It reads like a story, and says it’s an ad
Advertorials borrow the pacing of an article, so the advertising label and affiliate disclosure have to be impossible to miss. Readers who feel tricked don’t buy.
Examples
Advertorial examples, annotated
Two advertorial layouts, taken apart section by section — what each part does, and why it’s there.
What a good advertorial gets right
The problem comes before the product
The first half earns attention by describing the reader’s situation better than they could. The product appears only when it’s the natural next step.
Every claim is one you can support
Prices, results, studies and testimonials come from the offer — never from imagination. Where a fact is missing, the page should say less, not make something up.
Scroll inside the preview. Example content only.
Example 1
News feature
A newspaper-style feature story with masthead, byline and a product spotlight halfway through. The offer appears as a bordered product card after the explanation, followed by an honest “who it’s for” checklist and a final call to action. In-text links point to the offer throughout. Compare with “Personal story”, which reveals the product inside a first-person narrative.
-
01
Ad label
The advertising label comes first, before the reader starts the story. It is what keeps an editorial-style page honest — and most ad platforms and native networks require it.
-
02
Masthead
A simple publication-style header sets the reading context. It must carry your own publication name — never a real news outlet’s name or logo.
-
03
Article header
The headline promises a story, not a product, and should pay off the ad the visitor clicked. The image and standfirst give a phone reader a reason to keep scrolling.
-
04
Text used 4 times
Short paragraphs carry the story: the reader’s situation, why the usual fixes fall short, and the insight that changes things. The product is not the hero yet.
-
05
Heading used 3 times
Subheads break a long page into chapters. Many readers skim the subheads first and only read the parts that match their situation.
-
06
Image
Images give the eye somewhere to land on a phone screen. Use your own or properly licensed images, with alt text that describes them.
-
07
Callout
A pull-out box slows the scroll at the turning point of the story — the idea the rest of the page builds on.
-
08
Product card
The product transition: only after the problem is established does the page introduce the offer by name, with what it is and who it suits.
-
09
Pros & cons
Admitting limitations makes the rest of the page more believable and filters out readers who were never a good fit.
-
10
Call to action
The call to action repeats the page’s promise and says exactly what happens next. Buttons point at your main offer link, so changing the link updates them all.
-
11
Disclosure
The affiliate disclosure says plainly that you may earn a commission. Keep it easy to find, close to the content and the links.
-
12
Footer
Footer links to your privacy notice, terms and contact details make the page complete and help with ad platform review.
-
13
Sticky mobile button
On phones, a slim sticky button keeps the next step within reach without interrupting the article.
Scroll inside the preview. Example content only.
Example 2
Personal story
A warm first-person blog post: the struggle, what didn’t work, the turning point and an honest take. No product card: the product is revealed mid-story beside a photo, the routine is shown as a numbered list, and the offer is a soft highlighted box (“if this sounds like you…”) before an author bio. Compare with “News feature”, which uses a publisher masthead and a formal product spotlight.
-
01
Ad label
The advertising label comes first, before the reader starts the story. It is what keeps an editorial-style page honest — and most ad platforms and native networks require it.
-
02
Article header
The headline promises a story, not a product, and should pay off the ad the visitor clicked. The image and standfirst give a phone reader a reason to keep scrolling.
-
03
Text used 3 times
Short paragraphs carry the story: the reader’s situation, why the usual fixes fall short, and the insight that changes things. The product is not the hero yet.
-
04
Callout used 2 times
A pull-out box slows the scroll at the turning point of the story — the idea the rest of the page builds on.
-
05
Heading used 2 times
Subheads break a long page into chapters. Many readers skim the subheads first and only read the parts that match their situation.
-
06
Image + text
Pairing a picture with a short explanation makes a mechanism or a step easier to grasp than text alone.
-
07
Image
Images give the eye somewhere to land on a phone screen. Use your own or properly licensed images, with alt text that describes them.
-
08
Pros & cons
Admitting limitations makes the rest of the page more believable and filters out readers who were never a good fit.
-
09
Author box
A byline tells readers who is speaking. Use a real person or your own publication — never an invented journalist or expert.
-
10
Disclosure
The affiliate disclosure says plainly that you may earn a commission. Keep it easy to find, close to the content and the links.
-
11
Footer
Footer links to your privacy notice, terms and contact details make the page complete and help with ad platform review.
-
12
Sticky mobile button
On phones, a slim sticky button keeps the next step within reach without interrupting the article.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using a real news outlet’s name, logo or layout to borrow credibility.
- Invented testimonials, “as seen on” badges or comment sections.
- Disclosures in tiny gray text at the bottom of the page.
- A headline that promises something different from the ad visitors clicked.
- Pushing the offer in the first screen, before the story has done its job.
- Health or money claims the merchant can’t substantiate.
For the full playbook — when to use an advertorial, its anatomy, writing tips and compliance notes — read the advertorial guide.
Write your own advertorial from a brief.
Pick a layout, add your offer, and edit the draft. 7-day free trial, no card.