UGC contract template: the clauses every creator agreement needs

Before you write one: what may already cover you

If you hire through a creator marketplace, its terms are part of the deal and some clauses are already set. Insense, for example, allows up to three revisions before content is accepted, requires feedback to stay within the original brief, and grants brands perpetual digital rights once content is approved and the creator is paid, while the creator keeps copyright. Billo includes two revisions within the brief and full usage rights after you approve a video. A side contract that contradicts the platform's terms can cause more confusion than it solves, so read those terms first.

A direct deal with a creator has no such defaults. Everything below has to be written down, ideally in a short agreement that references the brief. Our UGC brief template holds the creative detail, so the contract can point to it instead of repeating it.

Deliverables, timeline, revisions and approval

These clauses define the job. Vague scope is the most common reason a creator and a brand disagree about whether the work is finished.

1. 01

   Parties: legal names of the brand (or agency and client) and the creator, and who signs for each.

2. 02

   Deliverables: number of videos, length, aspect ratio, number of hooks or variations, raw or edited, captions and music, photos, file format and delivery method. Attach or link the brief and the script template you agreed on.

3. 03

   Product: what the brand sends, by when, and whether the creator keeps it or returns it.

4. 04

   Timeline: draft due date counted from when the product arrives, revision turnaround, and final delivery date.

5. 05

   Revisions: number of rounds included, what counts as a revision (changes within the brief) versus new work (a new concept or script), and the price of extra rounds.

6. 06

   Approval: how the brand approves, how long it has to respond, and what happens if it does not respond. Many agreements treat silence after a set period as approval; decide this explicitly.

Usage rights and ownership

Ownership and usage are different clauses. Under US law the creator is normally the author and owner of what they film. The US Copyright Office's Circular 30 explains that a commissioned work is a work made for hire only if it falls in listed categories, which include part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, and the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by both. Otherwise the brand gets a license or a written assignment. Which route fits is a question for your lawyer; the contract should say which one applies.

The usage clause then sets the license: channels (organic, paid, or both), platforms, duration, territory, exclusivity and the right to edit. It should also say what happens when the term ends, whether ads must stop, and the price to extend. A short first term with an extension option suits hook tests: extend only the openings that win on the hook rate calculator. Our UGC usage rights guide explains each term and what creators charge for it, and our UGC rates post has the base numbers.

If the brand will run ads from the creator's account, add a separate permissions clause for whitelisting, TikTok Spark Ads or Meta partnership ads. TikTok lets creators set a Spark Ads code for 7, 30, 60 or 365 days, so the clause should require a code duration that matches the usage term. See partnership ads vs whitelisting for how those permissions work.

Payment

The payment clause should leave nothing to negotiate later. List the base fee for each deliverable, each add-on (hooks, raw footage, paid usage, whitelisting, rush), and how they are calculated. If usage is priced as a percentage per 30 days, as Aspire's 2026 survey found is common at 15–35% of the base rate, write out the result in money for the agreed term.

Then state when payment is due: a deposit or upfront share, the balance on delivery or on approval, and the number of days to pay an invoice. Add a kill fee if the brand cancels after work has started, who pays for product and shipping, and how approved expenses are reimbursed (Billo, for example, reimburses approved creator expenses after receipts are approved). If you are a creator, your rate card should state the same terms, so the contract matches the quote.

Disclosure, claims, likeness and conduct

Disclosure is a brand's problem as well as a creator's. The FTC's guidance on the Endorsement Guides says a company is ultimately responsible for what others do on its behalf, and that advertisers need reasonable programs to train and monitor the people who promote them. Its influencer guide says to disclose a material connection, which includes free or discounted product, in the video itself rather than only in the description, using clear words such as 'ad' or 'sponsored', and not to rely on a platform's disclosure tool alone. A contract clause usually requires the creator to disclose in the agreed form and lets the brand review posts before they go live.

Claims belong in the same clause. The FTC guide says endorsers should only describe experiences with products they have actually tried and should not make claims that need proof they do not have, such as health benefits without scientific support. Give the creator the list of approved claims and banned phrases. This matters most in regulated categories like skincare and supplements.

Likeness: state where the creator's name, face, voice and handle may appear, for how long, and whether the brand may use them in materials beyond the videos, such as product pages or retail displays. Never create a synthetic version of a real creator's face or voice without separate written consent; our likeness policy explains how we handle uploads of real people. Conduct and confidentiality: whether the creator may post the work in their portfolio, when, and what stays confidential before launch.

UGC contract example: a copy-ready outline

This outline is an illustrative structure, not a finished agreement and not legal advice. Fill each bracket and have the whole document reviewed before anyone signs.

1. 01

   1. Parties: [brand legal name] and [creator legal name], effective [date].

2. 02

   2. Scope: [number] videos per the attached brief, [length], 9:16, [raw or edited], [number] hooks each; delivery by [method].

3. 03

   3. Timeline: drafts within [days] of product receipt; revisions within [days]; final by [date].

4. 04

   4. Revisions and approval: [number] rounds within the brief included; extra rounds [price]; brand approves or requests changes within [days].

5. 05

   5. Ownership: [license or assignment or work made for hire, as advised by counsel].

6. 06

   6. Usage: [organic, paid] on [platforms] for [duration] in [territory]; edits [allowed or not]; exclusivity in [category] for [months] or none; extension at [price].

7. 07

   7. Ad permissions: [Spark Ads code or partnership ad permission] for [duration], matching clause 6.

8. 08

   8. Payment: [fees per deliverable and add-on]; [deposit] upfront; balance within [days] of [delivery or approval]; kill fee [amount]; expenses [rule].

9. 09

   9. Disclosure and claims: disclosure wording [text] in the video and caption; approved claims [list]; pre-approval of posts [yes or no].

10. 10

    10. Likeness, portfolio and confidentiality: [scope and dates].

11. 11

    11. Termination: either party may end the agreement on [notice] for [reasons]; what happens to fees paid, work delivered and rights already granted.

12. 12

    12. Governing law and disputes: [jurisdiction], as advised by counsel.