User-generated content (UGC) is any content created and published by a site's users rather than by its owner or staff. Reviews, comments, forum posts, photos, videos, wiki edits and social posts are all UGC.
Why it matters
UGC lets a platform grow and stay fresh without writing everything itself, and it adds social proof, for example through product reviews. It also moves risk to the site owner. Users can post spam, illegal material, copyrighted work or abuse, so the site needs terms of service, reporting tools and moderation. Search engines also treat links in UGC with caution because they can be abused for link spam.
Example
An online shop lets customers upload photos with reviews. The shop requires login, scans uploads for malware, queues new reviews for a quick check, and marks links in reviews with rel="ugc" so search engines know the site owner did not endorse them.
Common mistakes
- Publishing user input without sanitizing it, which can open the door to cross-site scripting.
- Having no way for people to report harmful content.
- Assuming the platform is never responsible. Legal duties for hosted content vary by country.
Related
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This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.