Published by the Zolyp team ·
When do you have to label AI content?
Meta requires a label when you share photorealistic video or realistic-sounding audio that was digitally generated or altered, including with AI. It doesn't require you to label AI images, though they can still get a label if Meta detects them. Meta says there may be penalties if you don't label content as required.
| Meta's example | Do you have to label it? |
|---|---|
| A realistic video of people walking around an outdoor market | Yes |
| An audio clip of two people talking | Yes |
| A song with AI-generated vocals | Yes |
| A reel with a realistic AI voiceover | Yes |
| A cartoon-style video of a landscape | No |
| An image of a person riding a bull | No (images never need your label) |
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Label AI content on Threads, checked 15 October 2026
How do you add an AI label to a post?
Meta gives steps for the Android and iPhone apps:
- Start a new post on Threads.
- Add your text and media.
- Tap the options icon in the composer and choose Add AI label.
- Tap Post.
- People see an AI content label on your post
- If you don't label it and Meta detects the content was AI-generated, it adds a label anyway
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Label AI content on Threads, checked 15 October 2026
When does Threads label content by itself?
- Content made or edited with Meta's AI tools and posted directly may be labelled, sometimes with a visible watermark that says "Imagined with AI"
- Content carrying industry-standard signals that it was created with AI, including from other companies' tools, gets an AI content label
- Content made with Meta's AI tools, downloaded and uploaded again also gets the label
- Content whose signals only show it was modified with AI doesn't get a label directly on the thread
- Anyone can see AI information about a post from the post's menu
- Meta notes that not all AI content carries the information needed to identify it
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Label AI content on Threads, checked 15 October 2026
What should a business label?
Label any realistic video or voiceover you made or changed with AI tools, such as a product demo with an AI voice. That's the case Meta requires.
Meta's page covers images, video and audio. It doesn't mention AI-written text. For images, a label is optional, but adding one when a picture could pass for a real photo is the honest choice. Meta also says labelling for ads works differently from organic posts.
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Label AI content on Threads, checked 15 October 2026
Why can't you add, or remove, an AI label?
- You can't find Add AI label. Meta's steps cover the Android and iPhone apps, so try the app
- A label appeared that you didn't add. Meta's systems detected AI signals in the file
- An AI-edited photo has no label. Content with only modified-with-AI signals isn't labelled on the thread
- You're running an ad. Meta says AI labelling works differently for ads
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Label AI content on Threads, checked 15 October 2026
AI help, with a person approving
Disclosure: this is our product. Zolyp uses AI to plan, write and design your Threads posts in your brand's voice, and nothing publishes until you approve it, so you can check each post against Meta's labelling rules first. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.
Common questions
Do I have to label AI images on Threads?
No. Meta doesn't require you to label images made or changed with AI, but Threads may add a label if it detects AI signals.
What AI content must be labelled on Threads?
Photorealistic video and realistic-sounding audio that was digitally generated or altered, including with AI.
What happens if I don't label AI content?
Meta says there may be penalties if you don't label content as required, and it may add a label itself if it detects AI.
Do AI-written captions need a label on Threads?
Meta's labelling page covers images, video and audio. It doesn't mention text.
Are the rules the same for Threads ads?
No. Meta says labelling and identifying AI content is different for ads.