VSL Compliance Checklist, What Every Video Sales Letter Must Include (and Avoid)
Video sales letters face the same compliance requirements as written copy, but with higher stakes. One viral VSL with illegal claims can generate thousands of complaints. Here is the complete checklist.
Why VSLs Carry Extra Compliance Risk
A written sales page gets a few thousand visitors. A VSL can reach millions. When the FTC or ASA investigate, the scale of a VSL's reach directly affects the severity of the enforcement action and the size of any fine.
VSLs also have a specific problem: every word of a 30-minute video is indexed, archived and can be submitted as evidence in a complaint. The voiceover script is your compliance record, make sure it passes before you spend money on traffic.
Here is the complete compliance checklist.
Income and Earnings Claims
Remove or substantiate every income figure**, "Earn £10,000 per month," "six figures," "replace your salary," "financial freedom", all require substantiation. If you cannot produce documented evidence of typical customer results, remove the claim.
Add an earnings disclaimer**, Every VSL containing income claims must include a prominently stated earnings disclaimer. It must appear early in the VSL, not just in the small print beneath the video.
Standard FTC/ASA format: "Results are not typical. Individual results will vary based on effort, experience, and market conditions. The income figures shown represent exceptional results achieved by a small number of customers."
Disclose typical results alongside exceptional results**, If you feature a testimonial claiming exceptional income, you must disclose what typical customers actually achieve.
Urgency and Scarcity
Verify any countdown mentioned in the script is genuine**, If your VSL says "this offer closes at midnight tonight," that deadline must be real and honoured.
Remove "limited spots" language if spots aren't actually limited**, "Only 10 people will be accepted" must reflect a genuine limit. Fake scarcity in a VSL is the same violation as fake scarcity on a sales page.
Health and Medical Claims
Remove all unsubstantiated health claims**, "Cures," "treats," "heals," "boost immunity," "burn fat," "detox", all require regulatory authorisation. Replace with qualified language.
Add medical disclaimers if health claims remain**, If any health claims survive after substantiation, a disclaimer must appear on screen and in audio.
Guarantees
Match spoken guarantee terms to written Terms of Service**, If the voiceover says "60-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked" but your Terms say "all sales final," you have a contract contradiction. Fix one or the other before the VSL goes live.
AI Disclosure (New for 2026)
Disclose if the VSL script was AI-generated**, EU AI Act Article 50(4) requires disclosure of AI-generated content from August 2026. If your script was written by AI, this must be disclosed.
Disclose AI-generated voiceover or video**, If you are using an AI-generated voice or video avatar, this must be clearly disclosed to viewers in the EU.
Testimonials
Disclose paid or incentivised testimonials**, If anyone featured in the VSL was paid, gifted a product, or incentivised to provide a testimonial, this must be disclosed.
Verify testimonial results are achievable**, If a testimonial claims specific results, those results must be achievable by typical customers following your programme.
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