Influencer contract template for brands and creators

An influencer contract, also called an influencer agreement or creator agreement, is the written record of what a brand and a creator agreed: what content gets made, when it goes live, who can use it and where, whether the creator can work with competitors, and how and when the creator is paid. Most disputes between brands and creators start with one of those points left to a DM thread, so the contract matters as much for a small barter deal as for a paid campaign.

The template on this page is written for a simple deal between one brand and one creator, and each clause below can be copied and edited. Replace everything in square brackets. It is a starting point, not legal advice: contract, tax, and advertising rules differ by country, so have a lawyer review terms for long, exclusive, or high value deals, and for any deal where the brand wants to own the content outright.

• Content, dates, usage, exclusivity, and payment in writing
• Worth writing down even for barter deals
• A starting point, not legal advice

Start by naming both sides and describing the work precisely enough that a third person could tell whether it was delivered. Vague deliverables such as one post about the product are the most common source of argument, because a story, a reel, and a carousel are very different amounts of work.

Parties and scope. This agreement is between [brand legal name], [address] (the Brand), and [creator legal name], known as [@handle] (the Creator), for the [campaign name] campaign promoting [product or service]. Deliverables. The Creator will produce and publish [number and format, for example one Instagram reel of 30 to 60 seconds and three stories with a link sticker] on [platforms and accounts]. Content will follow the brief dated [date], including the required mentions [@brand], hashtags [#hashtag], and talking points listed there. The Creator will keep each feed post live for at least [number] days and share screenshots of reach, views, and engagement from their own insights within [number] days of posting.

• Name both legal parties and the creator handle
• State the number and format of every deliverable
• Agree how long posts stay live and what reporting is due

Brands usually want to see content before it goes live, and creators need a limit on how many times they can be asked to change it. Put both in the contract, along with what happens if the brand is slow to respond, so a late approval does not quietly move the posting date.

Approval and revisions. The Creator will send draft content to [brand contact email] by [date]. The Brand will approve or request changes within [number] business days. The fee includes [number] rounds of revisions; further revisions, or changes to the brief after the draft is sent, will be quoted separately. Posting. The Creator will publish approved content between [date] and [date]. If the Brand approves late, the posting window moves by the same number of days. The Creator keeps editorial control over their own voice, and the Brand will not require claims the Creator believes are untrue.

• A draft date and an approval window for the brand
• A fixed number of revision rounds in the fee
• A posting window that moves if approval is late

Usage rights say what the brand may do with the content after it is posted, and they are where most of a deal's value hides. Resharing a post on the brand's own account, running the video as a paid ad, and running an ad from the creator's handle through partnership ads or whitelisting are three different permissions, and each should be priced and time limited on its own.

Ownership and licence. The Creator owns the content. The Creator grants the Brand a non exclusive licence to repost the content on the Brand's own organic social accounts and website from [start date] to [end date]. Paid use. [Choose one: The Brand may not use the content in paid advertising.] or [The Brand may run the content as paid advertising on [platforms] in [territories] from [start date] to [end date] for an additional fee of [amount].] Creator handle ads. [The Brand may run partnership ads or whitelisted ads from the Creator's account on [platforms] from [start date] to [end date]; the Creator will grant access through the platform's own partnership tools and never by sharing a password.] After the licence ends, the Brand will stop new paid use of the content. Any use beyond these terms needs the Creator's written agreement.

• Organic reposting, paid ads, and creator handle ads are separate
• Give every licence a start date, end date, and territory
• Grant ad access through platform tools, never a password

Exclusivity stops a creator from promoting a competitor for a period around the campaign, which costs the creator other income, so it should be narrow, short, and paid for. A clause that bans every brand in a broad category for a year is rarely worth what a brand pays for a single post.

Exclusivity. From [date] until [number] days after the last deliverable is posted, the Creator will not publish paid or gifted content for [named competitor brands, or a narrowly defined category such as sunscreen brands] on [platforms]. This does not cover content the Creator published before this agreement, or organic content that does not promote a competitor. The exclusivity fee is [amount, or included in the fee]. If the Brand ends the agreement early without cause, exclusivity ends on the same date.

• Name competitors or a narrow category
• Keep the period short and tied to posting dates
• Pay for exclusivity and end it if the deal ends early

Payment terms need an amount, a currency, a schedule, and a trigger, such as signature, draft approval, or posting. If product is part of the deal, say whether the creator keeps it and who pays for shipping and returns. A cancellation clause protects the creator's time if the brand pulls the campaign after work has started.

Fee. The Brand will pay the Creator [amount and currency] for the deliverables, plus [amount] for paid usage and [amount] for exclusivity where those apply. [Part of the fee, stated as an amount] is due on signature and the balance within [number] days of the last deliverable going live, against the Creator's invoice, with applicable taxes shown on the invoice. Product. The Brand will ship [product] to the Creator at the Brand's cost by [date], and the Creator keeps it. Cancellation. If the Brand cancels after signature and before the draft is sent, it pays [amount]; after the draft is sent, it pays the full content fee. If the Creator cannot deliver, they will tell the Brand promptly and refund any fee paid for work not delivered.

• An amount, currency, schedule, and payment trigger
• Say whether the creator keeps the product
• A cancellation fee once work has started

Advertising regulators hold both brands and creators responsible for disclosure. The FTC in the United States, ASCI in India, and the CMA and ASA in the United Kingdom all expect a clear label on paid and gifted content, so the contract should require it rather than leave it to habit. Add a short clause on confidentiality, conduct, and how either side can end the deal.

Disclosure. The Creator will disclose the partnership on every deliverable using the platform's paid partnership label where available and a clear tag such as #ad or #gifted at the start of the caption, following the rules of the country where the audience is. Accuracy. The Brand is responsible for the accuracy of product claims it supplies in the brief. Confidentiality. Neither party will share the fee or unreleased product details without consent. Termination. Either party may end this agreement by written notice if the other materially breaches it and does not fix the breach within [number] days. Governing law. This agreement is governed by the laws of [country or state].

• Require the paid partnership label or a clear ad tag
• The brand stands behind the claims it supplies
• Breach, notice, and governing law in plain words

A barter collaboration still needs a short written agreement, even when no money changes hands. Write down the product and its retail value, the one or two light deliverables expected in return, whether posting is optional or required, and that the content is disclosed as gifted. If a brand asks for scripted content, fixed dates, revisions, or ad usage in exchange for product alone, that is paid work and the contract should carry a fee.

For UGC, the creator usually does not post on their own account, so the usage rights and delivery specifications carry the deal: file format, aspect ratio, length, raw footage, number of hooks, and exactly where and for how long the brand may run the videos as ads. For ambassador programs covering several months, add a content calendar, a monthly fee or retainer, a review point to renegotiate rates, and a clear notice period for either side to leave.

• Barter still needs deliverables and disclosure in writing
• UGC contracts are mostly usage rights and file specs
• Ambassador deals need a calendar, review point, and notice period

On Limurse, the agreement lives with the collaboration instead of in a separate document folder. When a brand creates a collaboration it can start from Limurse's standard agreement or attach a saved terms preset, preview the agreement, download it as a PDF, and email it, and the terms can be edited later from the collaboration.

Usage rights are set on the collaboration itself: whether the brand may run the content as paid ads, whether creator handle ads such as Partnership Ads or whitelisting are allowed, the licence start and end dates, territories, platforms, and exclusivity days. Paid use waits until the creator accepts those terms, and editing any term clears the creator's consent until they accept again, so both sides can see what was agreed.

• Standard terms or a saved preset on every collaboration
• Preview, PDF, and email from the collaboration
• Paid use waits for the creator to accept the usage rights