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Claims playbook · free

What you can and can’t say about wellness products on Instagram

Sleep, stress and mood products can talk about the routine. They can’t claim to treat the mind or body.

Download the PDF

A first pass, not legal advice. See the source rules

A script, checkedExample
  • Change before it runs

    “Ashwagandha cured my anxiety.”

    Flagged by this rulebook

    CAP 12
  • Fine to say

    “My wind-down routine, start to finish.”

  • Change before it runs

    “Lion’s mane boosts your brain power.”

    Flagged by this rulebook

    GB register
  • Fine to say

    “#ad My wind-down routine”

Verdicts from Affilo’s claims check and this playbook’s rulebook.

CAP 2Influencer guidance

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.

Don’t say

  • Change before it runs

    “My wind-down ritual #sp”

    Flagged by the #ad check · CAP 2

  • Change before it runs

    “Can’t sleep without this now #gifted”

    Flagged by the #ad check · CAP 2

Say instead

  • Fine to say

    “#ad My wind-down routine”

  • Fine to say

    “#ad What I take before bed”

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.

CAP 12CAP 15

No claims to treat the mind or body

Sleep, stress and mood products can’t claim to treat insomnia, anxiety or any other condition unless they’re licensed medicines.

Don’t say

  • Change before it runs

    “Ashwagandha cured my anxiety.”

    Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 12, CAP 15

  • Change before it runs

    “Fixes insomnia for good.”

    Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 12, CAP 15

  • Change before it runs

    “I don’t need my melatonin any more.”

    Flagged by the claims check · CAP 12

Say instead

  • Fine to say

    “My wind-down routine, start to finish.”

GB registerCAP 15

Botanicals and CBD have no authorised claims

Ashwagandha, lion’s mane, CBD and other botanicals have no authorised health claim. Talk about the routine, not the effect.

Don’t say

  • Change before it runs

    “Lion’s mane boosts your brain power.”

    Flagged by this rulebook · GB register, CAP 15

  • Change before it runs

    “CBD that melts stress away.”

    Flagged by this rulebook · GB register, CAP 15

Say instead

  • Fine to say

    “Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function.”

  • Fine to say

    “Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.”

A nutrient in the product, at a significant amount, can carry its own authorised claim from the register.

CAP 15CAP 3

Leave out detox and cleanse

Detox and cleanse claim the product removes something from the body, which needs evidence no tea or tonic has.

Don’t say

  • Change before it runs

    “A seven-day detox for your liver.”

    Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 15, CAP 3

  • Change before it runs

    “Cleanses your system overnight.”

    Flagged by this rulebook · CAP 15, CAP 3

Say instead

  • Fine to say

    “My tea after dinner.”

CAP 3

Don’t claim proof you can’t show

Clinically proven, expert recommended and the like need evidence the brand holds before the ad runs, about this product.

Don’t say

  • Check the evidence

    “Scientifically proven to lower stress.”

    Flagged by the claims check · CAP 3

    Try: Say why you chose it instead: “I wanted one that’s third-party tested.”

Say instead

  • Fine to say

    “I chose it for the taste.”

CAP 3

Made with AI? Say so

AI-made people, results and testimonials need a label wherever a viewer would take them as real.

Watch for

  • 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

Instead

  • Fine to say

    Add a short on-screen line: “Made with AI”.

GB register

Authorised wording you can use

Word for word from the register. A line can be used only when the product has the nutrient at a significant amount: at least 15% of the reference intake in a daily dose, or 3 g a day for creatine.

Magnesium
  • “contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue”
  • “contributes to normal muscle function”
  • “contributes to normal psychological function”
  • “contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism”
Vitamin B6
  • “contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue”
  • “contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism”
  • “contributes to the normal function of the immune system”
  • “contributes to normal psychological function”
Vitamin B12
  • “contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue”
  • “contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism”
  • “contributes to the normal function of the immune system”
  • “contributes to normal psychological function”
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
  • “contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue”
  • “contributes to the maintenance of normal skin”
Your rulebook

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.

Download the PDF

Free. Every line stays yours to edit or remove.

RulebookFrom the wellness playbook

Lines creators may not say

  • Not allowedCures, treats or prevents any condition
  • Not allowedAnxiety, depression or insomnia
  • Not allowedMedication or prescription
  • Not allowedBoosts brain
  • Not allowedMelts stress or reduces stress
  • Not allowedDetox or cleanse

Lines creators may say

  • AllowedMy wind-down routine
Disclosure#ad

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.