A good UGC brief gives the creator the hook, the core message, and the constraints — then gets out of the way. It should specify the problem the viewer has, one clear angle to take, any must-say or must-avoid lines, and format guidance, but leave delivery and tone to the creator.
Over-scripting is the most common failure — a creator reading a brand's exact copy stops looking like UGC and starts looking like an ad again, which defeats the point. The best briefs read more like a creative prompt than a legal document.