Creator contract guides · Updated November 1, 2026
What is whitelisting (and Spark Ads), and should brands pay extra for it?
Short answer
Whitelisting means the brand runs paid ads through your account, so the ad shows your name and handle instead of theirs. It's worth more to the brand than a normal post, so it's normally a paid add-on with a time limit, not something included for free.
How it works on each platform
- Instagram and Facebook: you approve the brand as a partner in your branded-content settings, and the brand runs "partnership ads" that appear to come from you. You can remove the permission from your settings.
- TikTok: you generate a Spark Ads authorization code for a specific video and give it to the brand. When you create the code you choose how long it lasts, and the brand can only boost that video.
- YouTube: brands can run your video as an ad if it's public and they have the link, but sponsorship contracts usually spell out whether they may.
What the clause usually says
Creator will provide Brand with whitelisting access and/or Spark Ads authorization codes for all Deliverables for the duration of the Usage Period.
Brand may boost, promote or run the Content as paid media from Creator's handle.
What's normal
- A separate line item and fee for whitelisting, priced per month or per campaign.
- A fixed duration that matches the code or permission you grant (for example 30 or 60 days).
- Your approval of the ad copy that runs above your video, since it appears under your name.
- No access to your account login. Partnership ads and Spark codes never need your password.
Red flags
- Whitelisting "for the Usage Period" when the usage period is perpetual.
- A request for your login, two-factor codes or to be added as an admin.
- Ad copy written by the brand with no approval step: comments on those ads land on your profile.
- Whitelisting bundled into a gifted deal.
What to send the brand
Copy, adjust the numbers, and send. Brands expect pushback on these; asking doesn't make you difficult.
“Whitelisting is available as an add-on for 30 days at [rate]. I'll approve the ad copy before it runs.”
“I'll provide a Spark code set to 30 days for the agreed video. Longer runs can be renewed.”
“I don't share logins; partnership ad permissions give you everything you need.”
Got the actual contract?
Paste or upload it and get every clause like these flagged in plain English in about a minute — usage, ads, exclusivity, payment, and scam signs. Your first check is free.
Questions
Is whitelisting the same as usage rights?
No. Usage rights cover where the brand can post your content from its own accounts. Whitelisting is the brand running ads from your account. A contract can grant one without the other, and each should be priced.
Can I stop a brand from running ads from my account?
On Instagram and Facebook you can remove the partner permission. On TikTok a Spark code expires at the end of the period you chose. If the contract promised a longer period, ending it early may break the contract, so check the term first.
Why do brands want whitelisting?
Ads from a real creator's handle often perform better than ads from the brand's own page, and they can target your audience. That extra value is why it's a paid add-on.
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