Exclusivity is the most expensive clause creators ignore. It does not cost you anything today — it costs you the deals you will have to turn down for the next three months. Brands know this, which is why exclusivity is so often slipped in unpriced, bundled into a single post fee. Read it as what it is: you selling the right to your future income in that category.
Scope
a tight category, not "all competitors"
define it in writing
Duration
a fixed window, not open-ended
30–90 days is common
Price
a separate fee, not bundled in
sized to income it blocks
Window
starts and ends on stated dates
no "ongoing" exclusivity
The three levers of an exclusivity clause. Directional — your category and demand move the price.
Category vs brand exclusivity
Not all exclusivity is the same, and the difference is the whole negotiation. Get the type pinned down before you talk price.
- Brand exclusivity: you will not promote this specific brand's direct, named competitors. Narrow and usually reasonable.
- Category exclusivity: you will not promote anything in a whole category (e.g. "skincare", "fitness apps"). Much broader — this is the one that quietly blocks most of your future deals.
- The wording matters: "competitors" is narrower than "the category", which is narrower than "any product in the space". Push for the narrowest version.
Duration is where it bites
A 30-day exclusivity on a tight category is a minor concession. A 12-month exclusivity on a broad category can wipe out half your year's pipeline. Always box the window with explicit start and end dates, and watch for clauses that extend exclusivity beyond the campaign or "while content remains live".
Reasonable vs overreaching exclusivity
Reasonable vs overreaching exclusivity
Reasonable
Narrow, time-boxed and paid. You can price the income it blocks.
- Scope: named direct competitors, or one tight category.
- Duration: a fixed 30–90 day window with stated dates.
- Price: a separate exclusivity fee on top of the content fee.
- Carve-outs: existing partners and unrelated categories stay allowed.
- Independent of usage: ends on a date, not "while content is live".
Overreaching
Broad, long and free. You cannot price what you are giving up.
- Scope: "all competitors", "the entire category", or "the space".
- Duration: 6–12 months, or open-ended / auto-renewing.
- Price: bundled into the post fee, so you are paid nothing for it.
- No carve-outs: even pre-existing partnerships are blocked.
- Tied to usage: runs as long as the brand keeps using the content.
Push every overreaching term back toward the reasonable column — or price it accordingly.
How to price and limit it
Exclusivity is lost income, so it is priced like lost income: how many deals in that category would you realistically take in the window, and what are they worth? You will not have an exact figure, but a directional estimate keeps you from giving it away for free.
| Exclusivity ask | How to handle it (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Direct named competitors, 30 days | Often fine within the deal — a modest fee or a small base uplift. |
| One tight category, 60–90 days | Separate fee, sized to the deals you would turn down in that window. |
| Whole category, 6–12 months | Priced steeply, or negotiated down to a tighter scope and shorter term. |
| "All competitors", open-ended | Decline or rewrite — this is not a clause you can price safely. |
| Exclusivity tied to "content in use" | Replace with fixed calendar dates, independent of usage term. |
What to charge for exclusivity: a scorecard
Score the ask on scope and duration, and the cell tells you roughly what to charge as a percentage uplift on the base content fee. Treat the percentages as directional starting points, not fixed rates — the real anchor is the income the window actually blocks for you.
| Scope \ Duration | 30 days | 60–90 days | 6–12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named direct competitors | Small uplift or included | +10–20% uplift | +25–40% uplift, push to shorten |
| One tight category | +10–20% uplift | +20–40% uplift | +50%+ uplift, or renegotiate scope |
| Whole category / "the space" | +30%+ uplift | +50%+ uplift | Decline or price as a large multiple |
What to do now, next and later
| Horizon | The action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Find any exclusivity clause in your current contracts and read its scope | You know what you are actually blocked from |
| Next | Price exclusivity as a separate line on your next deal using the scorecard | You get paid for the income it blocks |
| Later | Make carve-outs and fixed-date windows your standard ask | Exclusivity stops quietly eating your pipeline |
“Exclusivity is not a formality you initial on the last page. It is a brand buying your future deals — make sure it pays for them.”
Before you agree to any exclusivity, know the terms cold and check the brand is worth being tied to. A reliable brand worth a season of exclusivity is a real opportunity; an unreliable one is a season you cannot get back.