How to write a UGC creator brief (with an example)

Start with the goal, the audience and one message

Open the brief with three lines. The goal: what the video is for, such as trial sign-ups or a product launch. The audience: who should stop scrolling. The key message: the one thing a viewer should remember.

If you can't fit the message in one sentence, the brief is trying to do too much. Split it into two briefs and two sets of videos.

Add a line of context the creator can use: what the product is, who it's for, and what problem it solves, in plain words. Link the product page and send a sample or a test account if the creator needs to show it in use. Creators who have actually tried the product make better videos, and they can only talk about experiences they really had.

Guardrails, not a script

UGC works because it sounds like a real person. A word-for-word script removes that. Give creators the points that matter and let them say it their way.

Must say

• The product name, said clearly.
• The one benefit tied to the key message.
• Where to get it, if the goal is a sale or sign-up.

Never say

• Anything the creator hasn't actually experienced.
• Health, income or results claims the brand can't back up.
• Comparisons that name a competitor, unless legal has approved them.

Say why each item is on the list. Creators follow rules they understand.

Put disclosure in the brief

Paid posts must be disclosed. The FTC's Endorsement Guides expect a clear and conspicuous disclosure of a material connection, and platforms have their own tools, such as TikTok's content disclosure setting. Write the exact requirement into the brief: the platform's paid partnership or disclosure setting turned on, and #ad at the start of the caption or on screen.

Our FTC disclosure guide for UGC and paid partnership labels guide go deeper.

Format and delivery specs

• Length range, for example 15 to 30 seconds.
• Aspect ratio (vertical 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts).
• Where the hook must land: the first two seconds.
• On-screen captions: yes or no, and the style.
• Raw files or edited only, the file format and where to upload.
• Whether the brand may reuse the video in ads, and for how long.

Need hook ideas to put in the brief? See hook formulas that work, and check a draft with the free Hook Score.

Review, deadlines and payment

Agree on usage before filming, not after. If the brand wants to run the video as a paid ad, put the channels and the time period in the brief, so the creator can price it and nobody is surprised later.

State the dates: when drafts are due, how long review takes, and when the video goes live. Say how many rounds of changes are included and what counts as a change versus a new video. Then say when payment is released, for example after the post is live and the disclosure has been checked.

Match the brief to the right creators

The best brief still fails if it goes to the wrong people. Before you send it, check that each creator actually fits the audience line at the top of the brief. A parent who cooks on weeknights will make a believable dinner-app video. Someone who never cooks will make an ad read, however good the brief is.

Look at a creator's own recent posts, not their follower count. You want people whose normal content already looks like the video you are asking for, who speak to camera comfortably, and whose comments show real conversations. Ask for links to two or three past videos in the format you need.

Send the same brief to several creators rather than one. Different people find different angles on the same message, and you learn which angle works from the results rather than from a guess in a meeting. If you are still building a shortlist, see how to find UGC creators.

Common brief mistakes

• Too many messages. A brief that asks for the price, three features, the founder story and a discount code gets a video that lands none of them.
• A script disguised as guidance. If every sentence in the brief is in quotation marks, creators will read it out, and the video will sound like an ad.
• No reason given for the rules. "Don't mention competitors" is followed more reliably when the brief says why: legal hasn't reviewed comparative claims.
• Disclosure left for later. Adding the disclosure requirement after a video is filmed often means reshooting, because the on-screen text or spoken line is missing.
• Vague specs. "Short and vertical" invites a 90-second horizontal video. Give numbers for length and the exact aspect ratio.
• No dates. Without a draft deadline and a review window, campaigns drift and launch late.

How to review the drafts

Review every draft against the brief, not against personal taste. A simple rubric keeps feedback consistent across creators and reviewers:

1. Does the hook land in the first two seconds?
2. Is the key message clear without the caption?
3. Are all must-say points there, in the creator's own words?
4. Is anything on the never-say list present?
5. Is the disclosure in place: the platform setting on and #ad at the start?
6. Does it meet the format specs: length, aspect ratio, captions?

Send changes as a short numbered list tied to the rubric, in one round where possible. Creators can fix specific notes quickly. They struggle with feedback like "make it more energetic".

Checklist before you send the brief

• One goal, one audience and one key message, each in a single line.
• Must-say and never-say lists, each with a reason.
• The exact disclosure requirement, written out.
• Length, aspect ratio, hook window and caption style.
• Delivery format, upload location and usage rights.
• Draft deadline, review window, number of change rounds and go-live date.
• When and how payment is released.
• A named contact for questions.

Example brief (illustrative)

This is an illustrative example of the structure, not a real campaign.