What Is a UGC Script?
A UGC script is the plan for a creator-style video ad: the hook, what the creator says, what's on screen and what gets shown, in order. A good one fits on one page, marks which lines must be exact, and leaves the rest for the creator to say in their own words.
Shoppers know what a creator reading a script sounds like. The script is there to get the angle, the hook and the key details into the footage, not to control every word.
Below: the template, a filled-in example and six formats. For the brief that comes before the script, see our ad creative brief template.
Why UGC Scripts Go Wrong
Most bad UGC scripts fail in one of two ways.
Too tight. Every line is written out and the creator is told to read it exactly. They focus on the words instead of sounding like a person, and it comes out stiff: scripted, but pretending to be casual.
Too loose. The creator gets a product and a note like "talk about why you love it." They ramble, bury the hook and forget the offer.
The fix is a script with two kinds of lines. A few lines are locked: the hook, the core message, product names, claims, prices and offers. Everything else is a guide. We cover the thinking behind that in step 3 of our guide to making UGC ads.
The UGC Script Template
Copy this into a doc. Each row is a beat in the ad.
| Part | Rough timing | What goes in it | Exact or loose? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hook | First 3 seconds | The opening line, the on-screen text and the first shot. Write 2 or 3 versions | Close to the script |
| 2. Problem | 3 to 8 seconds | The problem the buyer already has, in words they'd use | Loose |
| 3. Product | 8 to 15 seconds | The product name, what it is and the moment it fixes the problem | Product name exact, the rest loose |
| 4. Show it | 15 to 25 seconds | The demo, the routine or the result, on camera | Loose, but the shot list is required |
| 5. Proof | Anywhere after the hook | A review, a number from the pack, a before and after, press | Exact, as approved |
| 6. Call to action | Last 3 to 5 seconds | What to do next and the offer, if there is one | Exact |
Under the beats, add four short notes:
- On-screen text. The lines that appear as text, written out word for word. Most people watch with the sound off, so these carry the ad on their own.
- Shot list. Every shot you need: b-roll, close-ups, the demo.
- Must-say and can't-say. The exact details (names, claims, offers, compliance lines) and anything off-limits.
- Takes. Ask for one take close to the script and one looser take in the creator's own words.
The timings are a guide. A 15 second ad squeezes the middle beats, and a 45 second demo spends longer on parts 4 and 5. The hook doesn't move: it's always the first 3 seconds.
How to Write Each Part
1. The hook
Write the hook first and spend the most time on it. In our data from 479 Meta video ads, the median hook rate (the share of impressions that watched at least 3 seconds) was 20.9%, and the typical viewer watched for about 4 seconds. Most impressions never make it past the first 3 seconds. More in our hook rate benchmarks.
Script all three layers of the hook:
- The spoken line. What the creator says first. No "hey guys," no intro.
- The on-screen text. Usually the same idea as the spoken line, shorter. Text overlays and bold statements were the most common hooks among the top-spending creatives in our best-performing Meta ads data, used in 16 of 17 accounts.
- The first shot. What's in frame at second zero. A product in hand, a mess, a reaction, a screen.
Write two or three versions. Swapping the opening is the cheapest test there is. For openers that have worked, see our Meta ad hook examples.
2. The problem
Name a problem your buyer already feels, in the words they'd use with a friend. Pull those words from reviews and comments, not the brand deck. Keep it short. Problem and solution was the most-scaled theme in our top-creative data, but the winners spent most of their time on the relief, not the pain. Only around 1 in 10 top creatives were tagged with a negative emotion like frustration or fear.
3. The product
Script the product name exactly and say what it is in one plain sentence. Then let the creator explain why it worked for them, in their own words. One benefit, tied to the problem from part 2.
4. Show it
UGC works best when the creator is doing something, not sitting and talking. Script what happens on camera: the demo, the routine, the before and after. You can't fix a missing demo shot in the edit.
5. Proof
A review on screen, a rating, a number from the pack, press. Write it out exactly as approved, because this is the part creators most often paraphrase into something you can't run.
6. Call to action
Tell people what to do. If there's an offer, script it word for word, matching the landing page. If not, "link below" is fine. Plenty of the accounts in our data scaled with almost no offer on the creative, so don't invent one just to fill the slot.
Filled-In Example
Here's the template filled in for a made-up cold brew concentrate brand. The brand is fictional. The format is how we'd actually script it.
Concept: "The 7am line." Angle: café cold brew at home, in less time than the coffee shop line.
Format: UGC, 25 to 30 seconds, 9:16 and 4:5. Creator in their kitchen, morning light.
| Part | Creator says (guide) | On screen | Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | "I was spending more time in the coffee line than drinking the coffee." | "I quit the 7am coffee line" | Creator holding an empty café cup, eye-roll to camera |
| Hook alt 1 | "This is how I make cold brew in 20 seconds." | "Cold brew in 20 seconds" | Pour shot, close-up |
| Problem | Something like: every morning it's the same line, the same wait, and it's gone in ten minutes | "Same line. Every day." | B-roll: phone clock, car keys, rushing |
| Product | "Then I found [product name], a cold brew concentrate." Then why they kept using it, in their words | Product name and pack shot | Bottle on the counter, label to camera |
| Show it | Talks through it while making it: concentrate, water or milk, ice, done | "1 part concentrate. 2 parts milk. Ice." | Pour, stir, first sip, real reaction |
| Proof | Reads one approved review line | Star rating and the review line, exact | Phone screen with the review |
| CTA | "[Offer exactly as on the landing page]. Link's below." | Offer text, exact | Creator raising the glass |
Must-say: product name, the mixing ratio as printed on the pack, the offer as written.
Can't-say: no health or energy claims, no naming the coffee chain, no "best coffee ever."
Takes: one take close to the script, one in the creator's own words, plus both hooks.
Notice what's loose: the problem and the "why I kept using it" lines are prompts, not lines. Those are the parts that sound fake when read word for word.
6 UGC Script Formats That Work
The format changes what goes in part 4. These are the six we use most.
| Format | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Problem and solution | The creator names a problem, then shows the product fixing it | Almost any product. It's the default |
| Demo | The product in action, start to finish | Products that look good working |
| Doing something else | The creator talks about the product while cooking, getting ready or packing | Products without an obvious demo, like apps and finance |
| Review | The creator talks through their honest experience, including what surprised them | Products people are skeptical about |
| Faceless voiceover | Phone-style product shots with a voiceover, no face on camera | Making UGC at volume without casting |
| Native hook | Opens on something that looks like a comment thread, text or post, then cuts to the creator | Breaking the "this is an ad" pattern in the first second |
Run more than one. Ten scripts in one format with small wording changes are, to Meta, close to one ad. See what creative diversity on Meta means. And when a format needs to explain more than a creator can say naturally, a UGC hybrid ad layers motion on top of the footage.
How Long Should a UGC Script Be?
As long as the message needs. In our data from 421 Meta video ads, the median video was 29 seconds, and cost per purchase or lead stayed within about 6% of each brand's median at every length. Short ads didn't win on cost. Neither did long ones. The full breakdown is in how long a Meta video ad should be.
What did hold steady: people watched about 3 to 5 seconds no matter how long the ad was. So for scripts:
- Write the hook first and test several on the same body.
- Get the product and the main benefit into the first 5 to 10 seconds, not the end.
- Read it out loud with a timer. If it runs long, cut lines, don't speed up the read.
Common UGC Script Mistakes
- Writing a speech. Short, spoken lines sound like a person. Long sentences read like copy.
- Saving the product for the end. Most viewers are gone by then.
- No on-screen text. A hook that only works with sound loses most of the feed.
- No shot list. The script says "show the product working" and the footage shows it once, badly lit.
- Claims nobody checked. If the creator says it, it's your ad. Script claims exactly, as approved.
On-screen text also needs to stay clear of the interface on Reels and Stories. Placement and safe zones are in our Meta ad specs guide, and caption and headline copy is in our Facebook ad copy guide.
How We Write UGC Scripts at Biddyco
Biddyco is a UGC ad agency working across 100+ accounts spending $20M+ a month on Meta. Every UGC ad we make starts with a brief and a script like the one above, written by our US-based senior team. We give creators scripts, lock the details that have to be exact, and ask for a looser take in their own words, which is often the one that wins. New files land every 2 to 4 weeks, and we aim for one round of feedback.
See our UGC ad examples and the Meta Ads Statistics hub, or book an intro call.
FAQ
What should a UGC script include?
A hook with two or three alternates, the problem, the product moment, what to show on camera, proof and a call to action. Add the on-screen text word for word, a shot list, and a list of must-say and can't-say details.
Should UGC creators read the script word for word?
No. Word-for-word delivery tends to sound stiff. Keep the hook, the core message, product names, claims, prices and offers exact, and let the creator say everything else in their own words. Ask for one take close to the script and one looser take.
How long should a UGC ad script be?
As long as the message needs. In our data from 421 Meta video ads, the median was 29 seconds and cost per result was about the same at every length. People watched about 3 to 5 seconds on average, so the hook and the product need to land early.
How many hooks should a UGC script have?
Two or three. Ask the creator to film every one. Testing new openings on the same body is the cheapest test you can run, because nothing else in the ad needs to change.
What's the difference between a UGC brief and a UGC script?
The brief sets the goal, the buyer, the angle and the rules. The script turns that into what gets said and shown, beat by beat. Our ad creative brief template covers the brief.
