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For every work passed, the BBFC provides Consumer Advice, a brief description of the content which indicates why it has been given a particular category; what it contains in the way of sex, violence, bad language and other classification issues. It can highlight theme, such as suicide, or contexts, such as comedy or fantasy, which can influence the strength of the material.  At the junior categories, Consumer Advice can also warn of behaviour which may be potentially harmful if copied, or highlight content, such as characters in dangerous situations, which might frighten or upset younger viewers.

Consumer Advice is an increasingly important aspect of the classification system, enabling the public to make informed choices about their viewing. This is particularly vital in relation to the '12A' certificate which allows parents to take children under 12 to the cinema if they are satisfied their children can cope with the film's content. 

Different films can be given the same category for many different reasons, and this is indicated in the Consumer Advice. For example, the Consumer Advice for The Incredible Hulk read 'Contains frequent and intense scenes of moderate fantasy violence', while 27 Dresses received the same category because it 'Contains moderate sex references and language'. Both films were awarded a ‘12A’ certificate.

In 2004, the Board reached an important agreement with the film industry whereby distributors agreed to include Consumer Advice on advertising for all films, including cinema listings for 'U', 'PG' and '12A' movies. The advice for films is displayed as a single sentence and replicated on DVD packaging. The advice for films, video games and DVDs also appears on the main BBFC website.

The BBFC now also provides Extended Classification Information or ECI for all video games and films to be released in cinemas, which gives much more detail about the issues and contents of each film over several paragraphs. It also notes any additional content which did not determine the classification but may be of interest to the likely audience. ECI can be found on the main BBFC website. On the website for parents pbbfc detailed content information for 'U', 'PG' and '12A' films, the DVD releases of those films and all video games is available for parents.

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