About click discrepancies

It's essential to understand that discrepancies between TikTok Ads Manager and third party (3P) reporting tools, like Google Analytics, are expected. This is due to various reasons, including different metric definitions, methodologies, and platform nuances.

TikTok Clicks and Google Analytics page views are different metrics and therefore will always vary. As a third party, Google Analytics may have different definitions of their metrics, even with the same name. When comparing data sources, it is important to understand each platform's metric definitions and why differences exist.

This article helps explain why click discrepancies exist.

Note: Use this information to help inform your media decisions, instead of reconciling both numbers.

Common reasons for discrepancies

Non-Spark Ads are designed to create more opportunities to load the brand landing page

Depending on the ad type used, clicks and interactions with an ad can be handled in two different ways. With our Spark Ads product, swiping left, clicking on the nickname, or clicking on the profile photo will direct to the brands' TikTok profile page, while clicks on the Call-to-Action button or caption will lead to the brand's chosen external landing page. However, with our Non-Spark in-feed video ads, each of these clicks would direct the user directly to the brand's landing page.

While the Spark Ads experience is designed to be more native for the user, there are instances where the user may attempt to interact with a Non-Spark Ad in a similar way - without intending to leave the TikTok environment. In those cases, some users may decide not to continue loading the landing page. Based on this user behavior, we expect a bit more of a gap between TikTok "clicks" and landing page visits captured by 3P trackers for clients using Non-Spark Ads. This does not indicate that either tracking method is set up incorrectly but just accounts for the fact that there are more opportunities for a user to initiate the process of being taken to the landing page with Non-Spark Ad types.

If you are seeing a high level of clicks on your ad with a lower number of page views in your 3P reporting, one helpful insight is that users are likely looking to continue interacting with your brand's content on TikTok. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of that interest and think more about what your organic presence on TikTok looks like. Switching to a Spark Ads strategy will then allow users to more easily continue that journey with your brand's TikTok presence.

oCPM campaigns may provide a clearer call-to-action, resulting in a lower bounce rate

Similar to Spark Ads, in an oCPM campaign (ie a campaign using automated bidding), there are fewer click methods to reach the external landing page, making those clicks more intentional to interact with the brand off-app. This can contribute to fewer clicks where the user is merely exploring but not dedicated to interaction.

A high bounce rate does not mean the user did not view your page, but that there was no interaction after the initial click. Depending on how the landing page is structured, this may be the natural design or flow of user experience. For example, if the external landing page is an article or a product description, the user may read the intended material and still be considered a "bounce" from the page.