Tiktok Shop Academy

Content Policy Creator Guide - Underage Commercial Behavior

09/02/2026

Applies to:United States
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What you need to know: TikTok Shop's Underage Commercial Behavior policy focuses on how minors appear in your e-commerce content — not just what you sell. Even if your product is allowed on the platform, your content can still violate this policy based on how a minor is featured. This guide explains exactly what is allowed, what is not, and how to keep your videos and LIVE content compliant.

How This Policy Works

This policy looks at how a minor appears in your commerce content — including your video, LIVE session, spoken words, voice-overs, and on-screen time.
The policy applies in the below scenarios where the minor is included in the content, even when the product itself is allowed for sale:
  1. A minor promoting product in the content, including situations where a minor promotes verbally and is not on screen, is not permitted.
  2. A minor is the only person on screen and is unaccompanied by an adult for more than half of the video or LIVE duration, is not permitted.
For more information, please refer to our policy on Content Targeting or Exploiting Minors and our content policy on Minor Safety.

Minor Promoting a Product

This means a minor appears on the screen and speaks to introduce, recommend, or promote a product — including describing the product's benefits, usage, or features and/or a minor is not visible on screen, but their voice is used to promote the product through narration, voice-over, or off-camera commentary.
What's not allowed:
What's okay:
  • A minor speaks on camera to describe how a product works or what it does
  • An adult leads the full product introduction while a minor appears passively (wearing, holding, or trying the product)
  • A minor recommends the product or talks about its benefits
  • A minor makes a brief exclamation like "Yes," "I like it," or "Tastes good" while an adult is present and leads the sale
  • A minor gives a usage demonstration with narration
  • A minor appears briefly in the background with no audience communication
  • A child's voice narrates the product features or benefits of the video
  • An adult voice-over introduces the product
  • A minor's voice recommends the product off screen
  • Music or ambient audio plays over the video, without a child's voice promoting the product
  • An AI-generated child voice is used to promote the product
  • AI-generated audio where audio track does not use child voice.
The key difference is who is leading the sale. An adult must lead the full product introduction. A minor can appear, but must not be the person driving the promotion by speaking.

How minors appear in your content

A minor should not be the only person shown in the content, and they should not appear alone for more than half of the total video or LIVE duration.
What's not allowed:
What's okay:
  • A minor is the only person on screen for the majority of the video, promoting a general product
  • An adult is present on screen alongside a minor for most of the content
  • A LIVE session where a minor is left alone on camera for more than 50% of the stream
  • A minor appears alone for less than half of the total duration

Exemption: Baby, Kids, and Toy Products

This does not apply to content where the product is designed for children. A minor may appear alone if the product falls into a baby, kids, or toy category — this is to reflect authentic product usage.
Category examples that qualify for exemption:
  • Level 1: Baby & Maternity, Kids' Fashion, Toys & Hobbies
  • Level 2-3: Kids' Sports Clothing, Kids' Tennis Shoes, Children's Bedding, Children's Sleeping Bags
If a product is not categorized under the above but the content clearly centers on baby, kids, or toy usage, it may also qualify for the exemption.

Enforcement Summary

Violation
Video Penalties
LIVE Penalties
  1. Minor promoting a product
  2. Minor alone on screen for more than half the content
  • Product anchor removal
  • No-recommendation (For You, Shop tab, Search)
  • Creator Health Rating −24 points
  • 1st violation: warning
  • Repeat violations: product anchor removal, LIVE cast permission ban, no-recommendation, Creator Health Rating −24 points

How to Stay Compliant

Quick checklist before you post:
  • Does an adult lead the full product introduction and demonstration?
  • Is a minor speaking, narrating, or recommending the product on screen or by voice-over?
  • Is a minor the only person on screen for more than half of the video?
  • If a minor is featured alone, is the product a baby, kids, or toy item?
  • If you are using AI-generated audio, is the child voice model turned off?
If any of these raise a concern, revise your content before publishing.
Tips for compliant content:
  • Let an adult lead. Adults should introduce the product, demonstrate its use, and drive the sale.
  • Keep minors passive. Minors can wear, hold, or try a product, but should not speak to promote it or recommend it to viewers.
  • Avoid child voice-overs. Do not use a minor's voice — real or AI-generated — to narrate product content.
  • Watch your screen time. If a minor appears alone, make sure they occupy less than half of the total content duration, unless the product is specifically made for children.
  • Frame kids' products clearly. If a minor appears alone with a baby, kids, or toy product, keep the content and description focused on the child-oriented use case so the exemption is clear.
  • Adults with minors on LIVE. If a minor is on your LIVE, keep an adult on camera for the majority of the stream.

Appeals

If you receive a violation under this policy, you can appeal directly in the TikTok app. No additional materials are required to submit an appeal.

Questions?

Visit TikTok Shop Academy for more information about content policies and best practices.
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