What Is User-Generated Content (UGC)? A Guide for Ecommerce Stores

User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by your customers rather than your brand.

According to Emplifi’s Q3 2025 Social Media Benchmarks report, social media posts featuring UGC drove over 10 times higher conversion rates than posts without it. Social proof like this reassures online shoppers when they can’t pick up a product or try it on. 

This guide covers what UGC is, the different types of UGC, how to collect your first reviews, how to work with paid UGC creators, and how to deploy customer content across your entire marketing funnel.

What is user-generated content (UGC)?

User-generated content is any content produced by real customers rather than a brand’s internal team. It includes reviews, photos, video content, social media posts, and Q&A contributions created voluntarily by people who’ve bought or tried out your product.

For store owners, it shows potential customers what a product actually looks like in the real world, worn by real people, and used in real homes. 

Organic UGC vs. paid UGC: What’s the difference?

Organic UGC comes from customers who don’t receive any payment or prompting from your brand. It could be a review left after delivery, a photo shared to Instagram, or a comment in a Facebook group. 

Paid UGC is content commissioned from creators who produce customer-style content in exchange for payment. While influencer marketing relies on influencers sharing content with their audiences, paid UGC creators typically don’t post to their own audiences. The content is made for the brand to use as ad creative, on product pages, or in email campaigns, which can be a practical way to build a content library quickly if you’re new or launching into a new product category. 

Types of user-generated content

UGC describes different types of content that can be embedded at every stage of the shopping journey. Here’s a breakdown of four key types of UGC.

Reviews and ratings

In a June 2025 PowerReviews survey of more than 21,000 US consumers, 95% said they regularly read product reviews as part of their shopping journey, and 96% ranked ratings and reviews as the most influential factor in their purchasing decisions. They put this above customer photos, search results, and recommendations from friends and family.

The same research found that only 43% of shoppers would buy a product with zero ratings or reviews, and 85% of shoppers say they’re less likely to buy a product if it has no ratings or reviews at all. 

ThirdLove, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) lingerie brand, built its review strategy around this dynamic. Using Yotpo to automate post-purchase review requests, it’s accumulated more than 100,000 five-star reviews. “People really, really want to be able to search and filter by like-sized or like-minded people versus hearing us talk about the product. It’s really amazing to have our customers talk about the product and their experience,” says Heidi Zak, the brand’s cofounder and CEO, on the Shopify Masters podcast. 

For Shopify stores, the Shop app collects post-purchase reviews natively and displays a “Verified by Shop” badge, which tells shoppers the review is real. Third-party apps in the Shopify App Store, such as Yotpo, Judge.me, Loox, and Okendo, automatically collect reviews via post-purchase email sequences. 

Customer photos and videos

For online stores where customers can’t touch, try on, or test a product before buying, customer photos and videos show what it actually looks like on a real person, in a real home, or in real light.

According to a different PowerReviews report, 60% of US consumers always search for customer images and videos before committing to a purchase. This is up from 50% in 2021 and 40% in 2016. In fact, 91% say they’re more likely to buy a product when reviews include photos and videos alongside text, and 84% want to see visual content from existing customers directly on product detail pages.

You might have the best product description in the world, but if your product page has no customer photos or videos, nearly one in four shoppers will leave without buying. 

What shoppers are really looking for with this type of UGC is context. They want to see how a jacket fits on someone their size, how a sofa looks in an actual living room rather than a staged shoot, and how a skin care product photographs on different skin tones. 

Nailboo, an at-home nail kit brand, really leans into this principle. It’s designed the product itself to generate visual UGC. “If the product has content creation and kind of self-expression and a form of art involved, naturally you are going to get so much UGC content created from that without even having to ask — it’s just built into the product,” says founder Razvan Romanescu on Shopify Masters.

The brand has a Nailboo Fam page on Facebook where customers can share their photos of the products in use. Nailboo then reshares some of these on its Instagram Stories. 

Social media posts and branded hashtags

Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey found that 37% of consumers turn to social media platforms first for product reviews and recommendations. For younger shoppers, that number is even higher. Social media is now the first place Gen Z consumers search when looking for information.

A branded hashtag makes this content findable and reusable. When customers tag their posts with a hashtag your store owns, you get a searchable library of real customer content to monitor, engage with, and (with permission) repurpose across your marketing channels.

For example, Lululemon’s #thesweatlife campaign asked customers to share photos of themselves in their gear, creating a library of easily searchable UGC the brand could share directly. ASOS built similar momentum with #AsSeenOnMe, turning their customers into a continuous content engine.

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Remember: Customers posting with your hashtag haven’t necessarily consented to having their content reposted. Always ask for explicit permission before repurposing any customer social content and credit the creator when you share it. 

Q&A on product pages

Q&As cover what customers want or need to know before they buy. It’s a different kind of UGC strategy because it addresses the specific questions that stand between a shopper and a purchase.

According to PowerReviews’ 2024 How Q&A Boosts Shoppers’ Confidence and Conversion Rates report, based on a survey of nearly 16,000 US consumers, nearly 74% of online shoppers read Q&A sections regularly. Who wrote the answer is crucial here: 92% of consumers specifically look for answers from verified buyers, while only 51% value answers from the brand or retailer selling the product. This indicates that the most persuasive answers on your product page are the ones your customers write for each other.

Shoppers turn to Q&As primarily to understand how a product performs in use (79%), to determine if it fits their personal needs (69%), and to find more specific information than a standard review provides (56%). For products where fit, sizing, compatibility, or use case matters, a well-populated Q&A section can help hesitant shoppers make a decision. 

You can make use of Shopify’s Q&A functionality through review apps in the Shopify App Store, including Okendo and Yotpo, which let customers ask and answer questions directly on your product pages.

Why user-generated content matters for ecommerce stores

The case for UGC is clear, but let’s dig into the data. Here’s what the research shows. 

Social proof drives purchase confidence

Online shoppers face a problem in-person shoppers don’t: they can’t touch, try on, or test what they’re buying. The gap between a product description and a purchase decision is filled, in large part, by what other customers say about it.

Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index found that 65% of US consumers rely on UGC when making buying decisions. When a shopper sees that 400 people have bought a jacket and rated it 4.7 stars, with photos showing how it fits on different body types, the perceived risk of buying drops, because they’re listening to real people who’ve already made the same decision. 

ThirdLove’s filterable reviews are one way to implement this. Shoppers can find feedback from customers with similar sizing and attributes so they can make a more informed buying decision. 

Authentic content builds trust and credibility

Without a sales associate, a fitting room, or the ability to hold a product, shoppers default to the next best thing: what people like them have experienced.

Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index found that 86% of shoppers engage with creator content before buying. They no longer fully trust a polished brand campaign. Instead, they turn to candid photos and honest reviews. 

Peak Design has built its entire marketing strategy on this dynamic. Founder and CEO Peter Dering describes organic UGC as the brand’s most important marketing channel, and credits its power specifically to how it was earned: “We have not injected money into the influencer sphere or the review sphere in our past, and we’ve always just gotten a lot of great reviews and a lot of internet traffic, and I think that because that’s happened organically there’s an authenticity that comes through that people are somehow able to glean,” he says on Shopify Masters.

UGC reduces returns and increases satisfaction

According to a report by the National Retail Federation, consumers were expected to return nearly $850 billion in merchandise in 2025. One survey found that the top reasons for returns include the product being the wrong size (44%), damaged goods (31%), and mismatched descriptions (11%). 

Reviews, photos, and Q&A answers give customers a better picture of what a product is actually like before it arrives at their door, which reduces the chance of these scenarios happening. A review that says “runs small, size up” or a photo showing the true color of a fabric in natural light gives the next buyer context that they won’t necessarily find in a product description.

For ThirdLove, UGC also doubles as a product feedback loop. “We’ve also found, occasionally we launch a product or certain sizes that aren’t working and so that feedback loop is so, so important,” says Heidi.

It’s cost-effective content at scale

Every review left on a product page, every customer photo submitted after delivery, and every question answered by a previous buyer makes a page more useful without any additional production costs. The likelihood of someone buying a product with five reviews is 270% greater than the likelihood of them buying a product with no reviews. 

For Nailboo, getting more UGC was a core driver behind starting its Facebook community. The brand has built a 91,000-member Facebook group that generates hundreds of thousands of posts without any product budget at all. 

How to get your first UGC (even with a small customer base)

Here are a few ways you can collect your first piece of UGC. 

Send post-purchase review requests via the Shop app

Timing is important when it comes to collecting reviews. PowerReviews research found that 90% of consumers say they regularly consider how recently the review was written. 

The Shop app handles this automatically for Shopify stores. Customers receive a push notification through the Shop app requesting a review after an order is delivered. Reviews collected this way display a “Verified by Shop” badge on your product pages, which tells future shoppers that the content is genuine.

Use a product review app to automate collection

The Shop app covers post-purchase review requests natively, but you can also layer in a dedicated review app for more control over timing, follow-up sequences, photo and video collection, and on-page display. 

There are plenty of review apps designed specifically to do this. All integrate directly with Shopify and automate the collection sequence. 

“We use Yotpo and so it’s very easy to send that kind of follow-up review suggestion and we just really encourage shoppers to give us honest feedback,” says Heidi of ThirdLove. 

Offer an incentive for your first wave of reviewers

The PowerReviews research mentioned above found that 59% of consumers would be motivated to write a review if they received loyalty points with the store or brand in exchange for their feedback. 

Other incentives you could offer include:

• A small gift with a next purchase
• Early access to new products
• Entry into a prize draw

What matters most is that the incentive is disclosed. US FTC regulations require that any material compensation offered for a review is clearly stated, and many review platforms automatically tag reviews with an “incentivized review” label accordingly.

Asking for a review in exchange for a reward is fine, but asking for a positive review in exchange for a reward is not.

How to work with UGC creators for paid content

Not every store has the customer base to generate organic UGC at volume, and even those that do often need more content, faster, for ad creative. That’s where paid UGC creators come in. Here’s what you need to know before working with them.

What a UGC creator is (and how they differ from influencers)

A UGC creator is someone you pay to produce authentic-style content, like short videos, photos, or testimonials, for your brand to use in its own channels. They’re not posting to their audience. 

This is the fundamental difference from influencer marketing. When you work with an influencer, you’re paying for access to their following. Their value is distribution and getting your product in front of people who already trust them. When you work with a UGC creator, you’re buying a raw asset.

According to Collabstr’s 2025 influencer marketing report, the number of UGC creators surged by 93% year over year, and 15% of all influencer collaborations are now UGC campaigns.

How to find and brief UGC creators using Shopify Collabs

Shopify Collabs is built into the Shopify admin and lets you find, connect with, and manage creator partnerships without a third-party platform. 

You can search a database of creator profiles using keywords, location, social platform, and audience size, filtering from smallest to largest depending on whether you want tight niche fit or broader reach. 

Click on a creator to see their profile, collaboration history, and the platforms they’re active on. From there, you can send a direct invite with a welcome offer that includes a commission program, a product gift, or both.

There are two ways to recruit:

• Outbound. Search, find creators that fit, and send them individual invites. 
• Inbound. Add a public application page to your store’s header or footer so creators who already love your brand can apply directly.

Ramen brand Immi used this approach to recruit hundreds of creators through their application page. “We want our [creators] to feel special when they join our community and to make sure the time and effort that’s put into the community will be mutual,” says Simal Adenwala, senior partnerships manager.

“The application page we create on Shopify Collabs helps us get that message across to our creators. It helps creators learn more about our brand values and clearly explains the opportunities and gifts we offer when applying to join our program, while also making sure that each creator is interested in a true partnership-like relationship with us,”

Shopify Collabs also lets you:

• Set commission structures and gifting rules
• Issue unique tracking links for each creator
• Track which partnerships are actually driving revenue. 

Every sale attributed to a creator is visible in the same dashboard where you manage orders.

Sending a creator your product at no cost before commissioning content is a low-risk way to see how they handle it and whether the content they produce naturally fits your brand. Shopify Collabs has gifting built in, so you can set rules about which creators can ask for free products. The request is then fulfilled through your existing Shopify orders system.

Using paid UGC as ad creative

If you want to run a creator’s UGC as an ad from your own ad account, you need usage rights. This is typically a separate line item in the brief and can affect the price, but it’s essential. You can’t legally run the content in paid channels without it. 

How to use UGC across your marketing funnel

Here’s how you can weave UGC throughout the entire customer journey. 

Awareness: social media posts and branded hashtags

Sprout Social’s Pulse survey found that 41% of Gen Z consumers now turn to social media platforms first when looking for information, compared to just 32% who prioritize traditional search engines like Google. 

A branded hashtag is a practical way to tap into this. When you ask customers to tag their posts (e.g., #TheNailBooFam) you create a searchable archive of real content that new visitors can find without you having to produce it. How you can apply it to your business:

• Pick a hashtag that’s short and unique to your brand
• Encourage customers to share photos and content using the hashtag
• Feature customer posts on your own social channels with permission

Consideration: product page reviews, photos, and Q&A

At the consideration stage, shoppers want to know if the product will work for them. To do this, they look for reviews. Photos from real customers are particularly valuable here because they answer the questions product photography can’t, like what does this sofa actually look like in a small flat? How does this jacket fit on someone who isn’t a model? Does this skin care product show results on darker skin tones? 

Then, Q&As answer the more specific questions that might be holding a shopper back from buying. 

Conversion: UGC in cart abandonment emails

Most cart abandonment emails remind shoppers what they left behind, but UGC can add another layer of reassurance. A five-star review from a customer who had the same concern, or a customer photo showing the product in a real setting, or a Q&A answer addressing a common objection all reduce the perceived risk of completing the purchase.

Clothing brand Imbodhi includes UGC from its branded hashtag in abandoned cart emails, while Fable adds customer reviews to its abandoned cart emails.

Retention: building a community of brand advocates

Returning customers spend 67% more than new customers. The brand loyalty is already there, they know your products, trust your brand, and need far less convincing to buy again. 

When you reshare a customer’s photo, respond to their review, or feature their Q&A answer, you’re telling that customer they’re part of something, which makes them more likely to stay, more likely to buy again, and more likely to tell someone else.

As a starting point, make it easy and rewarding for customers to share UGC with: 

• A post-purchase email asking customers to tag their photos
• A loyalty point for submitting a review with a photo
• A featured customer section on your homepage

UGC best practices

There’s a set of obligations, legal and ethical, that come with collecting UGC. Follow these to protect your brand and respect your customers.

Always get permission before reposting

Customers own the photos of your product they share on social media platforms. It doesn’t matter that they tagged you or used your branded hashtag. 

The simplest way to get permission is to ask via DM. If they say yes, you can use that as documented consent. For paid ads, email marketing campaigns, or any commercial use beyond a social repost, get that permission in writing and be specific about where and how you plan to use the content.

Review apps handle this automatically when customers submit photos through a review form. 

Credit the original creator

When you repost a customer photo with their username or handle, you’re signalling to every other customer that real people’s content is valued and celebrated. 

Keep attribution visible by sharing it in the caption rather than buried in a comment, and, if you’re pulling a quote from a review for an email or ad, name the reviewer. 

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Oh Polly, for example, always credits the original creator when sharing UGC. 

Disclose paid UGC partnerships

The FTC’s Endorsement Guides require that any material connection between a brand and a content creator is disclosed clearly and conspicuously. Material connection here includes payment, free products, affiliate commissions, or any other benefit that could influence what someone says about a product.

To meet the FTC’s “clear and conspicuous” standard, a disclosure must be hard to miss and easy to understand for ordinary consumers. That means you can’t bury it in a long caption or a hashtag. 

This applies to the brand as well as the creator. The FTC has clarified that advertisers and endorsers can both be held liable for violations. Brief your creators clearly, include any disclosure requirements in your agreement, and double check content before it goes live.

Ensure UGC aligns with brand voice and guidelines

Customers don’t always describe your product the way you would. That’s partly the point, but a photo that’s visually off-brand or a review that spotlights a feature that’s changed or no longer exists can be more confusing than helpful for potential customers.

That doesn’t mean you should only share glowing, perfectly on-brand content (that will just hack away at the trust that makes UGC so effective in the first place). Instead, ask yourself these questions before reposting: 

• Does this accurately represent the product? 
• Does it reflect how we want customers to feel about the brand? 
• Is there anything in the content that could mislead a future buyer?

Emerging user-generated content trends

• Short-form video UGC is now the dominant format. Gen Z spends 54% more time than the average consumer per day watching user-generated content on social platforms, and 26% less time watching traditional TV and movies. 
• Social is replacing search for product discovery. Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey found that almost half of Gen Z shoppers now turn to social media channels first when looking for information. UGC that lives on social media is now functioning as a search result. 
• Social commerce is collapsing the funnel. The global live commerce market was estimated at $172.86 billion in 2025, and TikTok reports that 76% of consumers who engaged with TikTok Shop made a purchase from a livestream. UGC embedded in shoppable posts and livestreams is closing the gap between product discovery and checkout.
• Paid UGC creator activity is surging. Collabstr’s influencer marketing report found that the number of UGC creators surged 93% year over year, with 15% of all influencer collaborations now being UGC campaigns. 

AI is changing how brands manage UGC. According to IAB’s 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report, nearly three in four brands are already using or planning to use AI for creator marketing tasks within the next year. Uses include editing and personalizing content (nearly half of brands), vetting creators, mining campaign data, and automating workflows, with roughly one-third also using AI to create synthetic content.