# How to write a UGC brief: what to include, an example and mistakes to avoid

What goes in a brief for UGC creators, how much to script and how much to leave to them, with a complete example.

By [Murat Bo](https://ugcstars.com/about), founder of UGCStars · Published 22 Jul 2026 · Updated 15 Oct 2026 · 12 min read

Category: For Brands

## The short version

To write a UGC brief, decide what the video is for and where it will run, then put the essentials on one or two pages: the product, the viewer, what to make, one key message, what must and must never be said, the usage rights, the budget and the dates.

A brief has two jobs. It lets a creator quote and say yes without a string of questions, and it gets you videos that sell the right thing. Most of the work is in the decisions you make before you write. The writing itself takes an afternoon.

Fix the message, not the words. UGC works because it sounds like a real person, so give the creator talking points and a short list of must-say points, and leave the phrasing to them. Script word for word only the lines that have to be exact, such as a claim or a legal line.

If you’re a creator, the same structure tells you what to ask when a brief leaves something out. The section for creators lists the questions.

1. Decide what the video is for, where it will run and for how long.
2. Write the essentials: product, viewer, deliverables, usage, budget and dates.
3. Set one key message, up to three must-say points and a never-say list.
4. Choose how much to script, and leave the delivery to the creator.
5. Add delivery specs and the review process, then check it fits on two pages.

## Decide before you write

A brief is only as clear as the decisions behind it. Settle these four before you open a document, because each one changes what you ask the creator for and what they quote.

### What the video is for

An ad meant to sell needs a hook in the first seconds, a clear problem, the product and a call to action. A video for your product page can be calmer and show more detail. A post for your own accounts can follow a trend. Write it as one sentence: “This video will run as a TikTok and Instagram ad to sell the first jar to new customers.”

### Where it will run and for how long

This sets the usage rights, and usage rights set much of the price. Decide the channels (your social accounts, paid ads, your website, marketplaces), the period (for example 90 days of paid use) and the countries. If you don’t know yet, ask for organic use now plus a price to add paid use later. [How much do UGC creators charge](https://ugcstars.com/resources/how-much-do-ugc-creators-charge) shows how each choice changes a quote.

### Who the viewer is

Describe the person who should recognize themselves in the video: age range, country and language, and the one detail your product depends on, such as dry skin, a dog or a toddler. The creator you cast should match it. [How to find UGC creators](https://ugcstars.com/resources/how-to-find-ugc-creators) covers turning that profile into a shortlist.

### What one brief covers

Write one brief per product and goal. If you need ads for two products, or ads and product-page videos in different styles, write two briefs. A brief that tries to cover everything gets videos that don’t do any one job well.

You’re done deciding when you can say, in two sentences, what the video is for, who it’s for, where it will run and what you’ll pay.

## Write the essentials

The essentials are what a creator needs to quote and to film. Put them in the same order every time, so creators who work with you again know where to look. The example lines below come from a hypothetical vitamin gummy brand, Brightloom, used throughout this article.

**Brief fields, with an example line for each**

| Field | What to write | Example line |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Product | What it is, what it does, the price, why people buy it | Vitamin D3 and B12 gummies, 60 per jar, $24. People buy them because they taste like fruit, not vitamins. |
| Goal | What the video is for, in one sentence | Paid ads on TikTok and Instagram to sell the first jar to new customers. |
| Viewer and creator | Who should see themselves in the video | Adults aged 25–40 in the US who forget to take tablets. Creators who take vitamins or have tried to. |
| Deliverables | Number, length, format and versions | 2 videos, 25–35 seconds, vertical 9:16, 3 hooks each, plus raw footage. |
| Key message | The one thing the viewer should remember | These are the vitamins you’ll actually remember to take. |
| Must-say | Up to three points the video needs | The name, the orange flavor, two gummies a day. |
| Never-say | Claims, topics and things not to show | No health claims beyond the label. No competitor names. No other brands in the shot. |
| Style and references | Format and tone, with examples | Talking to camera in the kitchen, morning light. Two reference videos linked. |
| Usage | Channels, period, countries and ad access | Paid social on Meta and TikTok, 90 days from the first ad, US only. |
| Budget and payment | Fee, product and payment terms | $300 per video including usage and hooks, plus a jar to keep. 50% on approval, 50% on delivery. |
| Dates | Shipping, first cut and final files | Product ships 4 November. First cut by 15 November. Final files by 20 November. |
| Delivery and review | File specs, rounds of changes, who approves | MP4, 1080×1920, with and without captions. One round of changes. Ana approves. |

If you leave out usage or budget, the creator can’t quote. They either ask, which costs you a day, or quote high to be safe. Put both in, even as a range.

The [campaign brief template](https://ugcstars.com/templates/campaign-brief) has these fields ready to fill in, and the [shot list template](https://ugcstars.com/templates/shot-list) covers the scenes if you want specific shots. You’re done when every field has an answer, even if the answer is “your choice”.

## Set must-say and never-say

Must-say and never-say points are the parts of a brief the creator has to follow exactly. Keep both lists short, so the creator can remember them without reading from a page.

### Must-say

Up to three points the video can’t do without: the product name, the one benefit you lead with, and the offer or call to action. Write each as a fact to get across, not a line to read: “Mention that it’s two gummies a day,” not “Say: just two delicious gummies a day keeps you on track.” In some briefs these are called [mandatories](https://ugcstars.com/creator-hub/glossary#mandatories).

### Never-say

Everything the creator must not say or show. Typical entries:

- Claims you can’t back up. If you sell supplements, skincare or anything health-related, list the claims you’re allowed to make and rule out the rest, such as “cures”, “treats” or “clinically proven” without a study behind it.
- Competitors’ names and products, and other brands’ logos in the frame.
- Prices or offers that may change before the ad runs.
- Music the creator doesn’t have the rights to use in ads. Ask for music from the platform’s [Commercial Music Library](https://ugcstars.com/creator-hub/glossary#commercial-music-library), or none.
- Anything you won’t put your name to, such as swearing or a messy background.

Claims are where a brief carries the most risk. In the US, the FTC holds advertisers responsible for the claims in their ads, including what a creator says in an ad you run. Give the creator the approved wording and check the first cut against it.

If the creator will also post the video on their own account, tell them to use the platform’s paid partnership label or #ad. A paid post needs the disclosure even when the video is good enough to look like it doesn’t.

## Leave room for the creator

UGC works because it looks like a real person talking, so the brief should fix the message and leave the delivery to the creator. The more of the script you write, the more it sounds like an ad read by an actor.

There are three ways to brief the words, from loose to tight.

**How much to script**

| Approach | What you give the creator | Best for | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Key message only | The message, must-say and never-say | Experienced creators, organic posts, first impressions | The angle may not be the one you wanted |
| Talking points | 3 to 5 points in order, plus hook ideas | Most ads: testimonials, problem and solution, demos | Points that are really lines in disguise |
| Full script | Every line, word for word | Exact claim wording, app walkthroughs, legal lines | Sounds read aloud, and takes more takes |

Most briefs weigh talking points against a full script. This is how they compare.

**Talking points or a full script**

_Our rating, from 0 to 3._

| Goal | Talking points | Full script |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sounding like a real person | 3 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Letting the creator use their own words and humor | 3 of 3 | 0 of 3 |
| Testing different angles across creators | 3 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Getting a claim worded exactly right | 2 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Briefing a creator new to UGC | 2 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Fewer surprises in the first cut | 2 of 3 | 3 of 3 |

Talking points suit most UGC ads. Give the hook ideas and the order of the points, and let the creator phrase them. If one line has to be exact, such as a legal line or a claim, mark just that line as word for word.

### References, not copies

Link two or three videos that show the tone and pacing you want, and say what you like about each: “the way the creator opens with the problem,” “the close-ups of the texture.” Don’t ask the creator to copy someone else’s video shot for shot.

You’ve left enough room when two creators given the same brief would make two different videos with the same message.

## An example brief

Below is a complete brief for the vitamin gummies, labeled as an example. The brand, product, names and figures are hypothetical. It fits on one page, and each part answers a question a creator would otherwise ask.

**Example brief: Brightloom Daily gummies (hypothetical)**

| Part | Example |
| --- | --- |
| About us | Brightloom makes vitamin D3 and B12 gummies for adults. One jar holds 60 gummies, a month’s supply, and costs $24. |
| What the videos are for | Paid ads on TikTok and Instagram, aimed at people who have never bought from us. |
| Who we want to reach | Adults aged 25–40 in the US who have tried vitamins before and stopped taking them. |
| Who we’re casting | Creators aged 25–40 in the US who film at home and take vitamins, or have tried to. |
| What to make | 2 videos, 25–35 seconds each, vertical 9:16. 3 different hooks for each video. Raw footage from both shoots. |
| Key message | These are the vitamins you’ll actually remember to take, because they taste good. |
| Talking points | 1. The problem: you buy vitamins and forget them. 2. What’s different: the taste, and it’s two a day. 3. Your routine: where the jar lives and when you take them. 4. Try the first jar. |
| Hook ideas | “I’ve bought vitamins five times and finished none of them.” “The only thing in my kitchen I never forget.” Or open on the jar, no words. |
| Must-say | The name Brightloom. Two gummies a day. Orange flavor. |
| Never-say | No health claims beyond “vitamin D3 and B12”. Not “boosts immunity”, “cures” or “treats”. No other brands in the shot. |
| Style | Talking to camera in natural light, in your own kitchen or bathroom. Show the jar, a gummy in your hand and you eating one. |
| Usage | Paid social on Meta and TikTok in the US for 90 days from the first ad. Organic use on our accounts and website for 12 months. No exclusivity. |
| Fee and payment | $300 per video including usage and hooks, $600 in total, plus a jar to keep. 50% when we approve your talking points, 50% on delivery, by bank transfer within 7 days. |
| Timeline | Jar ships 4 November. Your outline by 8 November. First cut by 15 November. Final files by 20 November. |
| Delivery | MP4, 1080×1920, one version with captions and one without. Music from the platform’s commercial library, or none. One round of changes included. |
| Contact | Ana, social lead. Reply to the email this brief came with. We answer within one working day. |

Notice what’s missing. There’s no script, and the hooks are ideas, not lines. The creator knows exactly what must be said and what can’t be, and everything else is theirs.

The fee is built the way a creator would quote it: a starting rate near the [UGC Rate Index](https://ugcstars.com/rates) median, paid use for 90 days and three hooks per video. A creator can accept it, or reply with one changed line.

## Common mistakes

These mistakes lead to high quotes, reshoots or videos that look like every other ad. Each has a simple fix.

- **No usage terms.** The creator can’t quote, or quotes for organic use and you run it as an ad. State the channels, period and countries.
- **Too many messages.** Five benefits in 30 seconds means none of them land. Give one key message and up to two supporting points.
- **A word-for-word script for everything.** It sounds read. Use talking points, and fix only the lines that have to be exact.
- **Open-ended feedback.** Unlimited rounds of changes and no date for your feedback. Agree one or two rounds, and say how fast you’ll reply.
- **Product arrives late.** The creator loses days you planned for filming. Ship before you confirm the dates, or count the dates from delivery.
- **No delivery specs.** You get horizontal video, captions you can’t remove or music you can’t use in ads. List the specs.
- **A brief written for the brand, not the creator.** Pages of brand history and no deliverables. Lead with what to make, and keep the background to two sentences.

## How long it takes

Writing the brief takes an afternoon once the decisions are made. Most of the calendar goes on casting, shipping and the creator’s turnaround. This is how a brief can go from first draft to final files in about four weeks.

**From brief to final files, week by week**

_Illustrative. Your timeline depends on shipping, the creator’s turnaround and how fast you give feedback._

| Task | Stage | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Decide goal, usage and budget | Brief | Week 0 to week 0.5 |
| Write the brief | Brief | Week 0.5 to week 1 |
| Post it or send it to a shortlist | Brief | Week 1 to week 1.5 |
| Collect quotes and confirm | Creators | Week 1 to week 2 |
| Ship the product | Creators | Week 1.5 to week 2.5 |
| Approve the outline | Creators | Week 2 to week 2.5 |
| Filming and first cut | Creators | Week 2.5 to week 3.5 |
| Changes and final files | Creators | Week 3.5 to week 4 |

Two things shorten it. Ship the product as soon as a creator says yes, and reply to the first cut within a day or two.

If you [post a free brief](https://ugcstars.com/post-a-brief) on UGCStars, matching creators get it by email and contact you directly, so the casting step can start the day you post.

## For creators: questions to ask about a brief

A good brief answers most of these. When it doesn’t, ask before you quote, not after you’ve filmed.

- Where will the video run, for how long and in which countries? This sets your usage fee.
- Will ads run from your account, through Spark Ads or partnership ads? That’s priced separately.
- How many hooks, cut-downs and raw clips do they need?
- Is there a script, talking points or just a message? Which lines must be word for word?
- Which claims are approved, and is there anything you mustn’t say or show?
- How many rounds of changes are included, and how fast will they give feedback?
- When does the product ship, and what happens to the deadline if it arrives late?
- When and how will you be paid?

The Creator Hub [brand email templates](https://ugcstars.com/creator-hub/email-replies) include a reply that asks for missing details politely, and [How to charge for UGC usage rights](https://ugcstars.com/resources/how-to-charge-for-ugc-usage-rights) shows how to price the answers.

## Before you send your brief

Use these lists before you send your next brief, or before you reply to one.

### For brands

- [ ] Have we written one sentence on what the video is for?
- [ ] Are the channels, period and countries in the usage section?
- [ ] Is there a budget, even as a range, with payment terms?
- [ ] Is there one key message and no more than three must-say points?
- [ ] Does the never-say list cover claims, competitors and music?
- [ ] Have we chosen talking points or a script, and marked any word-for-word lines?
- [ ] Are the shipping date, first-cut date and final date realistic?
- [ ] Does it fit on two pages?

### For creators

- [ ] Do I know where the video will run and for how long?
- [ ] Do I know how many hooks, cut-downs and raw clips are included?
- [ ] Have I checked which lines are word for word?
- [ ] Do I know which claims I can and can’t make?
- [ ] Is the number of rounds of changes agreed?
- [ ] Are the deadline and payment terms in writing?

A brief that answers the creator’s questions before they ask gets you faster quotes, fewer revisions and videos that sound like a person, not a script.

## Post a free brief

We send it to matching creators who opted in. No account needed. [Post a Free Brief](https://ugcstars.com/post-a-brief)

## Keep reading

- [How to charge for UGC usage rights: paid ads, whitelisting, exclusivity and buyouts](https://ugcstars.com/resources/how-to-charge-for-ugc-usage-rights) (For Creators)
- [How to find UGC creators: where to look, how to vet them and what to send first](https://ugcstars.com/resources/how-to-find-ugc-creators) (For Brands)
- [How much do UGC creators charge: rates per video, add-ons and what changes the price](https://ugcstars.com/resources/how-much-do-ugc-creators-charge) (For Brands)