User Generated Content Examples: Choose the Right Format

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Before collecting user generated content, choose one question a buyer needs answered. A review photo may show an item after purchase. A tagged post may show it in a customer's setting. A commissioned demonstration can show a specific action. Choose the view that fills the gap, then confirm the rights and disclosure steps that apply to its use.

A useful example helps a buyer make a choice. It could be a customer's photo or a video made for a brand. Those have different origins: a creator's paid video is not the same as an independent review. A public post does not itself grant the brand reuse rights.

Two brand examples and what they show

Shopify says Province Apothecary features tagged customer photos and reviews. Vanity Planet shows verified buyers' photos and reviews apart from paid creator work. These are Shopify's examples, not KOLSprite customer results. Neither example establishes the brand's reuse terms or sales results.

Sources: Shopify's UGC examples and FTC disclosure guidance, accessed October 30, 2026. The questions and commissioned-format comparison are editorial illustrations.

These brands show two ways to use buyer content. Rather than copy a page, ask what your buyer needs to see and what you have the right to share. One photo may answer one question but leave another open.

Match the format to the missing view

A review photo lets a buyer see an item beside the owner's written view. Imagine a shopper looking for a basket that will fit on a shelf. A buyer's photo may show the shape and setting, while the product page gives the measurements. The photo alone cannot guarantee that the basket will fit a different shelf.

Shopify describes De Soi combining verified reviews with customer photos, videos, and product questions on its product pages. A review shares a buyer's view; a photo shows the product in use. The source does not say how this affected sales.

Choose tagged customer content when the setting or use is part of the question. In a hypothetical example, a shopper considering a table lamp may want to see how it looks on a desk. A tagged post could supply a view that a standard product image does not. It remains one person's depiction, not proof that every buyer will have the same experience.

Shopify also describes Two Blind Brothers sharing community photos and comments around its No Barriers collaboration. This puts the community in view, unlike a product-page review. The source does not explain the brand's permissions. Other brands still need to check their own rights.

A paid creator demo can show an action that is missing from your customer content. For example, a brand might ask someone to film how a product is set up. The brief can name the action, camera view, and file format. The finished video serves that task; it is not an independent buyer review.

Decide whether the project needs a finished video, separate footage, or both. Share the buyer question and intended channel, then ask what the creator can deliver. If the team plans to adapt the work later, define the footage you need and discuss those uses before filming or other work begins.

Separate permission, context, and disclosure

A buyer may need more than one view. A product page could pair the item's size with a customer photo the brand may use. The size gives the measurements; the photo shows the item in a setting. Treat a photo as an exact scale only when the available facts support it.

A creator video can show how an action works from start to finish. When you review it, return to the buyer's question: is the key step visible? A polished opening cannot make up for a step the viewer cannot see. If the action is unclear, use the agreed review process to ask for a clearer view.

A short note can show where a piece came from and what remains open. For example: 'Customer photo found; page-use permission pending.' Or: 'Paid creator video received; ad-use terms under review.' These are sample notes, not proof that either use has been approved.

Permission and disclosure serve different purposes. Permission sets out how a brand may use the work. Disclosure tells viewers about a material connection when someone endorses a product. Record both decisions; the label 'UGC' cannot settle them.

The FTC says someone who endorses a product should disclose a material connection, such as payment or a free product, with the endorsement. A commissioned asset that has not been posted is not automatically an endorsement just because it was commissioned. To assess the planned use, look at what the content says and how it will be distributed.

For a customer photo, confirm who made it and how they agree to let the brand use it. For paid work, agree on pay, files, channels, edits, and ad use. If a customer later becomes a paid endorser, assess the disclosure needed. Their earlier role does not settle that question.

These brand examples are useful for choosing a format, not for determining your own rights. Before reuse, settle the relevant permission and any needed disclosure for the asset you plan to use.

Build a one-format content request

Use this template to turn a broad request for UGC into something a customer or creator can understand. The example is hypothetical; replace its details with your own product and confirmed terms.

1. Buyer question: “How does the item fit on a desk?”
2. Format: A photo showing the item in a desk setting, or a short demonstration if the important question is how to set it up.
3. Needed detail: Show the item and surrounding space clearly, without implying an exact measurement the image cannot establish.
4. Source: Identify whether the content comes from an existing customer contribution or a commissioned creator.
5. Use: State the intended channel and any proposed edits; confirm permission before reuse.
6. Disclosure: Assess whether a material connection and endorsement require disclosure in the planned publication.

Match the format to the buyer's question. If a shopper needs a size, give the exact measurements; a photo alone is not enough. If they need to see a process, a still image may miss a key step. Keep paid work distinct from a customer's unsolicited review.

A clear request helps the contributor decide whether the work suits them. Name the product, the view a buyer needs, the planned placement, and the proposed terms. That gives the contributor a concrete basis for asking questions or declining.

Before making the request, choose the right content relationship for the work. Record the source, permission granted, planned placement, and any disclosure decision for the piece. Settle open items before reuse. Another brand's example does not automatically cover the rights or disclosure needs of your own situation.

Start with one question and one format. Review whether the resulting content actually answers that question, then decide what is still missing. This keeps the decision tied to the buyer's need and avoids treating a visible example as proof of rights or performance.

For the next step, turn a buyer question into a creator brief.