UGC brief template, and how to brief UGC creators
A UGC brief is a one-page instruction sheet for a creator filming a short video on their phone. It tells them what the product is, who the video is for, how the first three seconds should land, what must be shown, and the practical terms: specs, deadline, revisions, rights and payment. Below is a template you can copy or download, a filled-in example, and how to brief UGC creators so the first cut is usable.
UGC CREATOR BRIEF Brand: Product: Video name / ID: Creator: Platform(s): Brief sent: First cut due: Final files due: Contact for questions: 1. THE PRODUCT IN ONE SENTENCE (What it is and what it does, in words a customer would use.) 2. WHO THIS VIDEO IS FOR (One specific person and the moment they would buy, not a demographic.) 3. THE ONE MESSAGE (The single thing the viewer should remember, plus the proof the creator can show on camera.) 4. HOOKS FOR THE FIRST 3 SECONDS (Three options. The creator picks one or writes their own in the same spirit. 1. 2. 3.) 5. STRUCTURE IN SECONDS (0-3s hook | 3-8s the problem | 8-20s product in use (show it, don't describe it) | 20-25s result or proof | last 3-5s call to action) 6. MUST SHOW / MUST SAY (Product name (and how to pronounce it), the shot that proves the main claim, any wording that has been approved.) 7. DO NOT (Claims you cannot make, competitors not to mention, things that went wrong in past videos.) 8. CALL TO ACTION (The spoken line and the on-screen text, word for word.) 9. DELIVERABLES AND SPECS (Number of videos and hook variations; length; 9:16 vertical at 1080x1920; raw clips yes/no; captions burned in yes/no; no copyrighted music if the video will run as an ad.) 10. USAGE RIGHTS (Where the content will run (organic, paid ads, website, email), for how long, and whether ads will run from the creator's own handle (partnership ads / whitelisting).) 11. DISCLOSURE (If the creator posts the video on their own account, the brand relationship must be clear in the video itself, not only in the caption (FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers).) 12. TIMELINE AND REVISIONS (First cut date, how fast feedback comes back, how many revision rounds are included, and what counts as a revision versus a reshoot.) 13. PAYMENT (Fee, what it covers, when it is paid (for example on approval) and how.) 14. REFERENCES (Two or three links to videos with the tone or format you want, with one line on what to take from each.)
What goes in a UGC brief, section by section
1. The product in one sentence
What it is and what it does, in the words a customer would use. Not the founder story and not the brand values. If you cannot write it in one sentence, the creator cannot say it in three seconds.
2. Who the video is for
Describe one person and the moment they would buy: "someone with sensitive skin who tried vitamin C, felt it burn and gave up" gives the creator a scene to play. "Women 25-40 interested in skincare" does not.
3. The one message
The single thing the viewer should remember, and the proof the creator can show on camera. One message per video. If the brand has three benefits, that is three videos or three hook variations, not one crowded video.
4. Hooks for the first three seconds
Give two or three hook options and let the creator pick one or write their own in the same spirit. Hooks are where creators most often freeze or fall back on generic openers, and they decide whether anyone watches the rest.
5. Structure in seconds
The section most briefs leave out. A timed outline such as 0-3s hook, 3-8s problem, 8-20s product in use, 20-25s result, last 3-5s call to action lets the creator plan the shoot before picking up the phone.
6. Must show, must say, and do not
Separate what is required (the product name, the proof shot, approved claim wording) from preferences. Then add a short do-not list: claims you cannot make, competitors not to name, mistakes from past videos. A do-not list can prevent reshoots that a paragraph of brand guidelines does not.
7. Deliverables and specs
Number of videos and hook variations, length, aspect ratio (9:16 vertical, 1080x1920 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts), whether you want raw clips, whether captions should be burned in, and no licensed music if the video will run as an ad.
8. Usage rights and disclosure
Where the content will run (organic, paid ads, website, email), for how long, and whether ads will run from the creator's own handle as partnership ads. If the creator posts the video on their own account, the FTC's Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers says the brand relationship should be obvious, and in a video the disclosure should be in the video itself, not only in the description (last checked October 7, 2026).
9. Timeline, revisions and payment
First-cut date, how fast feedback comes back, how many revision rounds are included, what counts as a revision versus a reshoot, the fee, when it is paid and how. Writing these down is what keeps creators willing to work with you again.
10. References
Two or three links to videos with the pace, shot or tone you want, with one line on what to take from each. A reference does more than a paragraph of adjectives.
How to brief UGC creators, step by step
- Decide the video's job first. A paid ad, an organic post and a product-page video need different hooks, lengths and calls to action.
- Write one brief per video. For a campaign of six videos, write six short briefs, not one campaign brief forwarded six times.
- Get the brand to approve the brief before filming. Changing a brief costs nothing; changing a finished video costs a reshoot.
- Send the brief, the product and the terms together. The creator should confirm the brief, fee, deadline and usage rights in writing before filming.
- Ask for questions within a day. A two-line reply ("hook 2, filming Thursday, one question about the claim") catches misunderstandings before they are filmed.
- Review the first cut against the brief. Check the hook, the must-show shots and the specs before the client sees it.
- Give feedback once, with timestamps. One batch per revision round, tied to moments in the video, within the turnaround you promised.
Mistakes that get unusable video back
- A brand book instead of a brief. Ten pages of guidelines means the creator films from memory of page one.
- A word-for-word script. It comes back sounding read. Script only the lines that must be exact.
- Vague deliverables. "A TikTok" is not a spec. Say how many, how long, which format, raw or edited.
- Rights left for later. Usage rights agreed after filming are a common source of disputes.
- No revision limit. Without one, every round of feedback feels like a favour on one side and a breach on the other.
Faster ways to make a brief
If you want a first draft in a minute, the free UGC brief generator fills this structure from a few fields. To see how briefs fit into the whole process, read the UGC workflow from brief to payment. And if you brief creators for several brands every week, Briefbase is being built to keep one brief per video, send the client a review link and record what each creator is owed. It is in development, not available yet.
Frequently asked questions
What should a UGC brief include?
The product in one sentence, who the video is for, the one message, two or three hook options, the structure in seconds, must-show and must-say items, a do-not list, the call to action, deliverables and specs, usage rights, disclosure, timeline and revisions, payment, and two or three reference videos.
How long should a UGC brief be?
One page. If a creator needs more than a few minutes to read it, they will film from memory of the first paragraph. Put brand guidelines in an appendix or a link, not in the brief.
Should you script UGC videos word for word?
No. Give hook options, the structure in seconds and the few lines that must be said exactly (claims, the call to action). Fully scripted UGC tends to sound read, which removes the reason to use UGC in the first place.
Who owns the rights to UGC content?
Whatever the agreement says, which is why the brief should state where the content will run, for how long, and whether ads will run from the creator's handle. Agree it in writing before filming.
Do UGC creators need to disclose that a video is paid?
If the creator posts it on their own account, yes. The FTC's guidance for influencers says the brand relationship should be obvious, and in a video the disclosure should be in the video itself, not only in the description.
Free tool
Write your next creator brief with the free UGC brief generator.
No signup, and it runs in your browser. Briefbase, the agency workspace, is in development; nobody is charged during early access.