How to Brief UGC Creators for App Demo Videos (Templates Included)

A UGC brief for app demo content is a written document sent to a creator before filming begins. It specifies the platform, device, aspect ratio, feature to demonstrate, required hook, prohibited content, and deliverable format — so the creator can film correctly the first time without a reshoot.

App demo briefs are more technical than standard UGC briefs because each distribution platform has different requirements. Apple's App Store has strict guidelines about mock-up UI. Meta's App Install ads require specific aspect ratios simultaneously for placement coverage. Google App Campaigns automatically resize and remix creative — your brief must account for this.

This guide covers what every app UGC brief needs, how the requirements differ by platform, and provides ready-to-copy templates for each channel.

What Every App UGC Brief Must Include

Regardless of platform, every app demo video brief requires these eight elements:

1. Platform destination — Where the video will be published (App Store, Google Play, Meta, TikTok, Google App Campaigns, or a combination)
2. Device requirement — iPhone model/iOS version or Android device and OS. Specify if a specific screen size matters
3. App access method — TestFlight link (iOS beta), direct APK (Android), or live App Store/Google Play download link
4. Feature to demonstrate — The single core feature or use-case the video must show. One feature per video
5. Hook — The first 3 seconds. State this explicitly because the first 3 seconds determine whether the viewer keeps watching on every platform
6. Video length and aspect ratio — Platform-specific. See templates below
7. Required CTA — The exact call to action phrase and where it should appear (on-screen text, voiceover, both)
8. Prohibited content — What the creator must not do (mock-up UI for App Store, competitor mentions, unsubstantiated performance claims)

What Makes App Briefs Different from Standard UGC Briefs

Standard UGC briefs (for consumer goods, clothing, food) are relatively format-agnostic — "film in 9:16, 30 seconds, show yourself using the product" covers most cases.

App briefs require additional technical specificity for three reasons:

Screen recording requirements. App demos need clear, readable screen footage. A creator filming a phone screen from across a room is unusable. The brief must specify whether to use iOS screen recording (Settings → Control Center → Screen Recording), Android's built-in recorder, or a third-party capture tool — and how to deliver the raw screen recording file alongside the camera footage.

Apple App Store compliance. Apple's App Store Review Guidelines explicitly prohibit preview videos that include mock-up device images (a phone floating in a 3D render), demonstrate features unavailable in the currently reviewed version, or show content that doesn't accurately represent the user experience. A creator who has never submitted App Store content may not know these rules exist.

Multi-format delivery. Meta App Install campaigns require 9:16 (Stories/Reels), 1:1 (Feed), and 4:5 (Feed) simultaneously for full placement coverage. A single 9:16 master file will be cropped automatically but often crops out critical UI elements. Briefing for multiple aspect ratios from the same filming session requires specific framing guidance.

Template 1: Apple App Store Preview Video Brief

Copy and edit the fields in [brackets]

Brief: App Store Preview Video for [App Name]

Platform: Apple App Store (uploaded to App Store Connect)

Content goal: Increase install conversion rate on the App Store product page

App access: [TestFlight link] — Download before filming. Log in with [test account email / password or no account required]. Note: The app must be used as a free user throughout the video — do not access any paid features or show any paywalled screens.

Feature to demonstrate: [Single core feature — e.g., "The AI habit tracker on the Home screen — creating a habit, setting a schedule, and seeing the summary dashboard"]

Hook (first 3 seconds): [State exact hook — e.g., "Open the app and immediately show creating a new habit in under 5 seconds"]

Video length: 15–30 seconds. Target 22–28 seconds.

Aspect ratio: 9:16, 1290 × 2796px (iPhone 15 Pro Max spec). Film on an iPhone — Android screen footage will be rejected by Apple.

Required filming method: Physical device filming. You must film your actual iPhone screen — not just a screen recording export. The cleanest approach: film from slightly above and in front of you, holding the phone naturally, with good lighting on the screen. If you add a screen recording overlay in editing, both elements (real device + screen recording) must be visible.

Prohibited (Apple Requirements):

• No mock-up device images (floating phone graphics, 3D renders)
• No features, screens, or content not in the current build
• No pricing claims (e.g., "usually $9.99 — free today") — Apple prohibits promotional language
• No competitor app comparisons
• No celebrity likenesses or copyrighted music without license

Audio: Natural voiceover preferred. Brief, clear narration of what you're doing. No background music required (previews autoplay silently; voiceover helps if sound is on).

CTA: End with on-screen text: "[App Name] — Download Free" + your voiceover saying "[CTA phrase]"

Deliverables:

• Final edited video: .mov or .mp4, H.264 or HEVC, 1290 × 2796px, 30fps minimum
• Raw screen recording file (if used)
• No third-party watermarks

Usage rights: Perpetual, worldwide, for use on [App Name]'s Apple App Store product pages and all future versions of the listing.

Due date: [Date]

Template 2: Google Play Preview Video Brief

Brief: Google Play Preview Video for [App Name]

Platform: Google Play Store (hosted on YouTube, linked from Google Play Console)

Content goal: Improve install conversion rate and provide a YouTube-discoverable video asset

App access: [Google Play download link / APK link] — Download and create an account with [login details or no account required].

Feature to demonstrate: [Single feature]

Hook (first 3 seconds): [Exact hook]

Video length: 15–45 seconds. Target 20–30 seconds for best store performance.

Aspect ratio: 16:9 (YouTube standard). Film landscape or use screen capture in 16:9.

Device: Android preferred (Google Play context). iPhone footage is allowed but the Play Store audience expects Android UI.

Filming method: Same device-footage-with-screen-recording hybrid approach as App Store version. If filming landscape, show the phone being held in landscape orientation.

Prohibited:

• No content violating Google Play Developer Policy for your app category
• No misleading feature demonstrations
• Family-rated apps: no age-inappropriate content

Audio: YouTube auto-generates captions — speak clearly and naturally. Background music optional; use royalty-free tracks only.

CTA: Final 3 seconds: show the app icon and say "[App name] — available on Google Play"

Deliverables:

• Final video: MP4, H.264, 1920 × 1080px (1080p), 30fps minimum
• You will upload to YouTube and share the URL — client will link from Play Console. Set visibility to Unlisted if you prefer.

Usage rights: Perpetual, worldwide, for use on YouTube (linked from [App Name]'s Google Play product page).

Due date: [Date]

Template 3: Meta App Install Campaign Brief (Multi-Format)

Meta App Install campaigns run across Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels, and Messenger. Full placement coverage requires three aspect ratios from the same filming session.

Brief: Meta App Install Ad Creative for [App Name]

Platform: Meta (Facebook + Instagram) — App Install Campaign objective

Content goal: Drive app installs. Optimize for lowest cost per install (CPI).

App access: [App Store / Google Play download link]

Feature to demonstrate: [Single core value proposition — e.g., "How [App] saves you 30 minutes every morning"]

Hook (first 3 seconds — this is the most important part of the brief): Start with a pattern-interrupt: either a surprising visual, direct address to camera ("If you've ever [problem]..."), or an immediate demonstration of the result. Do NOT start with the app logo or brand name — this is a UGC ad, not a brand spot.

Video length: 15–30 seconds total.

Required aspect ratios (all three from same filming session):

• 9:16 (1080 × 1920px) — for Stories and Reels placements
• 4:5 (1080 × 1350px) — for Feed placements
• 1:1 (1080 × 1080px) — for square Feed placements

Framing guidance for multi-format delivery: Keep all critical content (your face, app screen, text) within the center 75% of the frame vertically and horizontally. Meta's automatic cropping for different placements cuts from the edges. If you speak to camera, position yourself center-frame.

Screen recording: Include clear app screen footage. Use iOS or Android's built-in screen recorder. Deliver the raw screen recording file alongside your edited video.

Text overlays: Optional but recommended for silent viewing. Safe zone for text: top 15% and bottom 20% of the frame are cut by some placements — keep text in the middle 65% vertically.

Tone: UGC-authentic. Conversational, natural lighting, casual setting. This should look like a real user sharing a recommendation, not a commercial.

CTA: Say the CTA verbally in the final 5 seconds ("Download [App Name] — link in the caption") and include on-screen text with the same message.

Prohibited:

• No before/after images depicting personal weight loss (Meta policy)
• No income claims without substantiation
• No countdown timers or false urgency claims
• No competitor comparisons that make specific performance claims

Deliverables:

• Three edited video files: 9:16, 4:5, 1:1 — all .mp4, H.264
• Raw screen recording file
• No watermarks
• Transfer of ad usage rights: perpetual license to run as paid advertising on Meta platforms

Due date: [Date]

Template 4: TikTok App Install Campaign Brief

Brief: TikTok App Install Ad for [App Name]

Platform: TikTok — App Install Campaign (TopView or In-Feed App Install)

Content goal: App installs from TikTok's 18–34 age demographic

App access: [App Store / Google Play download link]

Feature to demonstrate: [The single most visually interesting or surprising feature]

Hook (first 1.5 seconds on TikTok — even stricter than Meta): TikTok data shows 63% of top-performing TikTok ads communicate the key message in the first 3 seconds. Your first frame must be mid-action — not a title card, not an intro. Examples: already using the app, already reacting to a result, already in the middle of a demonstration.

Video length: 9–15 seconds optimal (TikTok's own data shows 9–15s generates highest completion rates for app install ads).

Aspect ratio: 9:16 only. 1080 × 1920px.

Format requirements:

• Leave 130px safe zone at bottom (TikTok UI overlaps here)
• Leave top 25% free of critical content (TikTok profile picture and text overlaps here)
• Resolution: minimum 720 × 1280px, prefer 1080 × 1920px

Tone: Native TikTok style. Fast cuts, trending audio optional, direct-to-camera at some point. This should feel indistinguishable from organic TikTok content.

Audio: Use trending royalty-free audio if possible (TikTok's built-in Commercial Music Library). If using voiceover, keep it fast and punchy. Captions recommended.

CTA: TikTok's App Install ad format appends an automatic install CTA button — you do not need to include a URL in the video. End with a verbal or text CTA e.g., "Get it free" or "Download now."

Deliverables:

• .mp4, H.264, 1080 × 1920px, 30fps minimum
• No third-party watermarks (TikTok rejects watermarked content including TikTok watermarks from organic reposts)
• Transfer of ad usage rights for TikTok Ads Manager

Due date: [Date]

Delivering Multiple Formats from One Filming Session

The most efficient way to get App Store, Meta, and TikTok content from a single creator is to brief one filming session that produces all formats simultaneously.

Practical approach:

1. Creator films in 9:16 throughout the session — this is the native format for all short-form video
2. Creator delivers: the full 9:16 master, a center-cropped 1:1 export, and the raw screen recording files
3. You or your editor crop to 4:5 from the 9:16 master
4. App Store preview is a separate, dedicated session (Apple's spec and content requirements are strict enough that combining it with ad creative often produces content that doesn't pass review)

Briefing for Apple's Prohibited Content List

The most common mistakes in App Store UGC briefs — and the reasons for review rejections:

Getting the Most from Your Creator Brief

Brief specificity reduces rework. The four most common reshoot causes in app UGC briefs — and how to prevent them:

1. Unclear screen recording instruction → Specify exactly which screen recording method and deliver a screen-recorded example clip of the target feature before the shoot
2. Wrong aspect ratio → Send the deliverables spec in a separate checklist at the end of the brief
3. Hook was too slow → Write the exact first line of verbal hook in the brief — don't leave it to the creator to invent
4. App feature unavailable on creator's device → Confirm device model and OS before sending the brief; some features require specific iOS versions or device classes

Match with UGC creators who have experience with mobile app content and understand the difference between App Store submission standards and paid ad requirements. Find app UGC creators on Collab Only →