RedNote Source-Labelling Rules Signal a New Era of Verified Trust

RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, is entering a new phase in which content visibility is no longer enough. For brands, creators and advertisers, the platform’s latest source-labelling update signals a sharper industry shift: marketing content now needs to be searchable, verifiable, compliant and capable of supporting consumer decision-making.

The change comes as Xiaohongshu continues to expand its role from lifestyle-sharing community to consumer search and recommendation platform. Xinhua Daily Telegraph reported that nearly four million notes are published on Xiaohongshu every day, more than 18.75 million people search on the platform every hour, and daily search volume exceeds 450 million. People’s Daily Online also reported that, by the end of 2024, Xiaohongshu’s monthly active users had exceeded 350 million, with more than 100 million ordinary users sharing content on the platform.

The platform’s user profile also makes it commercially important for brands. According to People’s Daily Online, more than 50% of Xiaohongshu users are post-1995 users, 35% are post-2000 users, and the number of monthly active users aged over 60 has exceeded 30 million. This mix of young consumers, active content sharers and older users has made RedNote a platform where lifestyle discovery, product research, service comparison and trust-building increasingly overlap.

RedNote’s global profile also rose sharply in early 2025. Xinhua reported that large numbers of US users joined Xiaohongshu during uncertainty around TikTok, with related “TikTok refugee” content generating 220 million views and nearly five million discussions on the platform. Reuters separately reported that RedNote gained nearly three million US users in a single day and reached 3.4 million US daily active users during that period.

Against this background, RedNote/Xiaohongshu’s official notice dated 8 May 2026 has become relevant not only to creators, but also to brands, agencies, advertisers and KOC collaborators using the platform for China-facing marketing.

According to the 8 May official notice, RedNote strengthened requirements around information source labelling for content involving current affairs, historical information, AI-generated materials and fictional or dramatised storytelling. The notice states that creators publishing content involving domestic or international events, policies or social issues should clearly state the source of information. Where self-shot images or videos are used, the filming time and location should also be made clear.

For old news and historical events, creators are expected to state when and where the event happened, to avoid presenting older information as new. AI-generated images, videos, short dramas and story-led content should be clearly labelled as AI-generated. Fictional, scripted or dramatised content should carry a visible disclosure such as “fictional dramatisation” or an equivalent label.

The enforcement figures show that the update is not merely advisory. According to the RedNote/Xiaohongshu notice dated 8 May 2026, the platform had handled 8,034 non-compliant notes, closed 139 non-compliant accounts and banned 426 accounts. The cases cited included a Chengdu-based account permanently banned for repeatedly publishing false current-affairs information without sources, an account banned for 30 days after continuing to publish dramatised content without the required label, and another account banned for 30 days for publishing multiple AI-generated short dramas and stories without AI-generation labels.

The update also sits within China’s wider AI content governance framework. In March 2025, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced the Measures for the Labelling of AI-Generated Synthetic Content, jointly issued by four government departments and effective from 1 September 2025. The measures define AI-generated synthetic content as text, images, audio, video and virtual scenes generated or synthesised using AI technology, and distinguish between explicit and implicit labelling.

Marketing specialists say the shift is especially important because RedNote is not used like a traditional social feed. Users often search the platform with intent: looking for product recommendations, school options, travel ideas, beauty routines, property advice, professional services, consumer reviews and real user experience before making a purchase or enquiry.

“RedNote is no longer simply a platform for lifestyle inspiration or viral content,” said Ann Zhu, Co-Founder and Director of Gogetop Marketing, a London-based cross-border marketing and communications agency. “For many Chinese-speaking users, it is where they search, compare, check credibility and decide whether a brand is worth contacting. That means source accuracy, transparent labelling and content compliance are now part of brand trust.”

Gogetop Marketing said international brands using RedNote should review not only individual posts, but the full marketing and conversion journey around the platform. This includes Chinese keyword planning, source management, creator and KOC briefing, product or service claim verification, landing pages, WeChat touchpoints, website content and enquiry pathways.

The agency said paid exposure alone is unlikely to deliver sustainable results if brands do not first build trust signals through content. RedNote advertising can increase reach, but if users land on unclear claims, weak proof points, inconsistent Chinese messaging or poorly structured account content, conversion performance may be limited.

“For brands, the sharper question is no longer simply whether users can see the content,” Zhu added. “It is whether users can find the brand through relevant search terms, trust the information presented, understand the evidence behind the claim, and know what action to take next.”

Gogetop Marketing said a practical operating model for many international brands is to begin with a consistent publishing rhythm, such as two high-quality RedNote notes per week, supported by native Chinese copywriting, professional image design, short video content, search-led topic planning and clear conversion routes.

For businesses without existing video assets, content can often be developed from approved brand materials, product information, service explanations, founder insights, customer FAQs, photography, brochures, website content and case studies. The agency said the key is to make content feel native to RedNote while keeping it accurate, properly labelled where required and suitable for the platform’s user expectations.

The update is particularly relevant for education providers, professional services firms, property companies, consumer brands, lifestyle businesses and B2B companies seeking to reach Chinese-speaking audiences in the UK, China and wider international markets.

As RedNote becomes more search-led and compliance-focused, brands are expected to place greater emphasis on content credibility, structured account operation and measurable customer journeys. The emerging message for Xiaohongshu marketing is clear: the brands that win will not simply be the ones that post more often, but the ones that build content systems users can find, trust and act on.

About Gogetop Marketing

Gogetop Marketing is a London-based cross-border marketing and communications agency supporting international brands, startups and professional services firms expanding into the UK, European and Chinese-speaking markets. The agency works across brand strategy, RedNote/Xiaohongshu operations, Chinese content localisation, image and video content production, KOC collaboration, PR, website content, social search optimisation and AI Search/GEO-ready communications.