How do you write a UGC creator brief (template)?

What should a UGC brief template include?

A good UGC brief template fits on one page. It has ten sections, in the order a creator reads them: what the video is for, what to show, who it speaks to, what to deliver and what the creator gets in return. Copy the cards below into a doc, replace the examples and send the same structure to every creator, so the drafts that come back are easy to compare.

Keep each section to one to three lines. Creators skim, so anything that matters, such as the aspect ratio, the number of hooks or a banned claim, needs its own line rather than sitting inside a paragraph. The examples use a vitamin C serum, but the same headings work for a protein powder, a linen shirt or a candle.

1. Objective

One sentence on what the video must do and where it will run. Example: 'Paid TikTok and Reels ads to drive first purchases of our vitamin C serum.' Naming the channel tells the creator whether to film for a cold audience (hook first) or for existing followers (product first). That changes the whole edit.

2. Product and key benefits

Give the product name, the price, what makes it different and no more than three benefits, ranked. Add what must appear on camera, such as texture, packaging or the product in use. Ship it early enough for genuine use, because creators cannot honestly describe results they have not had.

3. Audience

Describe the viewer in one line, then the problem they feel. Example: 'UK women aged 25 to 40 with dull skin who found retinol too harsh.' Paste in a few phrases customers actually use in reviews. Creators who share that audience's age, skin type or lifestyle will sound credible without a script.

4. Deliverables and specs

List every file: number of videos, length, aspect ratio (9:16 vertical for TikTok, Reels and Shorts), number of hook variations, raw footage yes or no, and captions burned in or a clean file. Example: '2 videos, 20 to 30 seconds, 9:16, 3 hooks each, plus a version without text.'

5. Dos and don'ts

Write three to five of each as instructions. Do: film in natural light, show the product early, use your own words. Don't: mention competitors, make medical claims, or film near another brand's logo. Keep the list short, because a long list of rules produces stiff content that looks like an ad.

6. Talking points

Give two or three messages the viewer must leave with, not a script. Example: 'absorbs in seconds, no sticky finish', 'vegan and fragrance-free', '20% off with the code'. Let the creator put them in their own words. If a claim needs proof, such as 'clinically shown', check you hold the evidence before it goes in.

7. References

Link two or three videos whose style you want, plus one you don't, and say what to take from each: the pacing, the opener spoken to camera, the lighting. Creators tend to copy references without notes wholesale. If you have your own best-performing ads, link those too, because they show what already works for your audience.

8. Usage rights

State where the content will run (organic, paid ads, website, email), for how long, in which countries and whether you will run ads from the creator's handle. Usage rights change the fee, so put them in the brief and not in a follow-up email after delivery.

9. Timeline

List four dates: product arrives, concept approved (optional), first draft due, final files due. Add a go-live date if the creator posts. Include one revision round and define it: a revision edits existing footage, while a reshoot means filming again. That way both sides know where the line sits.

10. Payment

State the fee per video and what it covers, extra fees for more hooks or raw footage, any separate usage fee, what triggers payment (approval or delivery), payment terms in days and the method. If the deal is product-only, say so plainly. A gifted product is still payment, so a post needs 'Ad' in the UK and '#ad' in the US.

What are UGC usage rights and how long should a licence last

How do you brief a UGC video so it works as an ad?

A video brief is the template above plus a structure for the edit: a hook, a body that shows the product working and a clear close. The technical specs go in as one line the creator can copy.

TikTok's creative best practices for performance ads recommend introducing the content proposition in the first 3 seconds and prioritising the hook within the first 6 seconds. They also recommend shooting vertically at 9:16 in at least 720p with sound, and showing 5 to 10 words per second when you use on-screen text. Write these into the brief rather than assuming the creator knows them. Ask for several hook variations filmed on the same body, because swapping the opening is the cheapest way to test.

Hook: the opening seconds

Ask for the product or the problem on screen straight away: a texture close-up, a line about the problem, an unboxing already in progress. No logo intro. Describe each hook as an idea rather than a line, so the variations feel genuinely different instead of the same sentence recorded three times.

Body: problem to proof

State the problem in one line, then show the product in use and give one proof point. For example, a timer showing how fast a serum absorbs, a side-by-side shot of a dress's fit, or a scoop of supplement powder dissolving in water. Keep the product visible and the claims limited to the talking points you supplied.

Close: one action

Ask for a single call to action: shop now, use the code, try the shade finder. Tell the creator whether to say the call to action aloud or leave a silent beat for an on-screen card added in the edit. Otherwise they will talk over your end card.

Spec line to paste

'9:16 vertical, at least 720p, sound on, key text in the middle of the frame and away from the edges, 3 hook variations, one clean file without text.' For paid social, length is typically 15 to 30 seconds (industry range), so state the exact length you want.

What is a UGC video and how do you make one

What does a good influencer brief template look like?

An influencer brief uses the same ten sections as a UGC brief, plus posting details, because the creator publishes to their own audience. The extra details are platform and format, go-live date, what the caption must include, handles and hashtags to tag, a link or discount code, and the disclosure label.

According to the ASA and CMA's influencers' guide, free products count as payment, and the 'Ad' label should sit upfront, before people view the rest of the content. In the US, use '#ad' or a clear equivalent. Make the label a requirement in the brief, not a suggestion. The product category changes the talking points and the risks more than the structure, as the examples below show.

Beauty and skincare

Add skin type and shade range to the audience line. Ask for a texture shot and a wear test a few hours later, and ban face filters so results are visible. Avoid claims such as 'cures acne' or 'proven anti-ageing' unless you hold the evidence; ask creators to talk about how the product feels and looks.

Supplements

List approved wording only, and say plainly that the creator must not claim the product treats, prevents or cures anything. Ask creators to show the routine around the product, such as a morning shake or a gym bag, rather than results. Supplements are a heavily regulated category, so get the claims checked before the brief goes out.

Fashion

Give the size worn, fit notes and a styling brief, for example 'three ways to wear it' or 'office to evening', with a try-on in natural light. Ask for close-ups of fabric and stitching and one full-length shot. Say whether swaps are possible, so creators can order their real size.

Lifestyle and home

For candles, homeware or kitchen kit, describe the setting (a lived-in room, not a studio), the moment of use and one sensory detail to capture, such as a flame, a pour or steam. Ask for a wide shot that shows the product in context and a close-up you can use as the thumbnail.

What should an influencer or UGC contract include (template)

What TikTok asks of video ads

• 3 sec Introduce the content proposition within the first 3 seconds for better recall and awareness.
• 6 sec Prioritise the hook within the first 6 seconds to lift engagement and watch time.
• 3-5 Different creatives per ad group TikTok suggests, so brief several distinct hooks per video.
• 5-10 Words per second TikTok recommends for captions or text overlays in ads.

Source: TikTok Business Help Center, Creative best practices for performance ads, 2025

What is a creator brief?

A creator brief is the document a brand sends a creator before filming. It sets out what to make, for whom, to what spec and on what terms. 'Influencer brief', 'content creator brief' and 'influencer creative brief' all mean the same document. What changes is who publishes the content and who owns the strategy behind it.

Think of it as the part of your campaign plan the creator sees. It should hold everything a creator needs to film without a call, and leave out what they don't need, such as internal budgets or media plans. Three versions are worth telling apart.

UGC brief

The creator films and hands over the files, and the brand posts or runs them as ads. The brief puts more weight on specs, hook variations, clean files and usage rights, and none on posting dates or captions, because the content may never appear on the creator's own profile.

Influencer brief

The creator publishes to their own audience, so the brief adds the platform, go-live date, caption requirements, tags, link or code, and the 'Ad' label. It gives the creator more creative room, because their tone of voice is what the audience follows them for.

Internal creative brief

This is the strategy document your team or agency writes first: positioning, budget, channels, KPIs. Turn the parts creators need into the creator brief. Don't forward the internal version, because creators would have to dig through it to find the instructions that matter.

How do brands use UGC in marketing and ads

Which brief mistakes cause reshoots?

Most reshoots trace back to five gaps in the brief, and adding one line to the template fixes each of them.

Legal gaps cost the most, because footage containing a claim you can't use is wasted however good it looks. The FTC's Disclosures 101 guide is clear on two points: creators cannot talk about their experience with a product they have not tried, and cannot make claims that need proof the advertiser does not have. Treat both as requirements of the brief, not problems for the creator to solve. Check every brief against the five gaps below before it goes out.

1. No spec line

The ratio, length, number of hooks and captions are missing, so the creator films horizontally, for 60 seconds, with one opener. Paste a full spec line into every brief, including whether you need a clean file without text for your own edits.

2. No channel in the objective

A video made for the creator's own feed rarely works as an ad to people who don't know you, and the reverse is also true. Say where the video will run, who will be watching and what they already know about you, so the creator pitches the opening at the right level.

3. A word-for-word script

Scripts produce stiff delivery that sounds read out and fake, which defeats the point of UGC. Give talking points and one example hook, then let the creator phrase them. If you need control, approve a short concept before filming instead.

4. Claims nobody checked

A creator says 'clears acne in a week' because the brief seemed to imply it, and the footage cannot run. List approved claims and banned words in the brief, especially for skincare and supplements, and ask for the product on screen instead of a stated result.

5. Product sent too late

Creators need time to use the product before they can talk about it honestly. Ship early enough for a genuine trial, put the arrival date in the timeline, and don't let filming start the day the parcel lands.

Which content brief tool should you use?

The best content brief tool holds one master template and records approvals. For most DTC brands that is a shared doc or a form, not specialist software.

Search for 'content brief tool' and most results are SEO tools for planning blog articles, not creator videos, so skip them for this job. You need a template creators can read on a phone, a place to collect drafts and timestamped comments, and a record of what was approved. #Collabz fits brands that want the brief, usage rights and payment handled in one place alongside vetted creators. Whatever you use, keep version numbers on the template, and after each campaign add the line that would have prevented its revisions.

Shared doc or wiki page

Fastest to start: duplicate the master template for each campaign and lock the sections creators should not edit. It works well up to a handful of creators. Beyond that, keeping track of which version each creator received gets messy.

Form-based brief

Fields for each section force your team to fill in the spec line, usage rights and payment terms before the brief can be sent. That is the most reliable way to stop the omissions that cause reshoots.

Review with timestamps

Whatever holds the brief, give feedback against timestamps ('0:04, product label hidden') rather than general notes. Comments tied to timestamps produce faster, more accurate edits and keep the line between a revision and a reshoot clear.

How should you brief creators once the document is written?

Send the brief with the product. Ask the creator to confirm three things back in writing (deliverables, deadline and banned claims), and agree what counts as a revision before filming starts.

That short confirmation catches misreadings while they are still free to fix. For posts the creator publishes, the ASA's influencer guide treats a brand as having 'control' when it specifies key messages, hashtags or posting dates, or reserves the right to approve. A brief does exactly that, so briefed posts are ads and must be labelled. Keep feedback to one combined round, and separate edits (trims, captions, music) from reshoots (new footage), which should be rare and agreed in advance.

Confirmation

Ask the creator to reply with the deliverables, the deadline and the claims they must avoid, in their own words. If anything comes back wrong, the brief was unclear: fix the template as well as this one message.

Concept check

For a new creator or a high-stakes launch, ask for a short concept before filming: the planned hook, the setting and the proof shot. It takes minutes to review and is far cheaper than rejecting finished footage.

Feedback format

Collect every stakeholder's notes first, then send one consolidated message with timestamps. Several people sending feedback separately leads to contradictory edits and burns through the agreed revision round.

Revisions vs reshoots

A revision changes existing footage: trims, a different caption, a new music track. A reshoot means filming again. Agree in the brief who pays for a reshoot caused by a missed brief requirement and who pays for one caused by a change of mind.

What should an influencer or UGC contract include (template)

Sources and further reading

• ASA and CMA, Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads — Advertising Standards Authority
• Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers — Federal Trade Commission
• Creative best practices for performance ads — TikTok Business Help Center
• Creative Codes: 6 principles for creating on TikTok — TikTok For Business
• ASA and CMA, Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads, 2023
• FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers, 2019 (updated 2024)

Frequently asked questions

What is a video brief?

A video brief is a short document that tells a creator or editor what video to make: its purpose, audience, structure, key messages, specs and deadline. For UGC it usually adds a hook, body and close structure, and asks for several opening variations so the brand can test them.

How long should a UGC brief be?

One page, with each section short enough to read on a phone. If a creator has to scroll through paragraphs to find the aspect ratio or the deadline, they will miss it. Put background reading in a linked appendix.

Should you give UGC creators a script?

Usually not. Give two or three talking points, one example hook and the claims that are off-limits, then let the creator put it in their own words. Scripts tend to come back sounding read out, which defeats the point of UGC.

How many hooks should a UGC brief ask for?

Ask for at least three hook variations per video, all using the same body footage. TikTok suggests running 3-5 different creatives per ad group, and swapping the opening seconds is the cheapest way to make them genuinely different.

Should the brief tell creators to label the post as an ad?

Yes, whenever the creator posts on their own channel. Gifted products count as payment, so the brief should require 'Ad' upfront in the UK and '#ad' or a clear equivalent in the US. Content that runs only from the brand's own account is usually already clear as advertising in that context.

How many revision rounds should a UGC brief include?

One consolidated round suits most briefs, with any further rounds agreed in advance. Define a revision as changes to existing footage and a reshoot as filming again, so neither side is surprised.

Do you need a separate brief for each creator?

Use one master brief per campaign and add a short section per creator covering their angle, deliverables and dates. That keeps the messaging consistent while letting each creator film in their own style.