Start with the company goal. Then check the creator's normal views, audience fit, content, past paid work, claim risk, and work plan. Write down what is clear, what needs proof, and what is not a fit.
A big channel is not always the right channel. One public number cannot tell you who will watch, trust, click, or buy.
This guide gives your team one careful way to check a creator before a paid deal. The free worksheet near the end turns your notes into a plain review summary.
Use one clear path
Creator vetting is not one score. It is a set of checks tied to this company, product, and campaign.
It helps you find fit, proof gaps, and risks. Your team still owns the final call.
Start with the company goal
Do not judge a creator until you know the job. The same channel can be a fit for one goal and a poor fit for another.
What should this campaign help the company do?
What useful step should the right viewer take?
Who has the problem this product can help?
What data will the team use after the post?
A tax tool for small firms, an app for new savers, and a service for skilled traders need very different viewers. “Finance audience” is too broad to make the choice.
Find the creator's normal views
Subscriber count shows part of the channel's past. Recent normal views are a better reach check for a new sponsor.
Pick recent long videos
Use work that matches the kind of video the creator still makes.
Let the views grow
Only use videos that had time to reach their normal level.
Remove clear outliers
Drop rare highs and lows, but do not hide normal weak videos.
Keep at least 10
If fewer than 10 remain, pull more recent videos into the sample.
Keep formats apart
Do not mix Shorts, live streams, and long-form videos in one view number.
Use the view number as an estimate, not a sales promise. Also note how steady the views are and whether the sample topics match the planned video.
Check who the viewers are
Ask for first-party country and age data when those facts matter for the offer. Use a date range that fits the campaign.
Do not guess a viewer's income, job, skill, buying intent, or identity from one public number. A large share of U.S. viewers does not tell you who can use a finance product.
Read the content and comments
Watch full recent videos. Check how the creator teaches, handles risk, cites facts, and speaks to viewers.
Comments can show which ideas lead to real questions. They do not prove sales, buyer intent, or whether an audience is real or fake. Sudden growth, short comments, or uneven views are reasons to look closer. They are not proof of fraud.
Does the audience ask about the same problem this product helps?
Do not turn one ratio, comment type, or growth jump into a final claim.
Check dated public issues with care
Search the creator and channel name before a deal. If you find a claim or report, open the first source. Check who made it, what proof it gives, when it was posted, and what happened next.
An allegation is a question, not proof. Save the source and date. Ask the creator for context when the issue may matter to this campaign. Let the right team judge the risk.
Review older and recent paid work
Past sponsor work shows how the creator brings a company into the channel. Review more than one paid video.
Did the paid product make sense for that video and audience?
Was the brand tie clear in the video and near the ad?
Did the creator stay close to facts the company could support?
How does the creator handle a mistake or a fact that may change?
Is a live deal too close to this product or planned date?
Would this new deal fit the creator's own advice and voice?
Check how paid work is disclosed
For U.S.-facing work, the FTC says a material tie must be clear and hard to miss. A tie can be pay, a gift, a discount, a job, or a family link.
Use plain words
Words such as “ad” or “sponsored” are clear. Vague words such as “collab” may not be.
Put the note with the ad
Do not hide it at the end, below “more,” or in a group of tags.
Put it in the video
A note in the text box alone is not enough. The FTC says voice and text can make it easier to spot.
Use YouTube's paid-promotion box
YouTube asks creators to turn it on. The FTC says a platform note should not be the only note.
Keep each claim true
The creator should not claim use that did not happen or say something the brand cannot prove.
For a live show, the FTC says to repeat the note from time to time. YouTube's paid-promotion rule also covers videos, Shorts, live shows, text boxes, comments, and other YouTube tools. Check the current official pages for product rules and local needs.
Check finance and fintech claim risk
Your legal or compliance team should set the rules for this product, place, and claim. The creator should get clear facts and room to explain them in a voice the audience knows.
This page is a planning aid. It is not legal advice and does not replace a review for the product or place where the ad will run.
Check the work plan before signing
A good audience match still needs a clear way to work. Ask how these parts will run:
Draft, review, live date, and any launch need.
What the brand checks, who sends notes, and what is in scope.
Offer, link, code, page, and the useful viewer action.
What data will be shared, by whom, and on what date.
Paid use, edit rights, exclusivity, place, and end date.
Invoice step, due date, and what starts the payment clock.
Slow replies do not prove a creator will miss a date. Ask for the plan, set owners, and judge the proof for this deal.
Choose one of three next steps
You found the proof your team needs for this check.
A useful fact is missing. Ask for it before the next step.
The match or risk does not work for this campaign.
If the fit is good but proof is thin, a limited test may help your team learn. It does not promise a win.
Use the Creator Vetting Worksheet
This is not a score or an approval tool. It helps your team keep the proof, open questions, and blockers in one place.
Creator Vetting Worksheet
Check fit, proof, risk, and the work plan.
1. Campaign need
Set the job before you judge the creator.
2. Creator and reach
Use recent proof. Do not fill a gap with a guess.
3. Eight checks
Pick one state for each check. Add the proof or question in your notes.
Your entries stay in this browser. This page does not send them to Creators Agency. The tool does not score or approve a creator.
Add the campaign goal and creator, then check each area.
Official disclosure sources
A sponsor review should check the current rules that apply to the product and place. The links below are the primary U.S. and YouTube sources used for this guide.
The FTC guide covers clear disclosure of a material brand tie and support for ad claims. YouTube explains its paid-promotion setting, where its rule applies, and product or ad limits. Local law and product rules may add more steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
First, set the company goal. Look at at least 10 normal long videos that had time to grow. Leave out clear high or low outliers. Ask for audience proof from the creator's own YouTube data. Read or watch the full content. Check both old and new paid work. Make sure each claim has proof, each ad says it is paid, and no live deal gets in the way. Write down the work, dates, rights, review steps, and report plan. Use the worksheet to save the proof and open questions. This does not approve a creator or predict results.
It is a check before a paid deal. A brand checks the goal, normal views, audience fit, content, past paid work, claim risk, live conflicts, and work plan. The goal is to find proof and open questions. It does not promise results.
Use at least 10 recent, normal long-form videos that had time to grow. Remove clear high and low outliers, but do not hide normal weak videos. Keep Shorts and long-form views apart.
It gives some context. It does not show what a new sponsor can expect. Recent normal views, view steadiness, topic fit, audience data, and past paid work are more useful for the deal plan.
Ask for first-party country and age data when those facts matter. Read comments across several recent videos for topic fit. Do not guess income, work, or buying intent from one public number. Do not use one number to call an audience real or fake.
No. Comments can show what viewers ask about and which topics matter to them. They do not prove buying intent or sales. They also do not prove a real or fake audience. Odd patterns are a reason to ask for more proof.
Review older and recent paid work. Check product fit and make sure the paid tie is clear. Check claim support, risk, corrections, and live deals that may conflict with your product group.
No. It can help a team find fit, proof gaps, and risks before a deal. It cannot predict sales or replace the brand's legal, compliance, finance, or campaign review.
Build a creator plan around your goal.
Brands can bring us a campaign need. Creators can learn what strong brand work looks like.