UGC Brief Template: Field-by-Field, With a Filled Example
A UGC brief tells a creator, or a studio making UGC-style ads, what to say, what to show and what to stay away from, without scripting every word. Thirteen fields cover it: product, the one promise, audience, hook options, script tone, the proof moment, on-screen text, claims, do’s and don’ts, deliverables, usage rights, deadline and approver. Fill them in and you will get a usable first cut.
What goes in a UGC brief?
A UGC brief holds the facts the video must respect and leaves room for the voice. Give the creator a clear promise, a clear audience and clear limits. Then let them sound like a person, not a script. Here is each field and what to write in it.
- Product. The exact product and variant, with clean photos from several angles. "The 30 ml serum, pump bottle" beats "our skincare."
- The one promise. One sentence the viewer should take away. If you list four, the video says none of them well.
- Audience. Describe a person. What are they tired of? What have they already tried? What do they say out loud about this category?
- Hook options. Give two or three openings, as lines or situations. Say which you prefer. The first seconds decide whether anyone stays.
- Script tone, with 2 sample lines. Say how the person talks, then write two lines in that voice. Sample lines teach more than adjectives. Do not hand over a full script; it tends to sound read aloud.
- The proof moment. What does the viewer see that makes them believe? A pour, a texture, a hand using the product, the label up close.
- On-screen text. Captions or key words? Full lines or one word at a time? Keep them clear of the platform buttons. Many people watch with the sound off.
- Claims allowed and banned. List what the brand may say and what it may not. This is the field that protects you.
- Do’s and don’ts. Casual setting, real hands, natural light. No stock-pretty look, no "comment below" bait, no competitor names.
- Deliverables and sizes. How many cuts, which lengths, which sizes: 9:16 for Reels, Shorts and TikTok, 1:1 for some feeds, 16:9 for sites and YouTube.
- Usage rights. Where the video may run, whether it can be edited, whether it can be resold or passed to your client.
- Deadline. The date you need the file, not the date you would like it.
- Approver. One name. If three people have notes, send one merged list.
How is a UGC brief different from a general video brief?
A general video brief controls the picture: shots, polish, logo, end card. A UGC brief controls the voice: who is talking, how they sound and what they may claim. The picture matters less than whether the person is believable.
| General video brief | UGC brief | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Show the product well | Make a person sound real |
| Script | Often written in full | Hook, tone and two sample lines |
| Look | Polished, planned shots | Casual, close, handheld feel |
| Biggest risk | Missing must-show shots | Invented or risky claims |
| Key fields | Shots, music, end card | Hook, proof moment, claims, rights |
If you need the broader version, start with our one-page product video brief. Use the UGC brief when the ad should feel like a person talking to a friend.
What does a filled UGC brief look like?
Below is a filled brief for an invented product, Kettlewood oat cold brew. Kettlewood is not a real brand. It exists only to show the fields in use.
Product. Kettlewood oat cold brew, 12 oz can, original flavor. Photos: can front, can in hand, can poured over ice.
The one promise. A smooth cold coffee you can grab on the way out the door.
Audience. A busy commuter who has given up on bitter office coffee. They want something quick that tastes like a coffee shop drink.
Hook options. (1) "I stopped queuing for coffee, and this is why." (2) "Bitter coffee is not a personality." (3) A can cracked open on a kitchen counter, no words. Preferred: option 1.
Script tone. Relaxed, a little dry, one person on a normal morning. Sample lines: "Okay, this is the only can I keep stocked." "It’s smooth. I did not expect smooth."
The proof moment. The pour over ice and the first sip, close on the can and the label.
On-screen text. Short captions, one idea at a time, placed above the bottom buttons. The product name appears once.
Claims. Allowed: smooth taste, easy to grab, made with oats. Banned: health or energy benefits, "best coffee," any comparison to named brands, any number or study.
Do’s and don’ts. Do use a real kitchen look and natural light. Don’t use stock-pretty styling, a fake review read aloud or a hard sell.
Deliverables. Two cuts of the same ad, each in 9:16, 1:1 and 16:9, as clean MP4s.
Usage rights. Paid social and the product page. Edit and resale allowed after full payment.
Deadline. A fixed date, with a note that the brief is locked once approved.
Approver. One named person at the agency.
Notice how little of that is script. The hook, the tone and the limits do the work.
Can the proof moment use real customer words?
Yes, but only if the words are real. Any buyer quote you use must come from a real buyer who agreed to its use, and you should be able to point to where they said it. Never write a made-up quote or a "before" story and put it in a creator’s mouth.
When you have no real quote yet, write the ad around what the product is and what the viewer can see. A pour, a texture and a plain description of the benefit are honest and still strong. Put your list of allowed claims in the brief so nobody improvises one.
Does the same brief work for an AI-made UGC-style ad?
Yes, with one change. A real creator can improvise, so the brief can stay loose. An AI-made UGC-style ad has no one to improvise, so the brief should be a little tighter on the hook, the tone lines and the banned claims. The fields are the same.
If you are deciding between a creator, a generator and a studio, read AI UGC ads for agencies. It covers where AI UGC-style ads fit and who should make them.
How many rounds of changes should a UGC brief allow?
Plan on up to 2 rounds, and say what a round covers: a line reworded, a caption moved, a cut swapped. A new product, a new promise or a new audience is a new brief. Write that rule at the bottom of the page so everyone agrees before work starts.
FAQ
What is a UGC brief?
A short document that tells a creator or studio the product, promise, audience, tone, proof, claims and deliverables for a UGC-style ad. It guides the voice and sets the limits.
How long should a UGC brief be?
One page. If it runs longer, you probably have more than one promise, or a decision still to make.
Should a UGC brief include a full script?
Usually no. Give hook options and two or three sample lines in the right tone, and list the claims that must and must not appear.
What should a UGC creator brief say about claims?
List the exact claims the brand allows and the ones it bans. Anything not on the allowed list should not be said.
Who owns a UGC video after it is made?
That depends on the agreement. Put usage rights in the brief: where it runs, who can edit it and whether it can be resold.
Send a product image
Want to see a brief turn into a video? Send one product image and we will make a free 15-second sample, no obligation. We make white-label UGC-style ads for agencies, in 9:16, 1:1 and 16:9 from one piece.
Or read how it works on the agencies page.