AI ad approval workflow: creator review and platform checks
Record creator approval of the exact ad version separately from platform ad review and account authorization.
An AI ad approval workflow should record three separate decisions: the creator’s approval of the exact rendered version and agreed use; the platform’s ad review under its policies; and the account owner’s authorization for the chosen ad identity. One decision does not establish the others. This guide focuses on creator review and records the other launch checks. TikTok, for example, reviews submitted ads against its policies. TikTok ad review guidance. Show the creator the voice, captions, on-screen text, claims, and disclosures in the context where the audience will see them.
Agree the review process before production
Decide whether the creator reviews concepts, scripts, final ads, or each stage. Set the time available, the number of revision rounds, and what happens if the team cannot reach agreement.
Name a contact on each side. If a cancellation or decline affects payment, agree how payment will work before production starts. These terms depend on the deal.
Send a complete review version
Show the planned brand, channels, accounts, territory, and dates beside the file. Ask the creator to check meaning as well as appearance. Does the line describe an experience they had? Does the delivery suggest a stronger claim than the words alone? Does the setting imply a view they have not expressed?
For campaigns in Canada, the Competition Bureau says reviews and testimonials should reflect actual experience and material connections should be disclosed. Check the rules for the campaign's other markets and channels. Competition Bureau guidance.
Record a decision against one version
Give each submission a stable identifier. Keep the reviewed file, submission date, decision, reviewer, and any conditions together. Do not replace an approved file with a new export under the same name.
If the creator requests changes, mark that version as awaiting revision. If they decline, keep that decision visible to the team that handles launch.
Hypothetical approval record
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Bottle demonstration |
| Creator decision | Approved BOTTLE-02_v03.mp4, including voice, captions, claim, and disclosure |
| Agreed use | Paid TikTok placement in Canada for the 30-day term in licence C-01 |
| Account authorization | Post permission visible in the buyer’s account; expiry recorded separately |
| Platform ad review | Pending |
| Launch check | Media buyer will compare the uploaded preview and destination with v03 |
| Status | Not ready to run until platform review and the upload check are complete |
This record is a worked example, not a legal form. Download the plain-text approval worksheet. For concept scope and version IDs, see the AI ad-variant planning guide.
Treat changes as new review decisions
A changed ad may need a new approval, while a change to campaign use may need a rights check. Use this table when the team updates its plan:
| Change | What to check |
|---|---|
| New line, synthetic voice performance, translation, or product claim | Review the changed render and confirm the creator agrees to that version |
| New brand, account, channel, territory, or dates | Confirm the campaign licence and record the changed use, even if the video stays the same |
Give the media buyer a clear launch record
Share the approved file reference and current permitted use with the person placing the ad. For the separate platform permission route, see TikTok Spark Ads access and creator checks. Include the start and stop dates, named accounts, and any launch conditions such as payment.
Before scheduling, compare the upload against the approved review copy. Keep declined and replaced files out of the launch folder. Record which live ad matches which approved version so the team can check a later complaint.
Keep review time visible
Track the creator's time reviewing, correcting, and answering questions. Count usable approved ads as well as drafts. Compare review time and usable output across campaigns; generation speed alone does not show that the creator's work has fallen.
Semblanse is pre-launch. Its planned offer centres creator approval, campaign-specific rights, and records. Exact approval steps, review timing, revision terms, and payment terms remain to be agreed before work starts. See the planned trust and creator controls and pilot overview as details are confirmed.
Connect this decision to the campaign
Put review stages and material-change rules in the campaign brief. Our planned trust process applies that record to exact files; an existing-creator scenario still needs fresh permission and final review.