HeyGen’s terms and moderation policy for paid ads

Can you use HeyGen videos in paid ads?

Yes, HeyGen videos can run as paid ads when they are made on a Creator, Pro or Business plan. Section 3 of HeyGen’s terms says HeyGen “does not restrict your ability to use User Output for your own purposes (including for commercial purposes), except in the case of termination”.

The Free plan is the exception. Section 4 says Free Plan output “may not be sold, sublicensed, redistributed, monetized, or used in connection with commercial activities, advertising, client work”. Upgrading later does not license a video already made on Free; the clause attaches to output “generated under a Free Plan”.

Three duties ride on every paid-plan ad. Section 2 bars presenting output as “entirely human generated” and asks you to disclose AI use “to the extent required by applicable law”. Section 14 makes you indemnify HeyGen for claims arising from “any use by you of the Services or Outputs”, so an ad’s claims stay yours.

Which HeyGen plans include commercial rights?

HeyGen’s Creator, Pro and Business plans include commercial rights, and Free does not. Creator lists $29 a month, Pro $49 a month and Business $149 a month on HeyGen’s pricing page (prices checked 5 October 2026).

HeyGen’s pricing page (5 October 2026) lists Free exports with a watermark and below 1080p, which rules Free out for a placement that needs a clean HD file. Plan by plan, with each clause: HeyGen in the rights matrix; prices per video: HeyGen pricing.

Can you use HeyGen stock avatars and custom avatars in ads?

HeyGen stock avatars can run in ads on paid plans, and custom avatars need the consent of the person shown. HeyGen’s avatars page answers “Can I use HeyGen AI avatar videos commercially?” with “Yes, on eligible paid plans. You can use HeyGen videos for ads”. No clause of the terms limits stock avatars in ads further.

I Tested HeyGen AI Avatar Video Generator To Create Viral UGC AdsChem Beast

Custom avatars carry the heavier duty. Moderation policy 2.1 requires “the explicit consent of the individual being represented (the ‘Actor’)”.

The same clause adds: “You are responsible for honoring any request by or on behalf of an Actor to remove content depicting the Actor wherever you have published such depictions.” A creator you clone can ask you to pull every ad they appear in.

Policy 2.2 bans avatars that represent “real individuals, including celebrities or public figures, without their explicit consent”, or anyone under 18.

Sensitive “conditional content”, educational nudity and religion among it, may use custom avatars only (3.2). Under 2.1, an agency needs each actor’s explicit consent for every custom avatar, so keep it on file. How consent and likeness laws apply to AI actors: Are AI UGC ads legal?

What does HeyGen’s moderation policy block in ads?

HeyGen’s moderation policy blocks restricted products, scams, political content and false claims, whatever the plan. Section 3.1 lists content “not allowed to be uploaded to or generated using our Services under any circumstances”. For advertisers, four of its categories decide most cases:

• “Restricted goods and services”: “commercial sex”, “Weapons/ ammunition, alcohol, online gambling”, endangered species, body parts and fluids, hazmat goods.
• “Fraud and Scams”: crypto scams, Ponzi or pyramid schemes, and loan, charity, grant or debt-relief scams.
• “Misinfo / Disinfo”: “False claims, challenging the facts, misstating social events like elections, health info”.
• “Political”: political opinions, parties or candidates, “political campaigning or lobbying government officials”.

Supplement, dating and lending ads fall outside the named bans unless they make a false health claim or match a listed scam (loan, grant or debt relief). HeyGen decides at its “sole discretion” whether content is conditional or non-permissible.

Moderation runs before you export. HeyGen’s help centre says a video with “certain words or phrases” is marked “Rejected” or “Pending”. It recommends building your own video avatar to “improve your approval rate”, and offers manual review through support for a rejected video.

What happens when a HeyGen video breaks the rules?

A HeyGen violation can cost the video, the account and every ad made with it. Moderation policy 4.4 lets HeyGen “remove the content or prevent the generation of the content”, “temporarily or permanently suspend the user’s access” or “report the content to legal authorities”.

HeyGen “may terminate or suspend your use of the Services immediately and without notice for any reason” (terms section 5). After a termination for a violation, “you must cease use of and delete any Outputs”, which obliges you to pull ads made with those outputs. Section 7(d) states “Payments are non-refundable, except where required by law”.

HeyGen’s UGC Video Ads page promises “Run ads globally, indefinitely”; terms section 5 and moderation policy 2.1 set the two cases where you must take them down.

Appeals go by email under policy 4.5, and “The submission of an appeal does not guarantee that you will receive a response.”

5 of 39 HeyGen user sources counted on 28 September 2026 say support answers with bots and canned replies, and restricted or disputed accounts get no clear resolution. One is a post titled “HeyGen Deactivated My Paid Annual Pro Account Without Warning” (Reddit, Trustpilot). Keep your scripts and project files outside HeyGen, so a lost account does not mean lost ads.

Do Meta and TikTok add their own AI label rules?

Meta and TikTok apply their own AI rules on top of HeyGen’s, and HeyGen’s pages give no guidance for either. HeyGen’s terms ask for AI disclosure only “to the extent required by applicable law”, while TikTok requires a label on completely AI-generated ads.

TikTok’s ads policy (updated April 2026) requires a label on ads with “images, video, or audio that are completely AI-generated”. A HeyGen avatar ad fits that description. TikTok accepts its AIGC label or your own clear disclaimer: TikTok’s AI label.

Meta requires disclosure from advertisers only in political and social issue ads, by its help page, and HeyGen bans political content anyway. Meta labels other AI ads itself when it detects industry signals: Meta’s AI disclosure rules.

Tools with lighter avatar terms, compared clause by clause: HeyGen alternatives. The full profile: HeyGen.

Questions about HeyGen’s terms for ads

Can I use HeyGen for ads?

Yes, on the Creator, Pro and Business plans. The Free plan’s output may not be used for advertising or client work (terms section 4, 23 July 2026).

Does HeyGen allow commercial use of stock avatars?

Yes, on eligible paid plans. HeyGen’s avatars page says “You can use HeyGen videos for ads”.

Can HeyGen ban my account?

Yes. Terms section 5 allows termination “immediately and without notice for any reason”, and after a termination for a violation you must stop using and delete every output.

Can I advertise alcohol or gambling with HeyGen?

No. Moderation policy 3.1 bans promoting alcohol, weapons, online gambling and commercial sex.

Where is HeyGen’s moderation policy?

At heygen.com/moderation-policy, titled the Acceptable Use and Moderation Policy, effective 25 July 2024.