UGC Deliverables Checklist: Raw Footage, Revisions, Turnaround, and File Specs
Exactly what to specify when you order UGC — edited cuts, raw footage, hook variations, captions, aspect ratios, revisions, and turnaround — as a checklist.
UGC deliverables are everything the creator hands over. Specify all of it before filming starts: the number of edited videos and their length, aspect ratios, hook variations, captions, music, raw footage, photos, file format and naming, the number of revision rounds, and the delivery deadline. If something isn't in the written order, assume it isn't included. Use the checklist and the copyable spec block below, and approve deliveries against the acceptance criteria at the end.
The UGC deliverables checklist
This page is the order spec: what you receive and how you accept it. It slots into section 8 of the UGC brief template, and the first campaign plan covers how many videos and hooks to order for a test. Go through each line and write down a specific answer, even if the answer is "not needed."
- Edited videos: how many, and the length range of each (for example, "2 videos, 20–40 seconds").
- Concept per video: which message or format each video covers.
- Hook variations: how many alternate openings per video, and how long each one runs.
- Aspect ratios: which ratios you need, and whether the creator should film with cropping in mind.
- Captions and on-screen text: burned in, not included, or delivered as a separate file. Include the language.
- Music: none, licensed music chosen by the creator, or a clean version so you can add your own.
- Raw footage: whether it's included, what "raw" covers, and the format.
- Photos and stills: how many, and in what format and orientation.
- File format and delivery method: container type, where the files go, and how long download links stay active.
- File naming: your naming convention (see below).
- Revisions: how many rounds, what counts as a revision, and what counts as a reshoot.
- Turnaround: days from product arrival to first delivery, and from feedback to the revised version.
- Usage rights: channels, term, and exclusivity. These are not files, but they belong in the same written order. See UGC usage rights for brands.
Edited cuts and hook variations
An edited cut is a finished video, ready to post or run as an ad. A hook variation is an alternate opening (usually the first few seconds) placed on the same body. If you plan to test ads, hooks are often the most useful deliverable you can buy, because they let you test openings without paying for a whole new video each time.
Decide in advance whether you want hooks delivered as full, separately exported videos (hook 1 + body, hook 2 + body, and so on) or as separate clips that your editor attaches to the body. Full exports are ready to upload. Separate clips give your editor more flexibility. For opening lines to brief, see UGC hooks.
Raw footage: what to ask for
"Raw footage" can mean very different things. Define it in the order:
| Option | What you receive | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Selects | The best usable takes of each scene, unedited | Recutting new versions without sorting through hours of footage |
| All takes | Every clip filmed for the project | Heavy re-editing by an in-house team |
| Project file | The creator's editing project | Rarely practical. It depends on the creator's software and assets. |
Raw footage isn't automatically part of a UGC order, and many creators charge for it. If you want it, put it in the scope and get a price before filming. If you decide you want it after delivery, the creator may no longer have the files. Also confirm that your usage license covers edits your team makes from the raw footage.
Aspect ratios and specs from official platform docs
Vertical 9:16 is the format to film for most short-form placements. Some feed placements also accept or recommend other ratios. The figures below are quoted from each platform's own spec pages as of October 2026. Specs change, so check the linked pages before final export.
| Placement | Ratio | Resolution / size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels ads (Meta) | 9:16 | 1440 × 2560 px listed. Max file size 4 GB. | MP4, MOV |
| Instagram Feed video ads (Meta) | 9:16 recommended | 1080 × 1920 px listed. Max file size 4 GB. | MP4, MOV, GIF |
| Facebook Feed video ads (Meta) | 4:5 | 1440 × 1800 px listed. Max file size 4 GB. | MP4, MOV, GIF |
| TikTok in-feed ads (non-Spark) | 9:16 recommended. 16:9 and 1:1 also accepted. | 9:16 at 540 × 960 px or larger. 500 MB max. | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi |
Platform interface elements cover parts of the screen. For Instagram Reels ads, Meta's spec page says to keep "at least 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom, and 6% on each side" free of text, logos, and other important creative elements. TikTok provides downloadable safe-zone files on its in-feed ad specs page. Ask creators to keep captions and the product clear of those areas.
If you need both 9:16 and 4:5 from one shoot, tell the creator before filming so they keep the product and their face centered enough to crop. For full placement guidance, see UGC for Meta ads and UGC for TikTok ads.
Captions, text, and music
- Captions: say whether you want them burned in and styled by the creator, or left off so your team can add them. Ask for a version with no burned-in text if you'll localize or restyle it later.
- On-screen claims: any text overlay counts as a claim. Restrict it to the approved claims in your brief.
- Music: songs that are fine in an organic post aren't necessarily licensed for ads. If the video will run as an ad, ask for a version with no music and add licensed audio yourself, unless the creator can confirm the track is cleared for your use.
Revisions vs. reshoots
| Usually a revision | Usually a reshoot (new scope) |
|---|---|
| Trimming or reordering clips | Filming a new scene or location |
| Swapping in a different take that was already filmed | Changing the concept or the message |
| Fixing caption typos or text | Replacing the script after delivery |
| Fixing a gate failure against the original brief | Adding deliverables that weren't ordered |
State the number of included revision rounds and send all your feedback for each round in one message. If the creator missed something the brief clearly asked for, fixing it is a revision. If you changed your mind after delivery, that is new scope.
Turnaround
Measure turnaround from the day the creator receives the product, not the day you place the order. Shipping time belongs to you. Agree on two numbers: days to first delivery, and days to deliver a revision after your feedback. Also commit to how fast you'll give feedback, since delays on your side push the whole timeline back. If you need a rush job, say so upfront. Creators often charge for it.
File naming convention
A consistent naming convention makes ad testing and reporting much easier, because the file name shows which creator, message, and hook each ad uses.
[BRAND]_[PRODUCT]_[CREATOR]_[CONCEPT]_V[VIDEO#]_H[HOOK#]_[RATIO]_[YYYYMMDD].[ext] Examples: Acme_Serum_JordanR_ProblemSolution_V1_H1_9x16_20261015.mp4 Acme_Serum_JordanR_ProblemSolution_V1_H2_9x16_20261015.mp4 Acme_Serum_JordanR_ProblemSolution_V1_H1_4x5_20261015.mp4 Acme_Serum_JordanR_RAW_Scene2_Take3_20261015.mov Acme_Serum_JordanR_NoMusic_V1_H1_9x16_20261015.mp4
Use underscores, no spaces, and no special characters. Use the same creator code everywhere you refer to that creator. Reuse the convention when you name ads in Ads Manager.
Copyable deliverables spec block
Paste this into your brief or order and fill in every line.
DELIVERABLES
Edited videos ........ [N] x [MIN]-[MAX] seconds
Concepts ............. V1: [MESSAGE/FORMAT] V2: [MESSAGE/FORMAT]
Hook variations ...... [N] per video, first [N] seconds, delivered as
[FULL EXPORTS / SEPARATE CLIPS]
Aspect ratios ........ [9:16] [+ 4:5 crop-safe framing: YES/NO]
Resolution ........... [E.G. 1080x1920 OR HIGHER]
File type ............ [MP4 / MOV]
Captions ............. [BURNED IN / NONE] + [CLEAN VERSION: YES/NO]
Music ................ [NONE / LICENSED, CREATOR CONFIRMS / CLEAN VERSION]
Raw footage .......... [NO / SELECTS / ALL TAKES], format [MOV/MP4]
Photos ............... [N], [ORIENTATION], [FORMAT]
File naming .......... [CONVENTION]
Delivery method ...... [PLATFORM UPLOAD / SHARED FOLDER LINK]
REVISIONS AND TIMING
Revision rounds ...... [N] included (edits to delivered footage)
Reshoots ............. new scenes/concepts, quoted separately
First delivery ....... [N] days after product arrives
Revision delivery .... [N] days after consolidated feedback
Our feedback ......... within [N] business days of each delivery
RIGHTS (see license terms)
Channels ............. [ORGANIC / PAID SOCIAL / WEB / EMAIL / OTHER]
Term ................. [TERM]
Exclusivity .......... [NONE / DETAILS]A hypothetical order of "2 videos, 3 hooks each, 9:16 plus a no-music version, selects as raw footage" should arrive as 6 hook exports (2 videos × 3 hooks), 2 no-music versions, and one folder of selects per video. Writing the expected file count into the order ("expect 8 video files plus raw selects") makes the acceptance check a two-minute count instead of a debate.
Acceptance criteria: approving a delivery
Approve a delivery only when every item below checks out. On platforms that hold payment until you approve, approval usually releases the payment, so check everything first. On CreatorsUGC (our platform), for example, payment is held until you approve and is released automatically 7 days after delivery if you don't respond. Review promptly.
- The file count matches the order: videos, hooks, ratios, clean versions, raw footage, photos.
- Every video is within its length range and in the right aspect ratio.
- Files open and play with clear audio, no corrupted frames, and no watermarks from editing apps.
- Each video carries its assigned message and the must-show and must-say items.
- All claims, spoken and on-screen, are on the approved list.
- Captions are accurate and kept clear of platform safe zones.
- No unlicensed music in versions meant for ads, and no third-party logos or people who didn't agree to appear.
- File names follow the convention.
- You have downloaded and backed up every file before the link expires.
Sources
- Video ad specs on Instagram Reels — Meta Ads Guide (accessed October 2026)
- Video ad specs on Instagram Feed — Meta Ads Guide (accessed October 2026)
- Video ad specs on Facebook Feed — Meta Ads Guide (accessed October 2026)
- TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads specifications — TikTok Ads Manager Help (accessed October 2026)
CreatorsUGC publishes this guide. We run a UGC marketplace, so we have an interest in the topic — we link to independent sources for facts and label illustrative examples.