Before accepting a UGC video, review the agreed version against the brief, check the actual file, and send one prioritized list of changes with timestamps. Then watch the revised export and name the version you approve. This guide starts when a creator delivers the first cut; use the brief guide in related reading if the assignment is still being defined.
Start with one file and one agreed reference
Ask everyone reviewing the work to use the same filename or version label. Open the final brief and any later changes both parties agreed to. Pick one person to combine the brand's comments so the creator receives a consistent decision rather than contradictory messages.
Watch once without pausing: is the product and intended message understandable? Watch again against the brief. This is an editorial review of the delivery, not a prediction of sales or proof that the video will perform well as an ad.
Check the content, playback and intended placement
- Required content: correct product and language, agreed message, essential shots and requested call to action.
- Claims: wording matches the verified product information supplied for the assignment. Flag unsupported promises or personal experiences the creator has not actually had.
- Sound and text: speech is understandable, music does not mask it, and visible captions match what is said. Check names, numbers and spelling.
- Picture and placement: the important action is visible, framing suits the agreed channel, and on-screen text remains readable in the intended viewing context.
- Delivered files: agreed number, duration, format and caption versions. Check the actual export, not only a messaging-app preview.
- Permissions and privacy: confirm the agreed usage and any needed music or asset permissions; check that private messages, addresses or unrelated people have not appeared accidentally.
Preview on a phone and in the intended placement where possible. TikTok's performance-ad guidance, for example, advises keeping content inside the interface safe zone. Use the current requirements for your actual placement; one platform's dimensions are not a universal UGC specification. If the brief omitted a requirement, discuss it before treating it as a failed deliverable.
Decide what kind of change you are asking for
A delivery decision table for brands
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| What you find | Useful next action |
|---|---|
| The agreed files meet the requirements and no unresolved issue remains | Confirm the exact version accepted and the delivered files. |
| An agreed product name is misspelled or a required shot is missing | Describe the discrepancy and request a correction under the agreed revision terms. |
| The work meets the brief, but you prefer another transition | Label this as a preference and discuss whether it fits the available revision scope. |
| You now want another location, concept or extra video | Describe the new request and agree its scope, timing and any price change before work starts. |
| You cannot tell whether a claim, file or permission is correct | Ask for clarification and keep that point open before approval. |
The table is a communication aid, not a ruling on what must be free or how many revision rounds are owed. Those details depend on the agreement. Distinguish a problem with the agreed delivery from a new idea the brand developed after seeing it.
Send a versioned, timestamped feedback list
For each note, identify the moment or time range, the observed issue and the desired result. Keep required corrections separate from optional ideas. A range is useful when music covers several seconds of speech; a single timestamp is enough for one misspelled word. Review tools such as Dropbox Replay document time-range comments and comments on different versions. The same basic information can be written manually without adopting a particular tool.
File/version reviewed:
Reference brief and agreed changes:
Decision: accepted / revisions requested / clarification needed
Note 1
Timestamp or range:
What I see or hear:
Requirement or reason:
Requested result:
Type: correction / preference / proposed new scope
What should stay unchanged:
Questions to resolve before editing:
Please confirm the changes and next delivery timing.
Use a filename such as cup-demo-v1.mp4 and timestamps from that file. If the next export changes the timing, identify the new version before adding more notes. Do not send a screenshot with an unexplained circle or ask for a vague change such as “make it more premium.”
Example: three different notes on one delivery
This is a fictional training example, not a Stage customer or campaign result. Assume the brand agreed to a short cup demonstration with readable captions and accurate product wording.
Example notes for cup-demo-v1.mp4
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Moment | Observation and requested result | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 00:04–00:07 | The music masks the sentence about opening the lid. Lower it during that sentence so the voice is clear. | Correction to agreed audible speech |
| 00:11 | The caption says “never leaks,” which is not in the verified wording supplied. Remove that claim and use the approved product description. | Claim correction |
| After the current ending | We would also like a new outdoor scene. Please propose timing and any additional cost before filming it. | Proposed new scope |
Finish with what is already working: “Please keep the opening product close-up and the current speaking style.” If your team disagrees on the new scene, resolve that internally before asking the creator to act. Ask the creator to confirm the plan; do not assume an immediate turnaround.
Recheck the export and identify what you accept
- Watch the revised file from beginning to end, including any section changed by an edit.
- Compare each requested correction with the new version and resolve the notes that are complete.
- Check captions, audio and the actual downloadable files again where downloads are part of the delivery.
- Confirm the agreed exports and usage documentation are present; keep open questions visible.
- Record the filename or version you accept and retain the brief, agreed changes and final files together.
Example acceptance message:
I reviewed cup-demo-v2.mp4 and the agreed captioned export. The corrections listed in our last message are resolved, and I accept these files against the agreed brief. The proposed outdoor scene remains a separate request to discuss.
Name only files you have actually reviewed and adapt the message to your agreement. Approving a delivery does not establish advertising results or replace the permissions needed for its intended use. Evaluate campaign performance separately after publication with the appropriate data.
How this fits UGC Stage
UGC Stage is an application in development connecting brands and UGC creators. Its planned collaboration workflow keeps conversations, references, files and feedback with the project. That context is useful when comparing a delivery with the agreed work. The timestamp template below is a manual message format; it does not describe a promised annotation tool in Stage. Join the launch list to hear when the application becomes available.
Explore the applicationSources and notes
Practical guidance from the UGC Stage team. Examples are educational, not customer results or income guarantees.
