TikTok Ad Policy: A Complete Guide to Ad Creatives That Meet Advertising Policies
Learn TikTok's ad policy, review process, and best practices for successful ad approval. This guide is designed for businesses of all sizes to ensure compliance and optimise creative performance.
TikTok is a game-changing platform for advertisers with its dynamic and highly engaged user base. The app rewards entertaining, authentic content and allows brands to connect with audiences on a deeper level with a lower entry cost. However, as effective as TikTok ads are, they must adhere to TikTok’s ad policies to ensure they reach their intended audience without being rejected. Businesses and advertisers should understand TikTok’s ad approval process, how to avoid common creative mistakes and the best practices for keeping your ads compliant.
Why Following TikTok Ad Policy is Important
TikTok thrives on creativity and brands are encouraged to express that in their content. The TikTok advertising policies are to provide governance, not undue restriction. Ads on TikTok must adhere to policies that ensure a positive and secure environment for users. These guidelines protect both advertisers and consumers by preventing misleading claims, inappropriate content, and breaches of privacy.TikTok is committed to brand safety. By following TikTok’s ad policy, you’re helping to build a trusted platform where businesses can engage meaningfully with their target audiences while keeping the community safe. You can learn more about our ongoing efforts at the TikTok Brand Safety Center.
The TikTok Ad Review Process: How It Works
What is the TikTok ad review process?
TikTok reviews every ad before it goes live to ensure compliance with its advertising policies, community guidelines, and terms of service. This ensures all ads are suitable, safe, and aligned with the platform's values. The ad review process typically takes around 24 hours, during which TikTok checks the ad content, landing page, and target audience.Why was my TikTok ad rejected?Ads may be flagged or rejected due to a number of reasons for violation of our ad policies. Here are some common reasons why an ad may fail our review.
Using exaggerated, overstated or misleading claims about product performance that are false or cannot be proven.
Discrepancies between the ad and landing page: "clickbaiting" provides a negative experience for users.
The ad contains promotion of prohibited or restricted products.
The ad contains suggestive or sexually provocative scenes and behavior, or graphic images that are likely to shock or scare users.
Ad creative infringes on intellectual property (such as third-party logos) or contains political, religious, or culturally sensitive material.
You can avoid ad rejection by familiarising yourself with the Ad Review FAQ and reviewing TikTok's advertising policies. In addition, making some changes to your ad campaign may also trigger a new review process. For a more detailed checklist on how to ensure your ad passes review, check out TikTok’s Ad Review Checklist.
Handling Rejected Ads
If your ad is rejected, don't panic. TikTok provides clear feedback on why it was disapproved, and you’ll have the opportunity to make changes and resubmit it. Simply review the rejection prompt, make the necessary edits, and resubmit the ad for review. If you believe the ad was rejected in error, you can submit an appeal through the Advertiser Support system.
How To Ensure Ad Policy Compliance: Best Practices for Ad Creatives on TikTok
Creating ads that comply with TikTok's policies is essential for smooth approval and effective performance. Here are some key best practices to follow:
Keep Your Content Honest and Clear: Avoid any exaggerated or sensational claims. Ads should be straightforward and in line with what your product or service offers. As a small business building brand credibility is important.
Stay Culturally and Regionally Aware: Depending on the region, certain products and services may be restricted. Ensure your ad complies with the laws and regulations of the region you're targeting.
Be Consistent Across Your Ad and Landing Page: Ensure that the same message and products promoted in the ad are reflected on the landing page. This includes making sure the language is consistent. Showing something different on the website than what was advertised may cause uncertainty in users, hence lowering conversion rates.
Use High-Quality Media: Whether it’s images, videos, or audio, ensure your creative assets are of high quality and adhere to TikTok’s media specifications. For small business with limited resources, the TikTok Creative Center offers many resources to help you make the most of existing assets and brainstorm new video ideas based on your goals.
These guidelines can help ensure your ads run smoothly on TikTok and avoid delays in the review process. For more information on best practices, read TikTok’s article on Advertising on TikTok: First Things to Note.
Need inspiration for ads that work?
➡️ Check out our Top Ads Spotlight, a collection of ads on TikTok that has proven to work and delivered strong performance for other advertisers.
➡️ Make the most of your existing assets. The Smart Video creative tool found in TikTok Ads Manager uses artificial intelligence to automatically cut video clips, add video transitions and edit them to the rhythm of the music.
➡️ Built into the ad creation flow of TikTok Ads Manager, Smart Fix can notify you of potential ad review issues and offers actionable creative solutions. Resolve detected issues automatically with a single click and gain control over precise edits in TikTok Video Editor or Smart Text.
Ready to get started with TikTok ads? Explore TikTok Ads Manager here.