How to make AI UGC ads for free with Claude

The AI UGC Video Creation Workflow

0:00 to 1:06 in the video, about 1 minute

User-generated content (UGC) ads are widely recognized as one of the most effective creative formats for dropshipping and e-commerce. Producing these videos manually or hiring creators can be costly and time-consuming, but artificial intelligence now makes it possible to build complete UGC-style commercials at no cost.

The free workflow relies primarily on Claude to handle concept strategy, scripting, and detailed prompt generation. Once Claude designs the production storyboard, free generative design and editing software are used to bring the assets to life.

Setting Up Claude and Gathering Product Assets

1:07 to 2:25 in the video, about 1 minute

The first step involves feeding raw product data to Claude. You can either install a custom skill inside Claude Pro or supply a comprehensive prompt in the standard free version to achieve the same step-by-step guidance.

To provide reference material, locate your target item on supplier marketplaces like AliExpress. Copy the item title and product link, then take multiple screenshots highlighting physical angles, features, and key attachments like remote controls. Upload these screenshots directly into the Claude chat so the AI understands exactly how the product functions and looks.

Configuring Target Audience, Pricing, and Concept Angles

2:26 to 8:01 in the video, about 6 minutes

After parsing the product data, Claude asks for specific configuration details. Shorter video durations like fifteen seconds require fewer generated scenes, making them ideal for quick testing before producing longer thirty- or sixty-second variants.

When Claude asks for target pricing and marketing parameters, check the supplier base cost and set a retail price roughly two to three times higher to maintain healthy margins. Claude then proposes three distinct creative hooks: a problem-and-solution angle, a demonstration-first angle, or a casual discovery style.

Once you select an angle, Claude delivers a full production pack consisting of a compliance check, a timed voiceover script, a scene-by-scene storyboard, and copy-paste image prompts for the generative visual phase.

Generating Scene Images with Consistent Characters

8:02 to 14:30 in the video, about 6 minutes

To produce the visual stills, Adobe Firefly serves as a free image generator. Using Firefly's Image 5 model set to a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio ensures output formatted specifically for mobile platforms like TikTok.

Consistency is maintained by first creating a baseline creator reference photo. Upload the original product image alongside Claude's creator prompt to establish the actor, bedroom background, and lighting. Once the initial image is downloaded, upload it back into Firefly as the reference image for subsequent scenes, ensuring the character and environment remain uniform across all frames.

• Select the 9:16 vertical ratio for social video ad formats.
• The creator uses the Firefly Image 5 model.
• Reuse the initial actor still as a visual reference across every following scene prompt.

Converting Stills into Video and Managing Free Tier Limits

14:31 to 21:20 in the video, about 7 minutes

After saving stills for each scene in the storyboard, switch Firefly from image mode to video mode. Import each still as the first frame, enter Claude's corresponding motion prompt describing subtle actions like rising mist or handheld camera drift, and generate five-second video clips.

Free tiers limit how many videos you can generate each day. When you run out, wait for the daily limit to reset or move to a paid plan. Opening extra accounts to get around the limit, as the video suggests, can break a tool's terms of use.

Editing, Voiceovers, and Audio in CapCut

21:21 to 22:37 in the video, about 1 minute

With all clips rendered and downloaded, open CapCut to assemble the final advertisement. Arrange the video files onto the timeline following the sequential scene guide provided by Claude.

To synchronize the spoken script, add default text boxes containing each scene's dialogue and use CapCut's built-in text-to-speech feature to generate realistic AI narration. Finish the production by trimming awkward motion artifacts, adjusting clip pacing to match speech duration, and adding a subtle, royalty-free background music track lowered to avoid overpowering the voiceover.

Final Thoughts

Creating professional UGC ads no longer requires physical product samples, camera gear, or paid influencers. By pairing Claude's marketing strategy and prompt engineering with free generative video tools and CapCut, you can produce ads for e-commerce testing without paid tools, within the free plans' daily limits.