What to do when a brand asks you to delete or edit a live post

The sponsored video went live yesterday. It's doing well. Then the email: "Hi! Could you take the post down?" Or: "Legal flagged one line, can you edit the caption and re-upload the video?"

It's a strange spot. The brand is paying you, so you want to help. But re-uploading kills the views you've built, deleting a post can hurt your account, and you might not have agreed to any of this.

Here's how to work out what you actually owe the brand, what you can fairly charge for, and how to reply without damaging the relationship.

First: don't act on the first email

Before you delete or change anything, slow down. Most of these requests can wait a few hours while you check the facts, and a deleted post can't be brought back.

1. Reply to say you've seen it and you'll come back shortly.
2. Screenshot the live post with its views, likes and comments. If you're asked to remove it, this is your proof of delivery and performance.
3. Find your contract and the brand's original approval of the content.
4. Work out which kind of request this is (see below).

Thanks for letting me know. I'm looking into it now and will come back to you within the next few hours with options.

Work out which kind of request it is

The right response depends a lot on why they're asking.

Type of request	Example	Usually
A legal or compliance problem	A claim they're not allowed to make, a missing disclosure, a regulator issue	Act quickly, but on agreed terms
An error on your side	Wrong code, missing tag, you said something not in the approved script	Fix at no charge
An error on their side	They gave you the wrong discount code or price	Fix it, but changes beyond a caption edit can be charged
A change of mind	Marketing wants a different message now it's live	A new piece of work, chargeable
The campaign was cancelled or paused	Product pulled, launch delayed	Look at your kill fee and payment terms
A reputational issue on their side	Something happened at the brand	Your choice, check the contract
A reputational issue on your side	Your conduct is the concern	Check the morality clause

What your contract probably says

Look for these sections. They're often spread around the agreement.

Approval

If the brand approved the final content before it went live, that matters a lot. They've agreed it met the brief. A request to change approved content because of their change of mind is new work.

If you posted something that differed from what they approved, that's on you, and fixing it is fair.

Post duration

Many contracts say the post must stay live for a minimum period, like 30, 60 or 90 days. That's usually written to protect the brand, but it also works the other way: you delivered a post meant to stay up. If they want it removed early, they're changing the deal.

Removal rights

Some contracts give the brand the right to ask for removal at any time. Read the wording closely:

• Does it say removal is at their discretion, or only for specific reasons (legal, compliance)?
• Does it say what happens to your fee?
• Does it limit how many times they can ask for edits?

Revisions

Revision rounds usually apply before the post goes live. A post-live edit generally isn't one of your revision rounds, unless the contract says so.

Payment

Check whether you've been paid in full, partly or not at all. If the fee isn't fully paid, make sure the request doesn't become a reason to delay payment. Your fee was for delivering approved content, which you've done.

What to do in each situation

A genuine legal or compliance issue

Act quickly. If a claim might mislead people, or the disclosure is missing, fixing it protects you as much as the brand. Disclosure in particular is your responsibility too.

What you can reasonably ask for:

• The exact wording they need changed, in writing
• Confirmation that the new version is approved
• A fee for re-filming if the fix needs a new video and the problem wasn't your error

Your mistake

Fix it, quickly and without charge. Then tell them it's done.

You're right, I used the old code in the caption. I've updated it to SPRING20 and pinned a comment with the correct code too. Sorry for the mix-up.

On most platforms, a caption edit doesn't affect the video's views. A re-upload resets them. If you can fix something without re-uploading (caption edit, pinned comment, on-screen text in a Story), suggest that first.

Their mistake or change of mind

This is where creators most often lose out by being too accommodating. A change of mind after approval is new work, and re-uploading costs you the reach you've already built.

Options to offer:

1. A caption edit and pinned comment (free or small fee, no reach lost)
2. A new edit and re-upload (charged, because it costs you views and time)
3. A new post (charged as a new deliverable)

Happy to help. The video was approved on the 12th, so a couple of options:

1. I can update the caption and pin a comment with the new message. No charge, and the video keeps its views.
2. If you need the video itself changed, I'll re-edit and re-upload. That resets the post's views, so it's billed as a new post at $600.

Let me know which works best.

They want it deleted completely

Ask why. Then:

• If it's a legal issue: cooperate, but confirm in writing that the fee remains due in full.
• If the campaign was cancelled: the content was delivered, so the full fee is usually due. Removal doesn't cancel delivered work.
• If they just don't like how it turned out: they approved it. Removing it is their choice, and the fee still stands.

Understood. I'll take the post down today. Just confirming that the invoice for the delivered post still stands, as the content was approved and published on the 14th. I've attached screenshots of its performance up to now for your records.

They want you to remove it, but keep running it as an ad

Sometimes a brand wants your organic post gone but still wants to use the content in paid ads or on their own channels. Check your usage rights. If they don't have usage rights, or the rights depend on the post staying live, that's a separate conversation and a separate fee.

What about the effect on your account?

Deleting a post that's performing well can be a real loss, not just for this campaign. Strong posts keep earning views for weeks, and your profile looks less active with gaps. Re-uploading the same video can also perform worse the second time, since many people have already seen it.

It's fair to factor this into what you charge. A request to remove or re-upload a post that has, say, 200,000 views isn't the same as editing a post with 2,000.

Prevent it next time

The best fix is in the contract before you sign. Lines worth adding:

Post-live changes:

Once Content has been approved by Brand and published, any changes requested by Brand, other than corrections of Creator error, will be treated as additional work and billed at Creator's standard rates.

Removal:

If Brand requests removal of published Content for any reason other than Creator's breach, the full fee remains payable.

Minimum live period that works both ways:

Content will remain live for at least 60 days, unless Brand requests earlier removal in writing.

Approval in writing:

Brand will confirm final approval of each piece of Content in writing before publication.

That last one is simple but powerful. "Looks great, go ahead!" in an email is a record. A thumbs-up in a call isn't.

When the request comes months later

Sometimes the request arrives long after the campaign ended: the brand rebranded, changed its pricing, or discontinued the product, and they'd like old posts updated or removed.

How to think about it:

• If your contract set a minimum live period that has passed, you're not obliged to keep the post up, and you're usually not obliged to edit it either. A small fee for updating or removing it is fair.
• If the post is still bringing you views or affiliate income, removing it costs you something. Say so.
• If the old post now says something untrue (a discontinued discount code, a price that's changed), it's often in your interest to fix the caption anyway, so your audience isn't misled.

Happy to help with the rebrand. The campaign ended in March, so updating older posts falls outside our original agreement. I can update captions on all three posts for $150, or remove them at no charge if you'd prefer.

Offering removal for free and edits for a fee is a simple, fair split many creators use.

Keep records

For every sponsored post, it's worth keeping:

• The final approved file
• The approval message (email or DM screenshot)
• A screenshot of the live post with the date
• Performance screenshots at the reporting date

If a removal request turns into a payment dispute, these are what you'll need.

Mistakes to avoid

Deleting first, asking questions later. A deleted post can't come back. Check the facts first.

Re-uploading when a caption edit would do. Suggest the option that keeps your views.

Treating post-live edits as a revision round. Revisions happen before posting.

Letting a removal delay payment. The work was delivered and approved. Say so, kindly but clearly.

Not getting approvals in writing. It's the one thing that settles most of these disagreements.

The short version

• Don't act on the first email. Acknowledge, screenshot the live post, and check the contract.
• Work out why they're asking: legal issue, your mistake, their mistake, change of mind or cancellation.
• Fix your own errors for free. Charge for changes to approved content, especially re-uploads.
• Removal of delivered, approved content usually doesn't cancel the fee. Confirm it in writing.
• Add post-live change and removal terms to your contracts, and always get approval in writing.

Keeping approvals, post links and invoices with each deal makes this kind of conversation much easier. In Vantr, each deliverable carries its post link and status, so you can show exactly what was approved and when it went live.