Glossary
What is user-generated content?
User-generated content, or UGC, is any photo, video, review or post made by a customer or fan instead of by your brand. It works as social proof because a real person is showing the product, and it needs the creator’s permission before you reuse it.
Updated 6 October 2026
Content such as photos, videos and reviews made by your customers or fans, not by your brand, and later shared or featured by the brand with the creator’s consent.
What counts as UGC
- A customer’s photo of your product, posted on their own account.
- A short video of someone unboxing, using or reviewing what they bought.
- A written review, a comment or a screenshot of a kind DM.
- An entry in a challenge you ran, for example a branded hashtag.
Content made for a brand by a paid creator is sometimes also called UGC in the advertising trade, because it is styled like ordinary customer content. That is a different arrangement, as the creator is hired and the work is an ad, so it falls closer to influencer marketing than to genuine customer posts.
Using it properly
- Ask first. Message the person, say where you want to use the piece (your feed, your website, an ad) and wait for a clear yes.
- Keep the yes in writing. A reply in the DM thread is better than a memory of one.
- Credit them by name or handle unless they ask you not to.
- Share it where they agreed, and take it down if they change their mind.
As a rule, the person who made a photo or video is its owner, so being tagged in it does not give you the right to use it. This is general information, not legal advice. For paid use such as ads, get the terms agreed clearly. Check how your own app’s sharing tools work before you rely on them.
When a disclosure is needed
If you reward people for posting, the post may need a disclosure. The FTC’s Q&A on endorsements says a hashtag alone, such as #XYZ_Rocks, is not enough to tell readers a post was part of a contest, and that participants should be told where to put a clear disclosure, such as at the start of the post. The FTC is a US body, so check the rules that apply where you and your customers are.
Tip: To stay on the safe side, write the contest rules so they tell entrants to say plainly that they entered a contest or received a prize.
An example
A candle shop notices a customer’s Story showing a lit candle on a windowsill. The owner messages to ask, “May we share this on our feed with your handle?”, gets a yes and saves the reply before reposting.
Questions people ask
Is UGC free to use?
The content costs nothing to ask for, but you still need the creator’s permission, and some will want credit or a free product in return. Offering something does not remove the need to ask first or to disclose a reward.
Can I repost any post that tags my brand?
Not automatically. A tag shows the person mentioned you, not that they agreed to your reuse. Ask in a comment or DM, and keep the answer so you can show you had consent if anyone asks.
How do I get customers to make UGC?
Ask, and make it easy. Add a card to packages, run a simple branded hashtag, feature the best posts and say thank you. People post more when they expect to be seen, and a tiny reward helps, but then the disclosure rule applies.
Does UGC beat content made by the brand?
We found no solid source that says so for every account, so treat any such claim carefully. UGC tends to be useful because it shows real use and adds a second voice. Test it against your own posts on saves and clicks.
Sources
Related terms
- Social proofEvidence that other people already use or trust something, such as reviews, testimonials, customer photos or sales counts, which helps a new visitor decide.
- Branded hashtagA hashtag created for one business, campaign or community, such as its name or slogan, that people add to their own posts so the brand can find and collect them.
- Influencer marketingA way to promote a product by working with creators who have their own audience, paying them, gifting them or sharing sales, so their followers see it from them.
- Micro-influencerA creator with a relatively small but focused audience, often in one niche, whom brands work with because their followers tend to know them and listen.
- Brand ambassadorSomeone who represents a company over a longer period, usually by using and promoting its products to their own audience. Payment can be money, products or a commission.
- HashtagA word or phrase written with a # in front and no spaces, such as #sourdough. It labels a post so people can find other posts about the same topic.
More terms
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