Clipping campaign brief template, with two filled-in examples

The brief is the contract every clipper accepts before posting. Here is the field-by-field template, what each field prevents, and two complete example briefs you can copy: one for a podcast, one for an app.

By Jakub Szturomski

Published September 22, 2026 · 10 min read

The short answer

A clipping brief needs four blocks: what to clip and where to post it, the disclosure, the money (rate, minimum, cap, tracking window, dates), and a numbered list of rejection reasons. Each field exists because leaving it out causes a specific dispute later. The table below says which one.

If you have not run a campaign before, read how to run a clipping campaign first; the brief is step 3 of 9.

The field-by-field template

Field	What to write	What it prevents
Campaign name and brand	Brand name and the handle clippers must tag	Clips that credit the wrong account
Goal	One of: reach, signups, followers	Clips with a call to action nobody asked for, or none when you needed one
Format	Clipping, logo overlay or UGC on camera	Clippers pricing their time for the wrong amount of work
Content bank	Link to the source files, plus written permission to use them	Clips from footage you do not own or did not approve
Moments and hooks	Timestamps or topics worth clipping, hooks that fit	Fifty clips of the same obvious moment
Allowed platforms	TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts: list the ones you pay for	Payout disputes over views on platforms you do not track
Length and format	Length range, 9:16 vertical, captions required	Horizontal crops and clips too long to finish
Required edits	Captions, cut, hook; no plain reuploads	Demotion under TikTok's Originality Policy and YouTube's reused content policy
Tags	Handle, link in bio or code, hashtags	Views you cannot attribute to the campaign
Disclosure	Exact on-screen text, caption text and platform setting	Undisclosed paid posts and the FTC exposure that comes with them
Budget	Total amount funded	Clippers working on a campaign that has already run out
Rate per 1,000 views (CPM)	Dollars per 1,000 counted views	Arguments over what a view is worth
Minimum payout	Dollar amount below which a clip earns nothing	Reviewing and paying hundreds of test posts
Cap per clip	Most one clip can earn	One viral clip taking the whole budget
Tracking window	Days counted from each clip's submission	Open-ended claims for views months later
Dates	Submission start, deadline, settlement date	Late submissions and unclear payment timing
Payout fee	Fee percentage and whether brand or clipper pays it	Clippers surprised by a smaller payout
Banned topics and edits	Claims, subjects, music, effects you will reject	Clips you cannot run next to your name
Rejection reasons	Numbered list, cited on every rejection	Rejections that look arbitrary
Review time	Hours to approve or reject	Clippers waiting days without knowing if a clip counts

The disclosure line every brief needs

Paying per view is a material connection under the FTC's Endorsement Guides. The FTC's Disclosures 101 guide asks for the disclosure “in the video and not just in the description,” accepts “ad”, “sponsored”, #ad and #sponsored, and rejects “sp”, “spon”, “collab” and “ambassador”. It also says not to rely on a platform's tool alone, and that US rules apply when a post is likely to reach US consumers even if the poster is abroad. Paste this into the brief:

TikTok says undisclosed commercial content may not be eligible for the For You feed, so the setting protects reach as well as compliance. Whop's Content Rewards terms make the brand responsible for ensuring participants disclose. Details in FTC disclosure for clipping. This is a summary of official guidance, not legal advice.

Rejection reasons to list in the brief

Number them, so every rejection can cite one. A clipper who knows the list before editing makes fewer rejectable clips.

Disclosure missing from the video, or only in a cluster of hashtags at the end.
Platform paid-content setting off.
Required tag, handle, link or code missing.
Plain reupload with no required edits, or another creator's visible watermark.
Footage not from the content bank.
Banned topic, claim or edit.
Posted on a platform not in the brief, before the start date, or submitted after the deadline.
Duplicate of the same clipper's earlier clip.
Signs of bought or bot views. The FTC's rule on fake social media indicators has banned buying bot-generated views since October 21, 2024. See fake views in clipping.
Clip deleted or made private before its tracking window ends.

Example brief 1: a weekly interview podcast

This brief uses the example settings used across this site. They are example values, not a quote or a market average. Bracketed text is where your details go.

Campaign: [Show name] clips, season [n]. Tag @[showhandle].
Goal: Reach. No call to action required; the handle on screen is enough.
Format: Clipping: cuts of our full episodes.
Content bank: [Link] to the last 20 full episodes, video and separate audio. We permit clippers to cut, edit and post this material for this campaign.
Moments and hooks: Guest stories with an ending, disagreements between host and guest, numbers or predictions a guest commits to. Open on the line itself, not on an intro.
Platforms: TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts.
Length and edits: 20 to 90 seconds, 9:16, burned-in captions, a cut that changes the pacing of the original. No full-segment reuploads.
Disclosure: The required disclosure line above, exactly.
Money: $10,000 budget at $1 per 1,000 views. Minimum $2 per clip (2,000 views). Cap $500 per clip (500,000 views). The budget pays for up to 10,000,000 views and needs at least 20 clips to spend.
Window and dates: Views counted for 21 days from each clip's submission. Submissions open [date], close [date]. Settlement within [n] days of the last window closing.
Banned: Clips that cut a guest's sentence to reverse its meaning, medical or financial advice taken out of context, added copyrighted music.
Rejection reasons: The ten numbered reasons above.
Review: Approve or reject within [n] hours, citing the reason number.

Example brief 2: a mobile app launch

The money settings here are illustrative values for this page, not market data. The format is UGC on camera, which takes more work per post than clipping, so the rate is set above the podcast example. The derived numbers use the same arithmetic as the calculator.

Campaign: [App name] launch. Tag @[apphandle].
Goal: Signups. Each clipper gets a personal referral code before posting.
Format: UGC on camera: film yourself using the app on your own phone.
Content bank: [Link] to the logo, app store screenshots and a 60-second demo recording you may cut into your video. Permission to use them for this campaign is granted.
Script points: Say what problem you used the app for, show the screen doing it, and end on your code. No script to read word for word.
Platforms: TikTok and Instagram Reels only.
Length and edits: 15 to 60 seconds, 9:16, captions, your face on screen at least once.
Call to action: “Download [App name], use code [CODE]”, spoken and on screen.
Disclosure: The required disclosure line above, including saying “This is an ad for [App name]” out loud.
Money: $6,000 budget at $3 per 1,000 views. Minimum $3 per clip (1,000 views). Cap $300 per clip (100,000 views). The budget pays for up to 2,000,000 views and needs at least 20 clips to spend.
Window and dates: Views counted for 14 days from each clip's submission. Submissions open on launch day [date] and close [date].
Banned: Claims about earnings, health or features the app does not have; showing other apps' logos; fake reviews or ratings on screen.
Rejection reasons: The ten numbered reasons above, plus: code missing or wrong.
Review: Approve or reject within [n] hours, citing the reason number.

Two differences from the podcast brief carry the most weight. The app brief sets a goal that views alone cannot measure, so each clipper needs a code. And the cap sits at the same share of the budget in both examples ($500 of $10,000, $300 of $6,000), so in both cases at least 20 clips are needed to spend the budget.

Copy-and-paste template

Plain text, ready for a doc or a campaign page. On insy, the payout fee line reads 10% of each clipper payout, deducted from the clipper's side; for another provider, fill in their terms.

Clipping campaign brief

Campaign name:
Brand / account to tag:
Goal (pick one: reach / signups / followers):
Format (clipping / logo overlay / UGC on camera):

[Source material]
Content bank link:
Permission: The brand permits clippers to cut, edit and post this material for this campaign.
Moments to look for:
Hooks that fit:

[Where and how to post]
Allowed platforms:
Clip length:
Aspect ratio: 9:16 vertical
Required edits (captions, cut, hook; no plain reuploads):
Required tag / handle / link / code:
Call to action:

[Disclosure, required]
On screen, first 3 seconds: "Ad" or "Paid partnership with [Brand]"
Caption: start with #ad
Platform setting: TikTok commercial content disclosure ON / Instagram paid partnership label ON / YouTube paid promotion box checked
UGC: also say "This is an ad for [Brand]" out loud

[Money]
Budget:
Rate per 1,000 views:
Minimum payout per clip:
Maximum payout per clip (cap):
Tracking window (days from submission):
Submission period (start / deadline):
Settlement date:
Payout fee and who pays it:

[Not allowed]
Banned topics and claims:
Banned edits:
Other creators' watermarks, bought views, deleted or private clips.

[Rejection reasons]
1. Disclosure missing from the video, or only in hashtags at the end
2. Platform paid-content setting off
3. Required tag, handle, link or code missing
4. Plain reupload or no required edits; another creator's watermark
5. Footage not from the content bank
6. Banned topic, claim or edit
7. Wrong platform, posted before start, or submitted after deadline
8. Duplicate of your own earlier clip
9. Signs of bought or bot views
10. Clip deleted or made private before the window ends

Review time: approve or reject within ___ hours, with the reason number.
Questions:

Before you publish it

Check the money fields with the calculator: views bought, views to hit the cap, clips needed to spend the budget.
Read the rejection list once as a clipper would. Every rule you will enforce should be on it.
Confirm the current label names in each app before publishing; platforms rename them.
For what the settings cost in total, see clipping campaign cost.

Common questions

How long should a clipping brief be?

Short enough to read before editing, long enough to hold every rejection reason. The template on this page fits on one screen once filled in. If a rule is not in the brief, you cannot fairly reject a clip for breaking it.

Do I need to give clippers permission to use my footage?

Put it in writing. TikTok's Originality Policy treats content copied from others without permission as unoriginal, and a written permission line in the brief is the simplest proof clippers can point to.

What disclosure should a clipping brief require?

An on-screen label such as "Ad" in the first seconds, #ad in the caption, and the platform's paid-content setting turned on. The FTC's Disclosures 101 guide says a video disclosure belongs in the video, not just the description, and that a platform tool alone may not be enough. This is a summary of FTC guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change the brief after the campaign starts?

Add clarifications if you must, but do not apply new rules to clips already submitted. Clippers edit against the brief they accepted, and changing it after posting is the fastest way to lose them.