Guides

Choosing your path to Shopify e-commerce growth on TikTok

Shopify businesses can grow on TikTok through two powerful paths: driving traffic to your store with TikTok Ads or selling directly with TikTok Shop.

Why Shopify merchants are thriving on TikTok

With over one billion people worldwide on TikTok, the platform has become a growth engine for independent businesses, emerging brands, and established companies alike. TikTok connects communities through entertainment, creativity, and discovery, which makes it uniquely effective for e-commerce categories like fashion, beauty, home goods, and lifestyle products.


For Shopify merchants, there are two proven ways to unlock this opportunity:

  1. Use TikTok advertising to drive traffic to your Shopify store

  2. Open a TikTok Shop to enable purchases directly in the TikTok app


Both paths can deliver measurable growth, you can choose the one that best aligns with your sales strategy, level of hands-on management, and customer experience goals.

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Path 1: Want to grow through TikTok advertising?

TikTok advertising helps businesses connect with audiences through engaging short-form video ads that appear in the For You feed and other placements. Shopify merchants can run formats like Catalog Ads and Spark Ads to drive traffic, boost conversions, and scale sales. With tools like the TikTok Pixel and Smart+, campaigns can be tracked and optimized for maximum performance.


Check out the full guide to TikTok Ads for Shopify


This guide shows you how to:

  • Launch a campaign directly from Shopify. The TikTok app for Shopify allows you to set up, manage, and monitor campaigns without leaving your dashboard.

  • Set up the TikTok Pixel and Events API for performance tracking. These connections help you understand which ads drive conversions on your site, and enable retargeting for high-intent shoppers.

  • Create Catalog Ads to showcase your products. Automatically generate creative from your synced product feed, reducing manual setup.

  • Automate your Catalog Ads performance using Smart+. TikTok’s AI-powered optimization tool dynamically allocates spend to the highest-performing products (learn more about Smart+).

  • Fully integrate TikTok for Business tools inside Shopify. Access campaign creation, performance insights, and data connections all in one place.


Ideal for: Shopify merchants ready to invest in paid media to drive consistent, conversion-optimized growth.

Case Study: Glow Recipe

Read the full case study

  • Objective: Educate potential customers on skincare benefits while driving product sales.

  • Solution: Combined Spark Ads with educational TikTok videos that walked viewers through ingredient benefits, linking to their Shopify product listings.

  • Result: Generated millions of views and a measurable lift in conversions.

  • Takeaway for Shopify sellers: Educational content can be just as powerful as direct promotions when paired with the right ad formats and product links to your e-commerce store.


Path 2: Want to drive direct in-app purchases with TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop is a one-stop commerce solution that lets you integrate your Shopify store and sell directly within TikTok through formats like Shoppable Videos, Live Shopping, and the Shop Tab. This approach is ideal if you want to simplify order management, reach a highly engaged audience, and turn video views into seamless purchases.


Check out the full guide to TikTok Shop for Shopify


This guide covers how to:

  • Onboard your Shopify store to TikTok Shop. Get verified in Seller Center and connect your catalog.

  • Sync your products and manage listings. Update prices, availability, and inventory automatically between Shopify and TikTok.

  • Launch Shop Ads to drive in-app discovery and sales. Promote your products directly where customers are watching and engaging with content.

  • Activate GMV Max to automate campaign performance. TikTok’s optimization solution ensures ad budgets are continuously directed toward your best-selling items.


Ideal for: Merchants ready to expand their reach, open a storefront inside TikTok, and provide customers with a direct, in-app shopping experience.


Case Study: MySmile
  • Objective: Oral care brand MySmile wanted to scale distribution, reach new audiences, and streamline its sales process.

  • Solution: The company synced its catalog into TikTok Shop, optimized listings, and ran Shop Ads that linked directly to in-app checkout. MySmile also partnered with creators to demonstrate product use in authentic TikTok videos.

  • Results: TikTok Shop enabled MySmile to rapidly expand orders and revenue while simplifying fulfillment by keeping the purchase journey entirely within TikTok. The campaign demonstrated how in-app sales can shorten the path to purchase and accelerate growth


Which path is right for your Shopify store?


TikTok Advertising
  • Drive traffic to your website

  • Fastest way to get started

  • Great for conversion-focused advertisers

  • Optimize with Smart+


TikTok Shop
  • Enable in-app purchases

  • Requires onboarding in Seller Center

  • Great for expanding top-funnel reach

  • Automate sales with GMV Max


Many merchants begin with TikTok Ads to build awareness and test demand, then add TikTok Shop to streamline transactions and capture sales within the app. Both paths complement each other and can be run side by side.

Your questions, answered

What’s the difference between TikTok advertising and TikTok Shop?

TikTok advertising (e.g., Catalog Ads, Spark Ads) drives traffic and conversions, sending shoppers to your Shopify store to complete their purchase. TikTok Shop, by contrast, is a direct commerce solution where purchases happen within TikTok.

Can I use both TikTok advertising and TikTok Shop together?

Do I need a TikTok for Business account to get started?

Do I need to install the TikTok app on Shopify for both options?

Which option is easier for a new merchant?

Will I need coding skills to set this up?

This document is the property of TikTok Inc. and is intended solely for informational purposes. The recipient shall not distribute, exhibit or otherwise use this document for any other purpose. TikTok undertakes no obligation or responsibility to update any of the information contained in this document. Past performance does not guarantee or predict future performance. Please note that you are solely responsible for adherence to all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies, when creating branded content on TikTok including, without limitation, the FTC's endorsement guidelines and all applicable TikTok platform policies including, without limitation, TikTok's branded content policy: https://support.tiktok.com/en/business-and-creator/creator-and-business-accounts/branded-content-policy