Influencer & UGC contract template: a clause-by-clause checklist

The names overlap, and brands use them loosely. What matters is what the brand is buying, so look at that first.

For more on the difference between the first two, read UGC vs influencer deals. If you're new to the terms, what is a brand deal is the starting point.

Each clause below has what it covers, what to check, and one question to ask the brand. These are prompts for you, not wording to paste into a contract.

1. The parties and your status

What it covers. Who is making the agreement: the legal names of both sides, the contact people, and whether you contract as an individual or through your business.

Check this:

• Both legal names are correct, including the brand's contracting entity (which may differ from the brand name you know).
• Contact people are named.
• It says whether you're contracting as an individual or as a business.
• If it describes you as an independent contractor, you know what that wording means for you. If you're not sure, ask and get your own legal advice.

Vague parties make it unclear who is responsible.

Ask the brand: "Which legal entity is signing, and who is my contact for this contract?"

2. Deliverables

What it covers. Exactly what you're creating.

Check this:

• Format, platform, quantity and length.
• The brief, and any must-mention points.
• What isn't included.
• That the contract and the brief agree with each other.

Ambiguity here is where scope creep starts.

Ask the brand: "Is anything outside this list expected as part of the fee?"

3. Approvals and revisions

What it covers. How the brand reviews your work and how many changes the fee covers.

Check this:

• Who approves, and how long they have to do it (an approval deadline).
• How many revision rounds the fee covers.
• What counts as a new request instead of a revision.
• What happens if feedback arrives late.

Ask the brand: "How many rounds of revisions are included, and what happens after that?"

4. Dates

What it covers. When things are due.

Check this:

• The delivery date and the approval date.
• The go-live date or window, and the campaign period.
• What happens if the brand is late with feedback or product.
• That each deliverable is tied to a date.

Ask the brand: "What happens to the dates if feedback or product arrives late?"

5. Payment

What it covers. What you're paid, when, and how.

Check this:

• The fee and the currency.
• Any deposit or staged payments.
• Payment terms (for example net 14 or net 30), and where the clock starts: the invoice date, or approval or delivery.
• Expenses, late payment, who issues the invoice and whether tax is added. Tax treatment depends on where you are, so get your own tax advice.

For more, see what goes on an influencer invoice, how to get paid faster and, if a payment goes late, what to do when a brand isn't paying you.

Ask the brand: "When does the payment clock start, and who do I send the invoice to?"

6. Usage rights

What it covers. How, where and for how long the brand can use your content.

Check this:

• Organic or paid, and whether whitelisting is included. (Whitelisting means the brand runs your content as an ad through your account.)
• Channels and territory.
• Months, and whether any use is perpetual (no end date).
• That usage is priced as its own line, separate from the content fee.

Read usage rights explained, and test your own assumptions with the usage rights calculator.

Ask the brand: "Where will the content run, for how long, and is any of it paid?"

7. Ownership of the content and raw footage

What it covers. Who owns what, and whether the brand gets a licence to use the content or ownership of it.

Check this:

• Whether the contract gives the brand a licence or ownership.
• What happens to raw files and edits.
• That it says what you expect it to say.

Ownership depends on your contract and the law where you are, so check that the contract says what you expect, and get your own legal advice if it's unclear.

Ask the brand: "Does this give you a licence to use the content, or ownership of it?"

8. Exclusivity

What it covers. Whether you're agreeing not to work with competing brands.

Check this:

• The category, by example, and the start and end dates.
• Territory and platforms.
• Whether existing partnerships are carved out.
• Whether you're paid for the restriction.

Read how to price brand deal exclusivity for the method.

Ask the brand: "Which brands count as competitors, and when does the restriction start and end?"

9. Ad disclosure

What it covers. Who's responsible for making sure paid content is disclosed.

Check this:

• Who is responsible for the disclosure.
• What label wording is expected.
• Whether the platform's own tools are used.
• That the contract doesn't ask you to do something your local advertising rules don't allow.

Rules differ by country. As one official example, the US Federal Trade Commission publishes Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers. Check the rules where you and your audience are, and get your own legal advice if you're unsure.

Ask the brand: "What disclosure wording do you expect, and who checks it?"

10. Confidentiality

What it covers. What you must keep private, and for how long.

Check this:

• What counts as confidential.
• How long the obligation lasts.
• Whether you can share the contract with your own advisers (such as your accountant or lawyer).
• Whether you can name the brand in your media kit afterwards.

Ask the brand: "Can I share the contract with my advisers, and can I list you as a past collaboration?"

11. Promises, indemnity and liability

What it covers. What you're promising about your content, and who pays if there's a claim.

Check this:

• What you're promising (for example, that the content is your own work).
• Who bears the cost if a claim is made.
• Whether there's a cap on liability.

This clause can carry real financial risk. Get your own legal advice before you agree to it.

Ask the brand: "Is there a limit on what I could be responsible for?"

12. AI and likeness

What it covers. Whether the brand may use your content, face or voice to train AI or to create synthetic versions of you.

Check this:

• Whether the contract mentions AI, likeness or synthetic content at all.
• Whether any permission is general or specific.
• Whether you're asked to consent each time.

This is a newer area and the wording can be broad. Get your own legal advice if the contract touches it.

Ask the brand: "Will my content, face or voice be used to train AI or create synthetic versions, and do you ask for my consent each time?"

13. Cancellation, kill fee and termination

What it covers. What happens if either side pulls out.

Check this:

• How much notice is required.
• What you're paid for work already done. (A kill fee is a fee paid if the brand cancels.)
• What happens to content already made.
• Whether the terms are the same for both sides.

Ask the brand: "What happens, and what do I get paid, if the campaign is cancelled?"

14. Governing law and disputes

What it covers. Which country's or state's law applies, and where disputes are heard.

Check this:

• Which law and which place are named.
• Whether they're far from where you live.

This matters most with overseas brands. Get your own legal advice if the deal is large or the law named is unfamiliar.

Ask the brand: "Which country's or state's law applies, and where would a dispute be heard?"

1. Read the whole contract. Include attachments and any linked briefs.
2. Compare it to your own paperwork. Check it against your quote, your rate card and your deal terms summary.
3. Mark anything unclear and ask in writing.
4. Consider getting your own legal advice if the deal is large, long, overseas or unusual.
5. Keep the signed copy.

Poppi Social lets you upload the contract to the deal, with a "contract signed" tick and date. Add your usage terms to the Terms & conditions or Notes on any quote or invoice, and keep the signed contract on the deal.