UGC Brief Template: Copy-Ready Sections + Example
Clipy AI Team
A UGC brief template is a one-page document with twelve fields a creator needs before filming: objective, product and one key message, hook ideas, mandatory mentions, do and don't, platform specs, deliverables, usage rights, disclosure, timeline, approval rounds and payment basis. The specs field is where most first briefs go wrong. Instagram lets creators record Reels up to 20 minutes, but Reels over 3 minutes are not recommended to new audiences (Instagram Help Center, accessed Oct 2026), so a brief that says only "make a Reel" leaves reach to chance. Below is the template to copy, a filled-in example and a checklist to run before you send it.
What goes in a UGC brief template?
Each section answers one question a creator would otherwise message you about. If a field is blank, the creator guesses, and you pay for the guess in a revision round.
| Section | What to write | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | One goal and one metric | Listing awareness, sales and follows at once |
| Product + key message | What it is, one claim to land | Pasting the whole product page |
| Hook ideas | 3 to 5 openers for the first seconds | One scripted hook, word for word |
| Mandatory mentions | Name, offer, handle, hashtag | Hiding them in paragraph four |
| Do / don't | Specific behaviors and claims | Vague tone words only |
| Platform + format | Platform, ratio, length, captions | "Vertical video" and nothing else |
| Deliverables | Count, versions, raw files | No mention of raw footage |
| Usage rights | Where, how long, paid or organic | Assuming you own it forever |
| Disclosure | Label, platform setting, wording | Leaving it to the creator |
| Timeline | Draft, feedback, post dates | One deadline for everything |
| Approval rounds | Number of rounds, what counts | Unlimited "small changes" |
| Payment basis | Flat fee, per view or both | Paying before terms are written |
The copy-ready UGC brief template
Copy these twelve lines into a document and replace each prompt with your own answer. Keep the finished brief to one page; creators read on their phones.
- Objective: The one thing this video should do (for example, drive trial of a new flavor) and the one number you will judge it by (views, link clicks, code redemptions).
- Product and key message: Product name, price, where to buy, and one sentence the viewer should remember. One message, not three.
- Hook ideas: Three to five opening lines or visual openers. Mark them as starting points, not a script.
- Mandatory mentions: Brand name said out loud, product shown on screen by a stated second, promo code, brand handle, campaign hashtag.
- Do: Show the product in real use, film in natural light, speak in your own words, keep captions on screen.
- Don't: Health or performance claims you cannot prove, competitor names, unlicensed music, content that shows the product being misused.
- Platform and format: Platform, aspect ratio, target length, caption length, on-screen text language.
- Deliverables: Number of videos, number of hook variations, whether you need raw clips, thumbnail or cover frame.
- Usage rights: Organic only or paid ads too, which channels, which territories, how many months, whether edits are allowed.
- Disclosure: Required label wording, platform disclosure setting to switch on, where the label must appear.
- Timeline and approval rounds: Draft due date, your feedback window, number of revision rounds included, go-live date.
- Payment basis: Flat fee, per verified view, or both; when it is paid; what happens if the post is removed early.
Objective and one key message
Pick a single objective. A video built to explain a product looks different from one built to push a discount code, and a creator cannot optimize for both in 30 seconds. Then write the key message as the sentence you would want a viewer to repeat to a friend. If you cannot fit it in one sentence, the video will not fit it either.
Hook ideas, not a script
Give creators hooks, not lines. A hook can be a question ("Why does my tea taste better at 3pm?"), a visual (pouring the product next to the old habit it replaces) or a claim you can back up. Offer three to five and invite the creator to write their own; they know what stops their audience scrolling better than you do.
Mandatory mentions and do/don't
Keep mandatory items short and testable. "Say the brand name in the first five seconds" can be checked; "keep it on-brand" cannot. The same goes for the don't list: name the exact claims legal will reject, and ask for commercially cleared music. On YouTube, any Short over one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked globally and cannot be played or recommended (YouTube Help, accessed Oct 2026), so a popular track can make the whole video disappear.
What platform specs should a UGC brief include?
State aspect ratio, maximum length and caption limit per platform, and check them the week you send the brief, because platforms change them. These are from each platform's own help or developer pages, accessed October 1, 2026.
| Platform | Aspect ratio | Length | Caption / title |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16 recommended | Record 10 min, upload 60 min | Spark Ads show 4 lines |
| Instagram Reels | 1.91:1 to 9:16 | Up to 20 min; over 3 min not shown to new audiences | 2,200 characters, 30 hashtags |
| YouTube Shorts | Square or vertical | Up to 3 min | Title 100 characters |
Sources: TikTok's camera tools help page lists 10 minutes for in-app recording and 60 minutes for uploads, and TikTok's In-Feed Ads specs recommend 9:16 at 540x960px or higher (both accessed Oct 2026). Instagram's reel size page gives the 1.91:1 to 9:16 range, 30 FPS and 720px minimums, and Meta's Instagram API reference caps captions at 2,200 characters, 30 hashtags and 20 @ tags (accessed Oct 2026). YouTube's Shorts upload page allows up to 3 minutes in square or vertical (the 3-minute limit applies to uploads from October 15, 2024), and titles are limited to 100 characters (YouTube Help, accessed Oct 2026).
In practice, ask for 9:16 at 1080x1920 unless you have a reason not to. It fits all three platforms and keeps you above every minimum listed above. Put the length you actually want, such as 20 to 40 seconds, not the platform maximum.
How should a UGC brief handle disclosure and usage rights?
Disclosure is not optional, and it is your problem as much as the creator's. In the US, the FTC says to disclose any financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand, including free products, and that in a video "the disclosure should be in the video and not just in the description" (FTC, Disclosures 101, first published November 2019, accessed Oct 2026). The same page warns against vague tags like "sp", "spon" or "collab". In the UK, the ASA and CMA publish a joint Influencers' guide (third edition, March 23, 2023). Other markets have their own advertising codes, so follow the rules of the country where the audience is.
On TikTok, anyone posting content that promotes a brand in exchange for payment or any other incentive must turn on the content disclosure setting, which labels the post "Paid partnership"; posts without it may be removed or restricted (TikTok Support, accessed Oct 2026). Write both requirements into the brief: the spoken or on-screen label, and the platform toggle.
For usage rights, separate two things. Organic posting on the creator's own account is what most UGC fees cover. Reusing the video in your paid ads, on your website or in other territories is extra and should be named explicitly, with a time limit. If you want raw clips to re-edit, say so here, not after delivery.
What does a filled-in UGC brief look like?
Here is the template completed for a fictional product, Harbour Hydrate electrolyte tablets, launching in Hong Kong and Singapore.
- Objective: Drive first purchases of the new yuzu flavor; judged by promo code redemptions.
- Product and key message: Harbour Hydrate yuzu, 20 tablets, sold online. Key message: one tablet in a bottle replaces a sugary sports drink.
- Hook ideas: "What I drink after a 35-degree commute"; dropping a tablet into a bottle in slow motion; "I stopped buying sports drinks, here is why."
- Mandatory mentions: Say "Harbour Hydrate" in the first 5 seconds, show the tube label clearly, code HARBOUR15 on screen and in caption.
- Do: Film outdoors or at the gym, show the fizz, speak English or Cantonese, add on-screen captions.
- Don't: Claim it cures heat stroke or improves performance, mention competitor brands, use trending commercial tracks.
- Platform and format: TikTok and Instagram Reels, 9:16, 1080x1920, 20 to 40 seconds, caption under 150 characters.
- Deliverables: One video per platform, two alternate hooks, raw clips uploaded to a shared folder.
- Usage rights: Organic post on creator account; brand may run it as a paid ad in Hong Kong and Singapore for 3 months.
- Disclosure: Say or show "Ad" in the first seconds, plus the TikTok content disclosure setting switched on.
- Timeline and approval rounds: Draft in 7 days, brand feedback in 2 business days, one revision round, post within 3 days of approval.
- Payment basis: Per verified view on the creator's post, funded up front.
Notice what is missing: a word-for-word script, a list of ten selling points, and an open-ended "we may ask for more changes." Those are the three things that most often slow a campaign down.
Pre-send checklist
Run this before the brief leaves your inbox.
- The objective is one goal with one metric.
- The key message fits in one sentence.
- Hooks are marked as ideas, not a script.
- Every mandatory mention can be checked by watching the video.
- Don'ts name specific claims, not just a tone.
- Specs state ratio, target length and caption length per platform, checked this week.
- Music must be commercially cleared or original.
- Usage rights name channels, territories and months.
- Disclosure wording and the platform toggle are both written in.
- Dates exist for draft, feedback and go-live.
- The number of revision rounds is stated.
- Payment basis and timing are written down before anyone films.
Post your brief on Clipy AI
On Clipy AI, the brief is the campaign: you post it with product, platform, deliverable and budget, fund it up front, and vetted creators apply or are invited. Creators publish on their own accounts and you pay a flat CPM on verified views, from US$2.90 per 1,000 at 100,000 views down to US$1.15 at 1.5 to 2 million, with no subscription. See the full table on pricing, or let us plan and cast it with you on find creators. Creators can browse live briefs on UGC, and anyone can sign up here.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a UGC brief be?
- One page is enough for most short-form campaigns. Creators usually read briefs on a phone, so cover the twelve fields in a line or two each: objective, key message, hooks, mandatory mentions, do and don't, specs, deliverables, usage rights, disclosure, timeline, approval rounds and payment. Put background material such as brand guidelines in a linked file rather than in the brief itself.
- Do creators have to disclose that a UGC video is sponsored?
- Yes, whenever there is a payment, free product or other relationship with the brand. The FTC says a video disclosure should be in the video itself, not only in the description, and the UK ASA and CMA publish a joint influencer guide. TikTok also requires its content disclosure setting to be turned on for promotional posts, which labels them Paid partnership. Write both into the brief.
- Should a UGC brief include a full script?
- Usually not. Give three to five hook ideas, one key message and a short list of mandatory mentions, then let the creator say it in their own words. A word-for-word script makes UGC look like an ad read, and it tends to add revision rounds because creators struggle to deliver someone else's lines naturally. Keep scripts for regulated claims that must be worded exactly.