Before signing a UGC contract, check: exact deliverables (number, length, format), usage rights (organic vs paid, duration, territory), exclusivity scope, revision rounds (one or two), payment terms (50% deposit, balance on delivery, net-15 max for small brands), a kill fee if they cancel after filming, portfolio rights for you, and who owns raw footage. Most of my collabs have no formal contract: a clear email thread the brand agrees to is legally enough for gifted and small paid deals.
I’m not a lawyer, and this isn’t legal advice. It’s the checklist I’ve built in four months of collabs, from the brand forms I’ve been sent, one clause I almost signed and shouldn’t have, and a lot of reading at midnight. If a clause below is missing or weird, I ask. Brands respect creators who read the agreement. The ones who don’t respect it aren’t the ones you want.
Before we start: you don’t always need a “contract”
For a gifted collab or a $100–$200 video with a small brand, a clear email is a contract. Deliverables, price (or “product only”), usage, timeline, payment terms, and the brand replying “confirmed.” Save the thread. That’s what most of my collabs have run on.
For bigger deals, bundles, retainers, or anything with paid usage, get it in a document. If the brand doesn’t have one, send yours (mine’s at the end).
The 12 things I check
1. Deliverables, exactly
Number of videos, length of each, format (vertical 9:16), whether captions and on-screen text are included, whether raw footage is included. “3 videos” is not enough. “3 vertical videos, 15–45 seconds each, edited with captions, delivered as MP4” is.
2. Usage rights
The big one. Organic vs paid, duration, territory, and whether it’s on their account or mine. If the form says “perpetual, worldwide, all media” and the price is the base rate (or a free serum), I send my usage line instead. Full breakdown here. This clause alone is worth reading twice.
3. Exclusivity
Is there any? How long, and what counts as a competitor? I want “direct competitors in [product category]” and a specific number of days. “The beauty industry” for six months would mean I can’t work. Priced per month, or not agreed.
4. Revisions
How many rounds, and what counts as a round. I include one round for a single video, two for a bundle. “Unlimited revisions until satisfied” is a trap: it means the project never ends. Also check that a revision means “changes to the edit,” not “reshoot the whole thing.”
5. Timeline, both directions
My delivery deadline, and their approval deadline. If the brand takes three weeks to approve the script, my delivery date moves. The agreement should say that. It should also say when the product ships, because I can’t film a serum I don’t have.
6. Payment terms
50% deposit to book the slot, 50% on delivery. That’s standard with small and mid brands. Big brands and agencies will say net-30 (they pay 30 days after the invoice). Accept net-30 for bigger projects only, with a late fee in writing (1.5% per month is common), and never for a first project with an unknown brand.
Also: how do they pay? If they insist on a platform that takes a cut, ask who covers the fee.
7. Kill fee
If the brand cancels after you’ve started, what happens? My clause: deposit is non-refundable once filming has started; if they cancel after approving the edit, the full amount is due. Without this, a “we changed direction” email costs you a week of work.
8. Approval and “reasonable” changes
The brand should approve the script or concept before filming. After that, changes to the concept are a new deliverable, not a revision. The agreement should say what “approval” looks like (an email is fine) so there’s no “we never really approved it.”
9. Portfolio rights
Can I show the work? I want a line that says I may display the deliverables as examples of my services on my website and social. This is the one clause I insist on even for gifted collabs, because my portfolio is how I get the next job. Some brands ask me to wait until the campaign is live, which is fair. “You may not display this work” is a no unless the price covers it.
10. Raw footage and ownership
Who owns the raw files? Default: I do, and the brand licenses the edited deliverables. If they want raw footage, it’s an add-on (what to charge) and the usage terms apply to it too. Watch for “work for hire,” which means they own everything you shoot, forever. That’s a buyout, and it’s priced like one.
11. Claims and compliance
The brand is responsible for the accuracy of product claims they ask me to make. I say what I experienced; I don’t say “clinically proven” unless they’ve shown me the proof, and the agreement should put claims liability on them. Also, when I post the video on my own channels (if that’s part of the deal), it gets an #ad or #gifted disclosure, no exceptions.
12. Cancellation, disputes, and where
Boring, but read it: what law applies (I’m in New York, I’d prefer New York), how to terminate, whether either side can end a retainer with notice (30 days is standard). If a form has a mandatory arbitration clause in another country, ask why.
Red flags that make me pause
- “All rights in perpetuity” at the base rate, or for product only.
- Payment “upon campaign completion” (which could be never).
- Exclusivity with no end date.
- “Creator may not disclose the collaboration” combined with “creator may not use the work in portfolio.” Both together means you’re invisible.
- A brand that gets irritated when you ask questions. Ask anyway.
The one-page UGC contract template I send
When a brand has nothing, I send a simple document with these sections. Copy it, fill in the brackets, and delete what doesn’t apply (a gifted collab needs about half of it). It is a template, not legal advice; for anything big, have a lawyer look at it.
UGC Content Agreement
Parties. [Brand legal name], “Brand”, and [Your name], “Creator”. Date: [date].
Deliverables. [2] vertical videos, [30–45] seconds each, 9:16, with captions, delivered as MP4 via [Google Drive link]. Raw footage is not included.
Timeline. Brand ships product by [date]. Creator sends script or outline by [date]; Brand approves within [3] business days. Delivery within [7] days of approval.
Fee and payment. Total fee $[amount]. [50]% due to book the dates, [50]% due on delivery, by [PayPal / bank transfer]. Invoices unpaid after [15] days carry a [5]% late fee. (For a gifted collab: “Compensation: product listed above, retail value $[x]. No cash fee.”)
Usage. Organic use (Brand’s own social accounts and website) for [90 days / 12 months] is included. Paid use (ads, boosted posts, whitelisting, Spark Ads) is not included and is available at $[amount] per 30 days, or $[amount] for 12 months, agreed in writing before the ad runs. Territory: [worldwide]. Brand will not edit the video in a way that changes its meaning.
Exclusivity. None, unless listed here: [none / no competing [category] brands for [30] days, fee $[amount]].
Revisions. [One] round of reasonable revisions within the original brief. New hooks, products or scripts are a new deliverable.
Cancellation. If Brand cancels after product has shipped and filming has started, [50]% of the fee is due. If Brand cancels after delivery, the full fee is due.
Portfolio. Creator may show the videos in a portfolio and on Creator’s own social accounts as examples of work[, after the campaign launches].
Ownership. Creator owns the raw footage. Brand receives a licence to the delivered videos as described under Usage.
Claims. Brand is responsible for the accuracy of product claims it asks Creator to make.
Agreement. Signed by both parties, or Brand replies “agreed” to the email this document is attached to.
It fits on one page, it takes brands two minutes to read, and it hasn’t lost me a collab yet.
Here is the same thing as a checklist, so you can scan a brand’s contract against it in a minute:
| Clause | What I want to see | Deal-breaker if |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverables | Number, length, format, captions | “Content as needed” |
| Timeline | Ship, approval and delivery dates | No approval deadline on their side |
| Payment | Deposit + balance, due dates, late fee | Net-60 or “paid after results” |
| Usage | Organic term stated; paid use priced separately | “Perpetual, all media” at the base rate |
| Exclusivity | None, or scoped and paid | Whole category, unpaid |
| Revisions | One or two rounds, within the brief | “Until approved” |
| Cancellation | Kill fee once filming starts | Brand can cancel free after delivery |
| Portfolio | Allowed, maybe after launch | Not allowed at all |
| Ownership | Raw footage stays mine | Brand owns everything, including outtakes |
A contract isn’t about distrust. It’s how two people who’ve never met agree on what “done” means. The brands worth working with feel the same way.
Frequently asked
Do UGC creators need a contract?
For anything above a couple hundred dollars, yes. It does not have to be long. A one-page agreement or a clear email listing deliverables, usage, price and payment terms that the brand agrees to in writing is enough.
Do you need a contract for a gifted collab?
Not a formal one, but get three things in writing: what you will deliver, that organic use is included and ads are not, and that you may show the video in your portfolio. One email covers it.
What payment terms should UGC creators ask for?
50% deposit to book, 50% on delivery, for small and mid brands. Agencies and large brands may insist on net-30; accept it only for bigger projects and put late fees in writing.
Can I show UGC videos in my portfolio?
Only if the agreement allows it. Ask for a portfolio clause: you may display the work as an example of your services. Most brands agree; some ask for a delay until the campaign launches.
I post the actual collabs, behind-the-scenes and what brands reply on Instagram.
Anastasiia, NYC beauty UGC creator since spring 2026, with a stylist background. I make product videos for beauty, wellness, fashion, home and tech brands, and I write about how the business side actually works.
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