Most influencer disputes are about something nobody wrote down: an extra round of edits, an ad that ran longer than expected, a post that went live a week late. A short written agreement that covers the points below prevents nearly all of them.

This is a general checklist, not legal advice.

The 12 clauses

1. Parties and campaign

Who is contracting (the brand, an agency, the creator or their management) and a one-line description of the campaign.

2. Deliverables

Each piece of content listed separately: platform, format, length, quantity. Include stories, links and stickers if you want them.

3. Timeline

Product delivery, draft deadline, review period, go-live date or window, and how long posts must stay up (for example, "not deleted or archived for at least 6 months").

4. Approval and revisions

How many rounds of changes are included, what counts as a change (as opposed to a new brief), and how quickly the brand will give feedback.

5. Content requirements

Key messages, mandatory tags and links, things that must not appear, and a requirement not to make claims the brand hasn't approved.

6. Disclosure

The creator must label the content as an ad or paid partnership in line with the platform's tools and local advertising rules. This protects both sides.

7. Usage rights

Channels, paid or organic, duration, territory and editing rights. See influencer usage rights explained for the options.

8. Partnership ads or Spark Ads

Whether the brand can run ads through the creator's handle, for how long, and any spending cap.

9. Exclusivity

Whether the creator may work with competitors, which ones, and for how long. Keep it narrow; broad exclusivity raises the price.

10. Payment

Amount, currency, what triggers payment, and when. With escrow, the brand's payment is held by a third party and released when the agreed content is approved, so neither side carries the risk.

11. Cancellation and changes

What happens if either side cancels, if the brand changes the brief after work has started, or if the content isn't delivered. Set out partial payments or refunds for each case.

12. Conduct and removal

The right to ask for content to be taken down if it breaches the agreement, and what happens if the creator's conduct causes reputational harm.

Before you sign

  • Does the contract match the brief and the quoted package?
  • Are the dates realistic, including your own review time?
  • Are rights and exclusivity priced in?
  • Is it clear what triggers payment?

On AFFWORLD, deliverables and prices are listed in each creator's packages, and payment is held in escrow until you approve the content, which covers several of these clauses by default. You can still add your own terms for rights and exclusivity. See how it works.