Content Policy

imageKey Points:
This policy outlines the requirements Creators must follow when creating, uploading, posting, conducting LIVEs, and sharing ("Promoting") any content on TikTok Shop. Its purpose is to ensure a safe, trustworthy, and vibrant experience for everyone.
  • Creators must ensure all TikTok Shop content is accurate, compliant, and consistent with the products being promoted.
  • TikTok Shop prohibits misleading claims, gambling content, shocking content, spam, fraud, and other harmful or manipulative promotional behavior.
  • Violations may result in enforcement actions such as content removal, feature restrictions, violation points, or account restrictions, with appeals available through Seller Center or the TikTok app.

Content

This policy applies to all content uploaded, displayed, or promoted on TikTok Shop. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • LIVEs
  • Videos
  • Cover images
  • Titles and descriptions
  • Hyperlinks and anchor links
  • Spoken statements
  • On-screen text
  • Clothing, props, gestures, and behavior
  • Voiceovers and microphone setups
  • Usernames, nicknames, and personal introductions
  • Product demonstrations and visual representations
All elements of promoted content must comply with this policy, regardless of format.
Content may also be subject to additional placement requirements, including the Shop Tab Eligibility Requirements (rules that determine if content can be shown on the Shop tab), for homepage visibility and recommendation surfaces.

Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC)

AI-generated content is not allowed if it:
  • Misleads or deceives viewers
  • Impersonates others
  • Otherwise violates the TikTok Shop Content Policy or TikTok Community Guidelines. Content that violates these requirements may be removed and/or result in enforcement action. For more information, refer to our AI Generated Content Restrictions and Requirements.

Auctions

All live bidding must be conducted using TikTok's Countdown Bidding Feature (a tool for conducting real-time auctions). Any auctions or auction-related activities carried out without this feature are prohibited. Misuse of the Countdown Bidding Feature is also prohibited.
Auctions and auction-based activities include, but are not limited to:
  • Offering or soliciting bids: Directing users to propose prices for an item until the creator chooses a satisfactory offer
  • Rapid bidding: Placing a short timeframe for users to swiftly and frequently place bids in a fast-paced auction process
  • Timed bidding: Setting a countdown for users to place bids within the timeframe
For detailed requirements related to Auctions, Temporary Listings, Countdown Bidding, and Surprise Sets, please refer to the Gambling Policy.
TikTok Shop prohibits behaviors that undermine platform integrity, including potentially manipulative or deceptive activity. Creators engaging in such behavior may, at TikTok Shop’s discretion, be removed from the auction feature.

Charitable Claims

Creators are prohibited from promoting content that includes claims about donating proceeds to charitable causes, as TikTok Shop is unable to verify these claims. Such content may be removed. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Claims that earnings from product sales, commissions, or other revenue will be donated, shared, or directed to a charitable cause. This includes fundraisers, charities, non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), individuals, or any similar cause.
  • Statements that purchases will contribute to any fundraising effort outside platform-approved fundraising tools

Exaggerated Promises

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that includes exaggerated promises about a product's performance, effect, or price. This may result in content removal.
For example:
  • "Get slim legs right away when you use this lotion."
  • "This product removes acne in only a few days."
  • Showing wrinkles disappearing in "before and after" comparisons after using a cream
  • "This is the lowest/cheapest/best price you'll find for this product on TikTok Shop."
  • "Buy this product using the link below for the cheapest price you’ll find anywhere!"

False, Misleading, and Inconsistent Information

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that is inconsistent with the products being advertised or sold. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • False or misleading claims that a product has won awards or possesses various certifications
  • False or misleading claims that a product is affiliated with other products
  • Prices or promotions that are inconsistent with the listed price of the product at the time of content upload
  • Promotional prices without providing disclaimers about applicable terms of the promotion, including the availability of the promotion
  • Content must not display expired promotional or discounted prices. Any such content should be removed or updated in a timely manner.
  • Vague, inaccurate, or unsupported price comparisons
  • False or misleading product demonstrations
  • False or misleading images, brand names, descriptions, key attributes, models, product guarantees, or warranties
  • False or misleading information regarding services such as delivery, logistics, returns, refunds, and customer service
  • False or misleading coupon codes

Gambling and Gamification

All gambling and gamification activities are strictly prohibited in LIVEs and videos on TikTok Shop, even when creators are not engaging viewers or offering a chance to win a prize. Refer to the TikTok Shop Gambling Policy for more information.

Illegal and Criminal Activity

Creators are strictly prohibited from promoting any content that contains any form of illegal or criminal activity.

Infringement of Lawful Rights

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that uses someone else's brand or content without permission. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Any content that uses brands or logos for commercial gain (unless they have the rights holder's express permission to do so)
  • Creators are prohibited from using the names, images, and likeness of people (including celebrity images or collections) for commercial purposes, like product endorsement or merchandise without express permission from the individual themselves.
Refer to our TikTok Shop Intellectual Property Policy for more details.

Unsupported or Disparaging Comparisons

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that contains unsupported comparisons intended to disparage or denigrate other products, brands, or e-commerce sites. This may result in content removal. This includes, but is not limited to, using derogatory language to describe competing products, brands, or e-commerce sites.
Refer to the How to Avoid Misleading Content article for more details.

Malware

All uploaded content must not contain any malicious code that could breach or circumvent our platform security measures. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Viruses
  • Malware
  • Spyware
  • Trojans
  • Phishing

Medical Claims

Content containing medical claims is restricted. Prohibited claims include, but are not limited to, those stating a product can:
• Cure serious medical conditions.
• Address conditions that require testing, monitoring, and planned treatments supervised by experts.

Minor Safety

To protect minors, the following is prohibited and may result in content removal or account restrictions:
  • Any content persuading minors to purchase products or services
  • Any content persuading minors to ask their parents to purchase products
  • Any content targeting minors in giveaways or promotions
  • Other content that may have a negative effect on minor safety
Creators are also prohibited from promoting content where minors verbally endorse a product. There may be other requirements in specific jurisdictions regarding minors. Creators must ensure that their promoted content and products meet all relevant laws and regulations.

Misleading Beauty Filters

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that uses misleading beauty filters.

Misleading Traffic, Spam, and Fraud

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that includes any form of spam or fraud in user profiles, content, comments, or chats. Violations of this rule may result in content removal and account restrictions.
Creators are strictly prohibited from:
  • Impersonating other individuals or organizations in order to deceive the public or make false or misleading representations
  • Manipulating platform mechanisms in order to artificially generate orders, views, likes, comments, follows, positive customer feedback, or ratings
  • Engaging in activities that deceive consumers or induce them to order, like, comment, or more
  • Promoting products by eliciting sympathy from viewers. This includes, but is not limited to, claims of financial hardship, needing money, begging for help, or stating that a video or LIVE was recorded under pressure
  • Promoting artificial traffic generation services
  • Promoting products with claims that commissions, sales, or other proceeds will be donated or directed to a third party
  • Creating malicious software or modifying code to artificially increase orders, views, likes, followers, shares, or comments
  • Any other attempt to direct users to non-authorized landing pages
The following are also prohibited:
  • Invalid landing pages
  • Landing pages that require a user's personal information to proceed
  • Landing pages that automatically download files to a person's computer

Prohibited Products

All products displayed or otherwise promoted within a creator's content must comply with all local laws, regulations, and our TikTok Community Guidelines. For specific product information, please refer to our TikTok Shop Prohibited Products Policy.
TikTok Shop reserves the right at our sole discretion to decide whether content is appropriate. If we determine that the product is prohibited, illegal, or inappropriate, we may remove it.

Redirecting Traffic

TikTok Shop cannot guarantee the safety of transactions that take place off-platform. Content may be removed if it includes links, references, or other calls to action that direct users away from TikTok Shop.
Prohibited actions include sharing:
  • Links to other websites or online fundraisers
  • Phone numbers, social media handles, or email addresses
  • QR codes
  • Any other information that directs users to an external platform or website

Restricted Products

Creators must not promote any content related to products listed in our TikTok Shop Restricted Products Policy unless they have obtained the necessary approvals.

Sensational, Shocking, or Disturbing Content

Creators are prohibited from promoting content that is sensational, shocking, disturbing, or likely to cause discomfort or distress to users. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Nudity, depictions of sexual arousal or stimulation, or sexually explicit language
  • Vulgar or offensive language, including hate speech, slurs, or discriminatory remarks
  • Violent or graphic depictions of death or accidents
  • Depictions of dismembered, mutilated, charred, or burned human or animal remains
  • Gore that focuses on open wounds or injuries
  • Real-world physical violence, fighting, or acts of torture
  • Non-natural deaths of animals, such as slaughter
  • Depictions of animal cruelty or gore
You can find further guidance in the Prohibited Content for Platform Safety article.

Unoriginal, Low-quality, and Irrelevant Content

Unoriginal and Prohibited Content

Content is considered unoriginal if the user has not added new or creative edits to any imported or uploaded media. Imported media includes media uploaded to TikTok Shop that has previously been shared on TikTok, and media from other social media platforms or sources including television, movies, or webcasts. An indicator of unoriginal content is a visible watermark or superimposed logo.
The following content is prohibited:
  • Content that includes extremely short clips, static images, or still scenes during LIVEs
  • Content that includes any inappropriate use of language
  • Exclusively Graphics Interchange Format (or GIF-based) videos
  • Content that lacks active engagement, such as videos or LIVEs where the creator does not speak, interact with viewers, appear on screen, or meaningfully present or demonstrate the product.
For more information, refer to Best Practices for Promotional Content and How to Create Interactive Livestreams and Video Content.

Irrelevant Product Promotion

All promoted products must be relevant and clearly displayed in the related content.
The following situations are examples of irrelevant product promotion:
  • The product shown in the video was not mentioned on the landing page
  • The product was not explicitly or completely shown in the creator's content
  • The product displayed in the creator's content does not match the same product on their landing page
  • The landing page shows the creator's shop page with "Error 404" or other error codes
For more information on irrelevant product promotion, refer to Best Practices for Promotional Content.

Weight Management Content

Creators are prohibited from promoting content that contains weight management products, as set forth in our TikTok Shop Prohibited Products Policy. Prohibited weight management content includes, but is not limited to:
  • Overt claims that a promoted product will cause weight loss
  • Personal testimonials about products causing weight loss
  • Claims that a product can cure, treat, or prevent obesity
  • Claims that a product contains, acts as, or mimics GLP-1 receptor agonists (a class of medications used for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity), including any suggestion of equivalent weight loss effect
  • Before and after weight loss results
  • Promotion of an unhealthy body image or an unhealthy relationship with food
For more information about weight management content, refer to our Guidelines for Responsible Health-Related Content article.

Category-Specific Prohibited Content

Cosmetics

Creators are prohibited from promoting any content that contains the following:
  • Phrases or implications about treating or preventing any disease
  • Phrases or implications that claim to cure, diagnose, correct, regulate, or modify a physiological function
  • Claims that imply that certain products have pharmacological, immunological, or metabolic effects
  • Claims that imply that certain products renew, correct, or change physiological functions
  • Statements referring to the effect of medicinal products
All cosmetic goods must meet the following criteria:
  • They are applied to the outer parts of the human body.
  • Their effects are temporary.
Content or statements about cosmetic products may not be misleading and may not violate any requirements specified by relevant laws or regulations. Any content containing or implying that a product's functions exceed the actual effect of the marketed item may be considered a violation of our policies.

Food

Food-related content must adhere to the following rules:
  • It must not mislead customers about its characteristics, effects, or properties.
  • Creators are prohibited from attributing medicinal properties to foods.
Claims that a nutrient or food promotes overall good health or wellbeing must be substantiated with relevant documentation or certification by an authorized health professional.
Content that states or implies that a type of food, drink, or supplement prevents, treats, or cures disease is not permitted under any circumstances.

Further Information

At TikTok, we do not allow paid political advertising on our platform. In addition, political content is not eligible to be featured in promotions by TikTok Shop, such as "Today's Deals" and "New Customer Deals."

Sensitive Events

Sensitive Events are defined as recent, unforeseen events or developing situations that present a risk of harm. Examples include, but are not limited to, civil emergencies, natural disasters, public health emergencies, terrorism and related activities, or mass acts of violence.When a Sensitive Event occurs, TikTok may remove or limit the promotion of content that aims to exploit or endorse the tragedy, in particular for the purpose of artificially driving engagement and/or financial gain.

Enforcement Actions and Appeals

We regularly review creator accounts for compliance with our policies. If violations are identified, we may take enforcement actions. For example, severe violations like promoting illegal products may lead to account removal, while minor issues such as unoriginal content might result in content removal and violation points. The enforcement actions we may take include, but are not limited to:
  • Assigning violation points
  • Removing content
  • Removing access to features
  • Restricting commission earnings
  • Restricting or removing your creator account
Creators can view their account health, find more information, and appeal enforcement actions:
• To view your account health and any enforcement actions, visit the Creator Health Rating (CHR) page.
• For more information on violations, see the Creator Enforcement Policy.
• To appeal an enforcement action, visit the Appeals section. This also includes information on how to appeal actions outside of the CHR framework.