Rules and ethics
Part of Beauty influencer vetting: a checklist before you sign UK creators
Beauty influencer vetting: a checklist before you sign UK creators
A beauty influencer vetting checklist for UK brands: ASA rulings, Companies House records, fake follower checks and realistic engagement benchmarks.
What to take away
- Vetting a beauty creator covers three thingsthe person, the company behind them, and their history of disclosed ads.
- Start with the ASA rulings database and Companies House, both free and public, before you weigh follower counts.
- Engagement checks matter most when an audience has grown quickly over a short period.
- Log every check with a date and a screenshot, then keep the file with the signed contract.
Vet the creator, not just the vendor
Due diligence on an agency asks whether a supplier can deliver and stay solvent. Vetting a creator asks something narrower: will their past posts, or an undisclosed ad, damage your brand if the campaign is later challenged? Keep the two files apart, because the evidence you collect is different.
An influencer with a well-run agency behind them can still carry disclosure problems of their own. The checks below fit both micro and macro beauty influencers, though the risk profile shifts by tier.
A vetting checklist in six steps
- Identify who you are paying. Record the legal name, trading name, company number where one exists, and an address for notices.
- Search the ASA rulings database for the creator's handle, their agency and the brands they promote most often.
- Read the Companies House filing history, not just the status line, for overdue accounts or strike-off action.
- Check follower quality before follower volume: comment text, account ages, and whether followers cluster in one country.
- Compare engagement with the creator's own median post instead of a headline industry figure.
- Agree the disclosure wording in the contract, including where the label sits in the caption.
Where to look, and what counts as a red flag
The CAP code requires marketing communications to be obviously identifiable as such, and the ASA publishes its rulings, so a creator's record is public. Read the Advertising Codes published by the ASA before you judge a single ruling, because context decides how serious a breach was.
Companies House filings rest on the Companies Act 2006, which requires most limited companies to file accounts and a confirmation statement each year. The Companies Act 2006 sets out those duties, so the filing history is a fair guide to how a creator's company is run.
A single upheld ruling from several years ago is rarely fatal. A pattern across two or more brands, or an ad that stayed undisclosed after a warning, is the point to walk away. If you plan to check an individual's personal records, the ICO guide to data protection explains the lawful basis you need first.
Fake follower checks and engagement benchmarks
Benchmarks shift by platform, category and post format, so the useful comparison is the creator's own median post against the campaign you are buying. Ask for a screen recording of the insights panel rather than a still image, and check that reach and saves move together.
Fake follower red flags
Signal
- Follower spikes
- Thousands in days, no post
- Weak comments
- Short, generic replies
- Location mix
- Followers outside the UK
- Engagement gap
- Likes high, saves near zero
What it looks like
- Follower spikes
- Ask for date range
- Weak comments
- Read 30 for product detail
- Location mix
- Request audience geography
- Engagement gap
- Treat reach as unverified
What to do
- Follower spikes
- Weak comments
- Location mix
- Engagement gap
Rates and reach move together in negotiations, so read our guide to TikTok beauty influencer rates in the UK before you agree a fee for a creator whose numbers you have just questioned.
What to keep on file
Keep dated screenshots of the insights panel, the ruling page and the Companies House filing extract. If a complaint lands months later, that file separates a documented decision from a guess. Store it under your retention schedule rather than in a shared inbox. Note who ran each check, in case a colleague repeats the process next season.
Common questions
What is a beauty influencer vetting checklist?
A written set of checks you complete before signing, covering identity, company records, ASA rulings history, audience quality and the disclosure wording in the contract. Keep it alongside the signed agreement.
Can a UK brand run a background check on an influencer?
You can search public sources: ASA rulings, Companies House filings, and news coverage. Anything further, such as a credit check on an individual, counts as processing personal data and needs a lawful basis under UK GDPR.
What engagement rate should I expect from a UK beauty creator?
No regulator publishes an official UK figure, and benchmarks vary by platform and format. Compare the creator with their own median and with your past campaigns, then question any gap you cannot explain.
