Guides
UGC script template.
A UGC script is a short plan for a creator video ad: the hook, the problem, the product moment, the proof and the call to action, timed to the second. Use 15 seconds for one sharp idea, 30 seconds for problem and solution, 45 seconds for a full story. Copy the templates below and fill the brackets.
What is a UGC script?
A UGC script tells a creator what to say and show, beat by beat, so the video sells while still sounding like a real person. It is not a word-for-word TV script. Good UGC scripts fix the structure and the key lines (the hook and the call to action) and leave the middle loose enough for the creator's own words.
Every script has two layers:
- Spoken line: what the creator says on camera.
- Visual and on-screen text: what we see, and the caption that carries the message with sound off.
What structure should a UGC ad script follow?
Hook, problem, product, proof, call to action. The order rarely changes. What changes with length is how much time each beat gets.
| Beat | 15 s | 30 s | 45 s | Job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0-3 s | 0-3 s | 0-3 s | Stop the scroll. One claim, one visual. |
| Problem | - | 3-8 s | 3-12 s | Name the pain the viewer already feels. |
| Product | 3-10 s | 8-20 s | 12-30 s | Show it working, hands on, not a pack shot. |
| Proof | - | 20-25 s | 30-40 s | Result, review, number or before and after. |
| Call to action | 10-15 s | 25-30 s | 40-45 s | One clear next step and a reason to take it now. |
UGC script template: 15 seconds
Use 15 seconds for one benefit and one demo. Good for retargeting and for testing hooks cheaply.
HOOK (0-3 s) Say: "[Surprising claim or result in under 10 words]" Show: [Product in hand, the result visible] Text: [Same claim, max 6 words] PRODUCT (3-10 s) Say: "I just [one action] and [one result]." Show: [Close-up of the product doing the one thing] Text: [Benefit in 3-4 words] CTA (10-15 s) Say: "[Offer or reason to act], link's right here." Show: [Creator points down or to the button] Text: [Offer + deadline]
UGC script template: 30 seconds
The workhorse length for cold traffic on Meta and TikTok. Long enough for problem and solution, short enough to hold attention.
HOOK (0-3 s) Say: "[Call out the viewer or the pain]: '[If you X, stop scrolling]'" Show: [Creator mid-action, product in frame] Text: [Hook in max 6 words] PROBLEM (3-8 s) Say: "I used to [annoying habit or failed fix]. It [consequence]." Show: [The old way, ideally a quick re-enactment] PRODUCT (8-20 s) Say: "Then I found [product]. You just [step 1], [step 2], done." Show: [Two or three close-ups of the steps] Text: [Key benefit] PROOF (20-25 s) Say: "[Specific result with a number or time frame]." Show: [Result, before and after, or review on screen] CTA (25-30 s) Say: "[Offer], try it, the link is below." Text: [Offer + guarantee or deadline]
UGC script template: 45 seconds
Use 45 seconds for products that need explaining, higher prices or a story. Add a second proof point and an objection.
HOOK (0-3 s) One bold line + the result on screen STORY (3-12 s) "Last month I [situation]. Nothing worked: [two failed fixes]." PRODUCT (12-25 s) How it works in three steps, shot close OBJECTION (25-30 s) "I thought [common doubt]. Turns out [answer]." PROOF (30-40 s) Number, review, or before and after CTA (40-45 s) Offer + reason to act now + where to tap
What does a finished UGC script look like?
Here is the 30 second template filled in for an example product, a reusable silicone food bag. The brand is invented, the structure is the one we use.
Example - 30 s - cold traffic
- Hook (0-3 s): "I haven't bought cling film in eight months." Creator holds a full bag of chopped veg up to the camera. Text: "No cling film for 8 months".
- Problem (3-8 s): "I used to go through a roll a week, and half of it stuck to itself." Quick shot of tangled film in the bin.
- Product (8-20 s): "These seal flat, go in the freezer, the dishwasher, even boiling water." Three close-ups: seal, freezer drawer, dishwasher rack. Text: "Freezer, dishwasher, sous vide".
- Proof (20-25 s): "Same four bags since March." Creator fans out four slightly worn bags.
- CTA (25-30 s): "Set of four is 20% off this week, link below." Text: "20% off, ends Sunday".
The UGC Script Pack has 30 scripts like this across 15, 30 and 45 seconds, with 20 hook and call-to-action swaps for each.
How do you write the first 3 seconds of a UGC ad?
Open on the result or the pain, never on a greeting. "Hi guys, so today..." is the most expensive line in UGC. Rules for the opening:
- Product or result visible in frame one.
- One claim, under ten words, said and written on screen.
- Movement in the first second: a hand, a pour, a pull, a reveal.
- Write three to five hooks per script and test them on the same body. The hook decides most of the result.
Our ad hook examples list 50 openers sorted by angle.
- BriefAudience, problem, claims, shot list.
- ScriptFixed hook and CTA, loose middle.
- 3-5 hooksFilmed as separate takes.
- EditSame body, one version per hook.
- TestKeep the hook with the best CPA.
What should you send a UGC creator with the script?
A one-page brief, not just the script. Creators film better when they know who the ad is for and why. We send the same 6 fields every time:
- Goal and audience: one person, one problem.
- Angle: one line, the reason they should care.
- Hooks: 3 options for the first 3 seconds, with fixed lines marked.
- Must-show: the product in hand by second 5, the proof, the result.
- Mandatories and don'ts: claims you can't make, competitors not to show, brand words.
- Deliverables: length, 9:16, raw files and every hook filmed separately.
Add usage rights for paid jobs: where and how long the ad will run, and whether you need partnership ad access. The 6 fields are explained in the creative brief template. Filming the other side? See how to become a UGC creator.
UGC script FAQ
How long should a UGC ad be?
Most UGC ads on Meta and TikTok run 15 to 30 seconds. Use 15 seconds for one benefit or retargeting, 30 seconds for cold traffic with a problem and solution, and 45 seconds only when the product needs explaining.
Should UGC creators read the script word for word?
No. Fix the hook, the claims and the call to action, and let the creator say the middle in their own words. Read-out scripts sound like ads, and the point of UGC is that it doesn't.
How many hooks should one UGC script have?
Three to five. Ask the creator to film each hook separately, then edit them onto the same body. It is the cheapest way to test, because the hook drives most of the difference in results.
What is the difference between a UGC script and a UGC brief?
The script is what the creator says and shows, beat by beat. The brief is the context around it: audience, problem, claims allowed, shot list, delivery specs and usage rights. Send both.
Do UGC scripts need on-screen text?
Yes. Many people watch with sound off, so the hook and the offer need to be readable on screen. Keep each caption to about six words and place it inside the safe zone, away from the platform buttons.
Terms used here are defined in the Glossary.