile picture, consistent content).

An account that was created yesterday with a handful of followers is unlikely to be approved. The system looks for signs of an authentic creator building a genuine community.

How to Get Access: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you meet the eligibility criteria, getting access is typically straightforward. The system often grants it automatically once your account is flagged as eligible. Here’s how to check your status and enable the feature.

Step 1: Switch to a Professional Account

If you haven't already, make the switch. It's free and takes less than a minute.

1. Go to your profile and tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings and privacy.
3. Scroll down to For professionals and tap Account type and tools.
4. Tap Switch to professional account and follow the prompts. You'll be asked to choose a category that best describes what you do (e.g., Artist, Blogger, Digital Creator).
5. Choose Creator when prompted. This is generally the best option unless you are a formal business.

Step 2: Check Your Monetization Status

Once you have a professional account, you can quickly see if you're eligible for the branded content tool.

1. Go to your Settings and privacy menu again.
2. Tap on Creator tools and controls (or Business tools and controls).
3. Scroll down and select Branded content.
4. Here, you'll see your status. If you are eligible, it will say "You're eligible to monetize." You can then proceed to set up the tool.
5. If it says you are not eligible, it will usually provide a reason related to not following partner monetization policies.

For most eligible creators, the tool is enabled by default once you visit this screen. There’s no longer a separate application you need to fill out.

Step 3: Set Up Brand Approvals

To streamline your workflow, you can pre-approve brands you frequently work with. This allows them to run branded content ads with your posts without needing your approval every single time.

1. In the Branded content menu, tap on Manually approve brand partners if needed. You can toggle this setting.
2. To approve a partner, tap Approve brand partners and search for the brand’s Instagram handle. Add them to your approved list.
3. If you want brands to have to request approval for every tag, you can keep manual approvals on. However, for long-term partnerships, approving them once makes the process much smoother.

How to Use the Tool in Your Posts

Once you’re approved, using the "Paid partnership" label is simple. The option appears during the final steps of creating a post, Story, or Reel.

For Feed Posts (Photos and Videos):

1. Create a new post as you normally would. Upload your photo or video, write your caption, and add hashtags.
2. On the final screen before publishing, tap Advanced settings at the bottom.
3. Under the Branded content section, tap Add paid partnership label.
4. On the next screen, tap Add brand partners and search for the brand’s handle you’re collaborating with. Select it.
5. Optional but recommended: Toggle on Allow brand partner to boost. This is what allows them to turn your post into a branded content ad.
6. Go back to the previous screen and hit Share. Your post will now appear with the "Paid partnership" label.

For Instagram Stories:

1. Create your Story by adding an image, video, text, stickers, etc.
2. Before publishing, tap the tag icon at the top of the screen (the one that looks like a person's silhouette).
3. At the bottom of this menu, look for the Add paid partnership label option and tap it to toggle the feature on.
4. Search for and select your brand partner.
5. Optional: Again, you can allow the partner to boost the Story.
6. Share your Story. The "Paid partnership" label will appear under your username at the top left.

For Instagram Reels:

1. Record or upload your Reel video and edit it with music and effects.
2. On the final share screen (where you write your caption), scroll down and tap Advanced settings.
3. Tap Add paid partnership label and toggle it on.
4. Under Brand partners, an option allows you to tag the business. Tag your partner’s account, and enable the toggle to Allow brand partner to boost.
5. Finish your caption, add hashtags and post your Reel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Even with a straightforward system, questions come up. Here are some common roadblocks and their solutions.

What if I don't see the "Branded Content" option in my settings at all?

This is almost always because you are not on a Professional (Creator or Business) account. Go back to Step 1 and make sure your account has been switched over. It can sometimes take a few minutes or an app restart for all the new settings to appear.

I meet the requirements, but Instagram says I’m not eligible. What can I do?

If you receive an in-app notification that you’re not eligible, review Instagram's Partner Monetization Policies carefully. One common reason is if you've recently had a post removed for violating community guidelines. Another is sharing unoriginal or repurposed content from other sources. Focus on posting original, high-quality content that aligns with the guidelines for a few weeks and check your status again.

Do I have to use the tag for every sponsored promotion? What about gifted products?

According to FTC regulations, you must disclose any material connection you have with a brand. This includes payment, free products, discounts, or even contest entries. While a simple #ad or #gifted hashtag may suffice for some scenarios, the "Paid Partnership" label is the clearest and most compliant method. It is best practice to use it for any collaboration where something of value has been exchanged.

What does the brand see when I tag them?

The brand will receive a notification. They will see your post in their Meta Business Suite under the Branded Content section, where they can view its analytics. If you've given them permission to boost, they will see an option to "Boost Post" and create an ad from it, targeting an audience of their choice.

Final Thoughts

Getting and using the Instagram Branded Content tool is a critical milestone for any creator serious about working with brands. It demonstrates professionalism, builds trust through transparency, and provides your partners with the valuable data and promotional tools they need to justify their investment in you. By following these steps, you can set yourself up for more successful, compliant, and lucrative partnerships.

As you manage these partnerships, organization becomes everything. At Postbase, we built our platform knowing that a creator's or social media manager's calendar is a mix of organic content and paid commitments. Our visual calendar lets you plan all your content - including your branded posts - in one place, ensuring you never miss a deadline and your feed remains balanced. Because sponsored content needs to be reliable, our scheduling just works, especially for modern video formats like Reels and Shorts, which we designed our platform for from the very beginning. It lets you focus on creating great content, not wrestling with your tools.