How to Use Multi-SKU Sampling
01/09/2026
Summary
What is multi-SKU sampling on TikTok Shop and how does it benefit sellers and creators?
- Multi-SKU sampling lets creators request or purchase multiple variations (shades, sizes, flavors) of a product to create diverse, comprehensive content, improving conversion and content variety for sellers.
- It streamlines sample logistics by centralizing requests in the Affiliate Center, saving time and avoiding manual workarounds while ensuring content coverage for every SKU.
How does the multi-SKU sampling request and approval process work for sellers and creators?
- Creators submit sample requests for each SKU individually, which go into manual review if they have collaborated on the product before; sellers see a “Repeat” tag to identify repeat requests and can approve or decline accordingly.
- Sellers can hover over the “Repeat” tag for recent approval dates and click it to access Sample Analytics filtered by creator and date, helping manage repeat applications confidently.
What content requirements and monitoring are involved with multi-SKU sampling?
- Creators must produce unique content for every SKU they receive, ensuring sellers get maximum content coverage across all product variations.
- Sellers can track content fulfillment and performance tied to the latest shipped samples via Sample Analytics, maintaining consistent content quality.
What practical tips can sellers use to maximize the impact of multi-SKU sampling?
- Prioritize approving multiple high-impact variations (e.g., trending shades or sizes) to maximize content opportunities for popular products.
- Group sample requests by creator and product ID to efficiently review and fulfill multi-SKU requests, and encourage creators to showcase differences between SKUs for diverse content angles.
Are there any limitations or controls sellers should be aware of regarding multi-SKU sampling?
- Sellers retain full control over which SKUs to approve; auto-approval applies only to a creator’s first SKU request, with subsequent multi-SKU requests requiring manual review.
- Currently, sellers cannot set a cap on the number of SKUs a single creator can request but can manage volume through manual approvals.
Multi-SKU Sampling
Improve conversion and content diversity by easily allowing creators to sample multiple variations of your key products, and create content for each version.
Benefits
- Expand variation access: Creators can now request or purchase all the shades, sizes, or flavors necessary to create comprehensive, compelling content for your brand.
- Streamline sample logistics: With multi-SKU sampling now available right in Affiliate center, you can save time, avoid manual workarounds, and keep your sample operations in one place.
- Get content for every SKU: Our system monitors and measures that you're getting content for every unique SKU sampled, ensuring maximum coverage across your product variations.
How it works
This feature enhances the free sample request process and the refundable sample purchase process, allowing creators to select more than one product variation (SKU) from a single product listing (PID).- Creator applies for a sample: When a creator requests a sample for a product (PID) they’ve collaborated on before, the request is routed to manual review (no auto-approval).
- You spot repeat applications fast: In Affiliate Center (creator view / order view), the request shows a “Repeat” tag to flag that this PID ↔ creator (UID) pairing has happened before.
- Quick context on hover: Hovering the tag shows the most recent approval date for that PID ↔ creator.
- Dig deeper in one click: Clicking the “Repeat” tag takes you to Sample Analytics with filters already applied:
- Creator is pre-selected in the creator list
- Date is set to the most recent sample shipped date
- You stay in control: Manual review + the “Repeat” signal helps you confidently approve (or decline) reapply cases while continuing collaboration with high-caliber creators.
- Content monitoring stays consistent: After a repeat request is approved and shipped, creators are still expected to deliver fresh content for the sample they received. You can track recent fulfillment and performance in Sample Analytics tied to the latest shipped sample.
Find repeat sample requests | Hover the “Repeat” tag for context | Click “Repeat” to open Sample Analytics |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Tips
- Prioritize high-impact variations: For beauty and fashion, this feature gives creators the chance to find the right fit for them. Think about approving multiple shades or sizes for key products that are already trending to maximize the content opportunity for popular items.
- Group requests for efficiency: In the sample request page, you'll see requests grouped by the creator ID and then the product ID (PID). Review and process these multi-SKU requests together to save time on fulfillment and shipment.
- Encourage diverse content angles: When communicating with creators, encourage them to create content that highlights the difference between the sampled SKUs—like a "swatch party" for makeup or a "different colors, different outfits" video for apparel. This can naturally leads to high-impact, diverse content.
FAQs
- Do I have to approve multiple SKUs? No, you are still in control. Multi-SKU sampling requests will be pushed into manual review, so you'll always be able to decide which SKUs a creator will receive.
- What if I want to automate it so creators are auto-approved for multi-SKU requests? Auto-approval will be limited to the creator's first SKU request only (for more info on auto-approval sample settings, click here <link to auto-approval feature feature>).
- Can creators request samples for products they've already worked with in the past? Yes. If they previously collaborated on a PID (product ID) and new variations (SKUs) have been launched or they want to show a different color, they can request or purchase that new SKU.
- How does a creator request multiple SKUs? They will need to submit a request for each individual SKU, much the way they've done before. The big change is that they didn't have the option to select a different SKU once they had made the initial request.
- Does a creator have to post content for every variation they receive? Yes! The content requirement is now tied to the SKU. For example, if a creator receives five different flavors of a beverage, they must create content that fulfills the requirement for all five SKUs. This ensures you get maximum content coverage for your product line.
- Does multi-SKU sampling also work for Sample Coupons and Sample Campaigns? You bet! This feature works across all sampling methods in the Affiliate Center. Whether you allocate a sample coupon or set up a campaign, creators can now grab multiple SKUs for the same product to maximize the high-impact content they produce for you.
- Can a seller set a cap on number of variants a single creator can request? No. At the moment sellers cannot set a cap at a creator level. You can opt for manual approvals to manage this.
You may also be interested in

How to rate and review Creators?
How to rate creators in context of sample requests? There are two ways to leave a review for a creat…

8 Tips for Successful Seller & Creator Matchmaking
Welcome to TikTok Shop Affiliate program This playbook offers an end-to-end roadmap to empower US se…

Affiliate Partnerships Overview
Introduction: What is Affiliate Partnerships Overview? Affiliate Partnerships are designed to help s…


