What you can and can’t say about home products on Instagram
Home ads get pulled for green claims with nothing behind them, and for candles that claim to calm.
- Change before it runsCAP 11
“Completely eco-friendly.”
Flagged by this rulebook
- Fine to say
“The cover is 80% recycled cotton, it says so on the label.”
- Change before it runsCAP 12
“This diffuser helps my anxiety.”
Flagged by this rulebook
- Fine to say
“#ad Our cosy corner, done”
Verdicts from Affilo’s claims check and this playbook’s rulebook.
Say it’s an ad, up front
Paid or on commission, the post is an ad, and people have to know that before they tap or read on.
- Change before it runs
“Cosy corner glow up #sp”
Flagged by the #ad check · CAP 2
- Change before it runs
“Our new bedding, obsessed #collab”
Flagged by the #ad check · CAP 2
- Fine to say
“#ad Our cosy corner, done”
- Fine to say
“#ad A week with our new bedding”
Put #ad at the start of the caption and turn on Instagram’s paid partnership label too. In Stories, label every frame the product is in.
Green claims need detail and proof
Eco-friendly, sustainable and carbon neutral are claims about the whole product. Say exactly what’s true.
- Change before it runs
“Completely eco-friendly.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 11
- Change before it runs
“100% sustainable, guilt free.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 11
- Change before it runs
“Carbon neutral candles.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 11
- Fine to say
“The cover is 80% recycled cotton, it says so on the label.”
Candles and mattresses can’t treat anything
A candle, diffuser or mattress can’t claim to treat anxiety, asthma, back pain or sleep problems.
- Change before it runs
“This diffuser helps my anxiety.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 12
- Change before it runs
“The mattress that fixed my back pain.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 12
- Fine to say
“It’s the last thing I light before bed.”
Germ claims need lab results
Kills 99.9% of germs and antibacterial are claims that need test results for this product.
- Change before it runs
“Kills 99.9% of germs.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 3
- Change before it runs
“Antibacterial, so you can skip the bleach.”
Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 3
- Fine to say
“I use it on the worktops every evening.”
Prices and made in claims must be true
A was price must be a real recent price, and handmade or made in Britain must be true of this product.
- Check the evidence
Was £80, now £40, when it never sold at £80
For your reviewer · CAP 3
- Check the evidence
Handmade, when it’s made in a factory
For your reviewer · CAP 3
- Fine to say
Give the offer only as the brand gives it to you
Made with AI? Say so
AI-made people, results and testimonials need a label wherever a viewer would take them as real.
- Check the evidence
An AI-made person giving a testimonial, with nothing to say so
For your reviewer · CAP 3
- Check the evidence
A result the product can’t give, made with AI
For your reviewer · CAP 3
- Fine to say
Add a short on-screen line: “Made with AI”.
Start with this rulebook.
Sign up as a brand and these lines go on every product you add, ready to edit. Creators see them with the brief, and every script is read against them when it comes in for review.
Lines creators may not say
- Not allowedEco-friendly or planet friendly
- Not allowed100% sustainable
- Not allowedCarbon neutral
- Not allowedAnxiety, asthma or insomnia
- Not allowedFixes pain
- Not allowedKills germs
- Not allowedAntibacterial
Lines creators may say
- AllowedThe last thing I light before bed
A first pass, not legal advice
This playbook sets out the main rules for ads seen in the UK, as we read them on 7 November 2026. It is a starting point for briefing creators, not legal advice. Check your claims with your compliance lead or a lawyer before an ad runs.
The source rules
As read on 7 November 2026.
- CAP 2CAP Code section 2: recognition of marketing communications (opens in a new tab)
An ad must be obviously identifiable as an ad.
- CAP 3CAP Code section 3: misleading advertising (opens in a new tab)
Evidence for objective claims, testimonials, prices and edited images.
- CAP 11CAP Code section 11: environmental claims (opens in a new tab)
Green, sustainable and carbon claims, and the evidence they need.
- CAP 12CAP Code section 12: medicines, medical devices, health-related and beauty products (opens in a new tab)
Medical claims, and what beauty and health products may say.
- Influencer guidanceThe ASA and CMA guide for influencers on making clear that ads are ads (opens in a new tab)
Where #ad goes, and which labels aren’t enough.