Myth or Rule?
The rules everyone repeats, checked.
Things creators say about TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and the rest, each answered with the platform's own words and a link to its page. Some are myths. Some are very real rules.
- RuleTikTok“On TikTok, realistic AI video needs a label.”If it looks real and AI made it or heavily edited it, switch on TikTok's AI-generated label when you post. Skip it and TikTok may remove it, restrict it or label it for you.
- MythTikTok“Follow-for-follow and like-for-like videos still go out on TikTok's For You feed.”TikTok keeps content that tries to inflate likes or follows off For You. Your followers can still see it; new people won't be shown it.
- MythTikTok“TikTok's Creator Rewards pays for videos of any length.”Creator Rewards counts original videos over one minute. A 45-second video can do numbers and still earn nothing from the program.
- RuleTikTok“On TikTok, a clip showing another app's watermark can be kept off For You.”TikTok lists reused clips that show someone else's watermark or logo as not eligible for the For You feed. Export a clean file, or add real edits of your own.
- MythYouTube“YouTube demonetizes every AI or faceless channel.”AI isn't the problem. What YouTube won't pay for is templated, mass-produced content with nothing of the creator in it. Add your own take and it's a different story.
- MythYouTube“On YouTube, more hashtags means more reach, so stack as many as you can.”Go past 60 and YouTube ignores every hashtag on the video, not just the extras. Over-tagging can also pull the video from search. A few on-topic ones do the job.
- MythYouTube“If the original creator says yes, you can monetize their clip on YouTube.”Permission doesn't fix reused content. To earn from it, YouTube wants something of yours on top: real commentary, real edits, a new angle.
- RuleYouTube“Three YouTube strikes in 90 days can cost you the whole channel.”That one's real. Three strikes inside the same 90 days can get a channel removed for good, so read every strike email and fix the cause before the next upload.
- MythInstagram“If two accounts post the same video, Instagram recommends both.”When Instagram finds identical copies, it recommends the original only. The repost can stay up and still reach almost nobody new.
- MythInstagram“‘Like and follow to unlock the freebie’ is fine on Instagram.”Meta's spam rules don't allow it: making people like, share or follow to get exclusive content is on the list, and posts that do it can come down. Give the freebie away without the gate.
- RuleInstagram“Instagram shows watermarked Reels to fewer people.”Instagram's own ranking explainer says it makes watermarked and low-resolution Reels less visible. Export without the other app's logo, in full quality.
- MythFacebook“Add your logo or a credit and a reposted clip counts as original on Facebook.”A credit or a logo isn't a substantial change. Facebook treats the clip as unoriginal and shows it to fewer people. Add real commentary, edits or new footage instead.
- RuleFacebook“‘Tag a friend who needs this’ gets a Facebook post shown to fewer people.”Facebook's distribution guide names posts that ask for tags, likes, shares or comments just to get them. A real call to action is fine. Begging for tags isn't.
- RuleX“On X, a sponsored post needs the Paid Partnership label switched on.”If a brand paid for the post, switch on X's Paid Partnership disclosure when you publish it. That's X's own rule for sponsored posts.
- MythX“On X, stacking trending hashtags that have nothing to do with your post gets you more reach.”X lists excessive, unrelated hashtags as spam behavior, and spam gets its reach cut. One or two that fit the post, or none at all, is the move.
- MythSnapchat“Snapchat Spotlight doesn't care about black bars or sideways video.”Letterboxed, blurry or wrongly oriented video is on Snapchat's list of content that isn't eligible for Spotlight recommendations. Shoot or crop to full-screen vertical.
- MythPinterest“Any link shortener gets your Pin blocked on Pinterest.”What may be blocked is a shortener abused for spam, or a link with excessive or deceptive redirects. A plain short link to a real page isn't the problem.
- MythLinkedIn“On LinkedIn, only paid deals need a disclosure. Free products don't count.”LinkedIn puts free products or services right next to money: either one needs a clear notice in the post. If a brand sent it to you, say so up front.
- RuleLinkedIn“LinkedIn doesn't allow giveaways.”LinkedIn's community policies rule out lotteries, contests, sweepstakes and giveaways. Run the giveaway somewhere else and keep LinkedIn for the update.
- Myththe FTC (US)“Writing ‘ad’ in the YouTube description covers a sponsored video.”The FTC says the disclosure belongs in the video itself, not only in the description. Say it out loud and put it on screen.
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