# UGC (User-Generated Content)

### UGC is photo, video, or review content created by actual customers rather than the brand, and it typically earns more trust than advertising.

## Why does it outperform advertising?

When the brand says it, it's an ad. When a customer says it, it's evidence. Shoppers read a photo taken in a real room or on a real body as a more reliable reference than a styled campaign shot — which matters most in categories where size and color have to be verified.

## How do you collect and use it?

Through hashtag campaigns or post-purchase review requests, then resurfaced on product pages and in the short-form section of your own store. The point is not to use it once and discard it, but to accumulate it as content the brand owns.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q. Who owns the copyright on UGC?**  
The creator does. You need explicit permission before reusing it, which is usually handled by stating the scope of reuse in the campaign terms.

**Q. Is a review the same as UGC?**  
A review is one form of UGC. UGC is broader — it also covers photos, videos, and even what customers say in live chat.

## Related terms

- [Short-form Commerce](/content/en/glossary/short-form-commerce/index.html)
- [Social Commerce](/content/en/glossary/social-commerce/index.html)
- [Zero-Party Data](/content/en/glossary/zero-party-data/index.html)

## Learn more

- [Short-form Commerce solution](/content/en/shortform/index.html)