How to choose a UGC agency: a checklist for UK brands

Choose a UGC agency that can show work in your category, explains its creator vetting and casting process, agrees usage rights in writing before filming, includes revision rounds, and understands UK advertising rules for creator content. Ask for a clear scope (number of videos, hooks, creators, formats and turnaround) rather than a vague "package", and check who actually writes the briefs and edits the videos.

A UGC agency plans, casts, manages and delivers creator-style videos for your brand. It sits between doing it yourself with freelance creators and using a self-serve marketplace where you brief and manage creators on your own. No Filter UGC is a UK UGC video agency, so we're not neutral, but the checklist below applies to any agency you speak to.

There are three common ways to get UGC made. None is "best" for everyone; it depends on how much time your team has and how much creative you need.

If you already run paid social in-house and need a steady flow of testable videos, an agency usually saves the most time. If you only need a couple of videos and enjoy working directly with creators, freelance can be enough.

1. Relevant work. Ask for examples and case studies in your category, or a close one. Beauty, fashion, food and tech each need different formats and creators.
2. How creators are vetted and cast. Who chooses them, on what criteria (audience fit, on-camera delivery, video quality, reliability), and do you approve the shortlist before anything is filmed?
3. Who writes the brief and scripts. A good agency turns your goals into hooks, talking points and must-say/must-not-say lists. Our guide on how to brief UGC creators shows what a strong brief covers.
4. Usage rights in writing. The licence should state channels, territory and duration, plus whether whitelisting or Spark Ads are included. See UGC usage rights explained.
5. Revisions and reshoots. How many revision rounds are included, and what happens if a video doesn't follow the brief?
6. Built for ads, not just likes. Ask whether they deliver hook variations, 9:16 edits with captions and alternative crops, so your ad account has enough to test.
7. Compliance awareness. In the UK, ads must not mislead and creator content used as advertising has to be obviously identifiable as an ad under the CAP Code. Sensitive categories such as beauty, supplements and finance need extra care with claims.
8. Clear timelines. A realistic schedule that accounts for product shipping, shoots, edits and approvals.

• Can you show work for a brand like ours, and what was the brief?
• How do you find and vet creators, and can we approve or reject them?
• How many videos, hooks and creators are included, and in which formats?
• What exactly does the usage licence cover, for how long, and what does extending it involve?
• Are whitelisting or Spark Ads possible if we want to run ads from a creator's handle?
• How many revision rounds are included, and when would you reshoot?
• Who handles product shipping, creator payments and contracts?
• How do you keep claims compliant with UK advertising rules?
• What do you need from us, and when?

• Rights are vague or only discussed after a video performs well.
• No creator approval step: you see the creator for the first time in the finished video.
• Guaranteed results such as fixed ROAS promises. Creative helps, but performance also depends on your offer, targeting, landing page and budget.
• One "perfect" video instead of variations to test.
• Scripts that make health or results claims your brand can't support.
• No written scope of deliverables, formats and deadlines.

UGC pricing varies widely, so compare like for like. The main things that change a quote are:

• the number of videos, and how many hook or edit variations each one has;
• the number and profile of creators;
• the scope and length of the usage licence, and whether whitelisting or Spark Ads are included;
• whether creators also post the content on their own accounts;
• editing requirements such as captions, extra crops, voiceover or motion graphics;
• product logistics, for example sizes for fashion or shade ranges for beauty.

Ask every agency to quote the same scope so you can compare properly.

Want to see how we'd answer these for your brand? Get in touch or read how No Filter UGC works.

What does a UGC agency do?

A UGC agency plans, casts and manages creators to produce user-generated-style videos for a brand. It usually writes the brief, shortlists creators for approval, handles product shipping and shoots, quality-checks and edits the videos, and agrees usage rights so the content can run in ads.

Is a UGC agency better than a UGC platform?

It depends on your team's time. A self-serve platform gives you access to creators but you write the brief, choose creators and manage revisions yourself. An agency does that work for you, which suits brands that want ad-ready creative without the admin.

What should be in a UGC usage licence?

The channels where you can use the videos (organic, paid social, website and so on), the territory, the duration, and whether whitelisting or Spark Ads are allowed. Agree it in writing before filming.

How many UGC videos should we start with?

Enough to test more than one idea. Several videos with different hooks and creators usually teach you more than a single polished video, because ad platforms reward fresh creative and you can scale whichever wins.

Do UGC ads need to be labelled as ads in the UK?

When a creator posts content on their own account in return for payment or free product, it must be obviously identifiable as an ad, for example with a clear #ad label. Ads run from a brand's own account must also follow the CAP Code, including rules on misleading claims.