User-generated content (UGC)

Content created by users or customers about a product, experience, or community, such as reviews, photos, or tutorials.

User-generated content comes from people using or discussing a product or participating in a community. It can include a reader’s example, a customer’s tutorial, or an event photo. The term is also used commercially for commissioned creator material, so the relationship should be made clear.

A writing newsletter might feature a subscriber’s revised introduction alongside their explanation of the edit. Ask permission to republish it, agree on credit, and preserve the context of the contributor’s original point.

A public post is not automatically permission to reuse its image or text in marketing. Distinguish an unsolicited customer contribution from sponsored or commissioned content, and avoid implying that a selected example represents every reader’s experience.

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