UGC guidelines are the rules a brand gives to creators who produce user-generated content for it, whether paid UGC creators, customers in a campaign or brand ambassadors. They cover what the content should communicate, what it must avoid, technical requirements, rights and disclosure. The goal is content that still feels genuine, because that is the value of UGC, while staying inside the brand’s boundaries.
Two kinds of UGC, two kinds of guidelines
| Organic UGC | Commissioned UGC | |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | Customers posting on their own | Paid UGC creators and ambassadors |
| Brand control | Low: you choose whether to reshare | Higher: you brief, review and pay |
| Guidelines cover | Submission rules, permissions, what you’ll reshare | Message, must-avoids, specs, review, rights, disclosure |
Most of this guide is about commissioned UGC, where guidelines and review actually apply.
What UGC guidelines should include
- The brand in a few sentences. Who it’s for and what it stands for.
- What the content should show. The product in real use, the key benefit, the situations that fit the brand.
- The key message. One thing viewers should take away.
- Must-include. Product name, required disclosure, any mandatory visual (the product clearly visible).
- Must-avoid. Claims the product can’t support, prohibited words, competitor products in frame, off-brand settings, discount talk for premium lines.
- Voice and style. How natural or polished the content should feel; whether to speak to camera.
- Technical specs. Format, aspect ratio, length, resolution, lighting, sound, captions.
- Review process. What to submit, when, and how feedback works.
- Rights and usage. Where and for how long the brand may use the content, including in ads.
- Disclosure. How paid relationships must be disclosed. In the US, the FTC expects clear disclosure of material connections. (General information, not legal advice.)
UGC guidelines template
| Section | Your guidelines |
|---|---|
| Brand in brief | |
| What to show | |
| Key message | |
| Must-include | Product name · disclosure · product visible |
| Must-avoid | Claims · words · competitor products in frame · settings |
| Voice and style | |
| Technical specs | Format · ratio · length · resolution · captions |
| Review process | Submit: … · Feedback within: … |
| Rights and usage | Channels · duration · ads allowed: yes/no |
| Disclosure |
Examples of UGC rules that work
All examples are invented.
Premium skincare brand
- Show the product in a real bathroom, applied on skin, not only held up to camera.
- Say how your skin felt after a week, in your own words.
- Never say “cures”, “treats” or “heals”. Don’t mention discount codes.
Outdoor apparel brand
- Film outdoors, in weather. A jacket in a living room tells viewers nothing.
- Mention lifetime repairs if it matters to you.
- No other outdoor brands’ gear visible in close-up shots.
Specialist bike retailer
- Show the bike being ridden, not parked.
- Mention the fitting if you had one; that’s why people come to us.
- No “cheapest” or “best price”: we don’t compete on price.
Where UGC goes off brand
The common problems aren’t creators breaking rules deliberately. They come from what the guidelines didn’t say, and from the volume that makes careful review impractical:
- Claims the product can’t support, said with genuine enthusiasm.
- Competitor products in frame, unnoticed in the background. Image checks catch this more reliably than tired reviewers.
- Discount language that undermines a premium position.
- Generic content that could advertise any brand in the category.
With many creators submitting every week, checking each piece against the guidelines becomes the brand team’s main job. A structured review process helps; see influencer content approval process. For the brief that comes before the content, see influencer brief template.
FAQ
What are UGC guidelines?
UGC guidelines are rules a brand gives to creators of user-generated content, covering what to show, the key message, what to include and avoid, technical specifications, the review process, usage rights and disclosure.
What should UGC guidelines include?
The brand in brief, what the content should show, the key message, must-include and must-avoid lists, voice and style, technical specs, the review process, rights and usage terms, and disclosure requirements.
How do you keep UGC authentic while following brand guidelines?
Fix only the essentials (key message, must-include, must-avoid, disclosure) and leave the creator free to choose the story, setting and wording. Over-scripted UGC loses the credibility that makes it work.
Do UGC creators need to disclose paid content?
In the US, the FTC expects paid relationships to be disclosed clearly. Guidelines should state how disclosure must appear. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do brands review UGC at scale?
By making guidelines specific enough to check, collecting scripts or drafts before final content, and checking every piece against the guidelines before it’s published, with the brand team handling only the flagged exceptions.
Vashor is a brand governance platform. Its Creative Review checks creator scripts, posts and images against the brand’s declared strategy before they’re published. It never writes the content. See how Vashor checks your content →