Brand-Deal Red-Flag Checklist

Run through this before signing any sponsorship or collaboration agreement. Every unchecked box is a conversation to have with the brand — or with a lawyer — before you sign, not after.

Payment

• Payment timeline is defined and reasonable (within 30–45 days of invoice, not 90+)
• Payment is triggered by content delivery, not vague "campaign review" conditions
• For larger or first-time deals: an advance (ideally 50%) is included
• Late-payment interest or penalty is mentioned
• The fee covers everything asked of you — extra usage, extra edits and extra posts cost extra

Deliverables

• Exact deliverables are listed (number, type, platform, duration)
• Revision rounds are capped (e.g., max 2)
• Approval timelines for the brand are defined — so their delays don't become your breach

Rights

• Content usage rights are limited in time (not "perpetual" or "irrevocable")
• Paid amplification / whitelisting is either excluded or separately paid
• You keep ownership of the content (brand gets a license, not the IP) — or you're being paid a premium for ownership
• Nothing restricts you from keeping the content on your own channel

Exclusivity & conduct

• Exclusivity is limited by category, time, and ideally platform
• The morality clause is objective (not "anything the brand dislikes, in its sole opinion")
• Clawbacks apply only to undelivered work — not fees already earned

Exit & disputes

• If the brand can terminate for convenience, a kill fee protects your work in progress
• Indemnity covers only what you control — not claims about the product itself
• Jurisdiction/dispute clause doesn't force you into an inconvenient forum

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Scoring honestly? If three or more boxes stay unchecked, the contract needs negotiation before signature. If you're not sure how to push back, a fixed-fee review is the cheap option — talk to Sahi Terms.

General information, not legal advice.