Standard and Custom Events
Last updated, October 2023

Events are actions taken on your website, like adding an item to a cart, filling out a form or making a purchase. Events can result from a TikTok ad (paid), or can come organically (unpaid). As people interact with your website, integration methods like Events API and the TikTok Pixel share events with TikTok. These events help you measure campaign performance, optimize ad delivery and build marketing audiences.


There are two categories of events on TikTok:

  • Standard Events: These are actions with predefined names created by TikTok. Standard events are supported across all TikTok integration tools today and can be used for reporting, optimizing for conversions and building audiences. For a list of supported standard events, continue reading below.

  • Custom Events: These are actions that TikTok partners can define themselves beyond the predefined standard events list. Custom events can be set up with Event Builder in Events Manager or reported directly via the Pixel and Web Events API. Custom events are available for reporting and audience creation purposes. Optimization is not supported at this time.


Best practices for setting up events

When considering which events to add, we recommend creating an event for each step along the customer's user journey of your site- from viewing product details all the way to completing a purchase. By setting up events in this way, you're measuring and optimizing for the events that matter most to your business. Once your events are set up, learn more about how to manage and understand your events in Events Manager.


We also recommend adding the same events for both the TikTok Pixel and Events API to maximize your ad performance. When doing so, it's important to set up deduplication via event id in order to avoid over-reporting of web events. To learn more about deduplication, refer to Event deduplication.


Supported Standard Events

Below is a list of standard events that are currently supported with our web integration tools such as Event Builder, the TikTok Pixel or Events API. With any of the standard events, you can send parameters, or additional information about the visitor's actions, such as the total price of an order or product name and category. If you're unsure of what parameters to use, refer to our "recommended parameters" in the table below and learn more about parameters here.


Standard Event

Description

Recommended parameters

Event Codes

Add Payment Info

When a visitor adds their payment information at checkout.


'AddPaymentInfo'

Add to Cart

When a visitor adds an item to the cart.

content_type, quantity, description, content_id, currency, value

'AddToCart'

Add to Wishlist

When a visitor adds an item to the wishlist.


'AddToWishlist'

Click Button

When a visitor taps a button. TikTok recommends measuring website buttons important to your business, such as social media buttons.


'ClickButton'

Complete Payment

When a visitor makes a payment. TikTok recommends using this event when placing an order and making a payment are the same.

content_type, quantity, description, content_id, currency, value

'CompletePayment'

Complete Registration

When a visitor signs up for something such as account registration.


'CompleteRegistration'

Contact

When a visitor contacts you.


'Contact'

Download

When a visitor downloads something from your website.


'Download'

Initiate Checkout

When a visitor proceeds to checkout.


'InitiateCheckout'

Place an Order

When a visitor places an order. TikTok recommends using this event when placing an order and making a payment are not the same.

content_type, quantity, description, content_id, currency, value

'PlaceAnOrder'

Search

When a visitor searches.

query

'Search'

Submit Form

When a visitor submits a form.


'SubmitForm'

Subscribe

When a visitor subscribes on your website including follows, content, or paid subscriptions.


'Subscribe'

View Content

When a visitor views a specific page. TikTok recommends measuring pages important to your business such as product comparison, announcement, or release pages.

content_type, quantity, description, content_id, currency, value

'ViewContent'

Note: By default, the pixel base code will always include page view events which measure when a person lands on any of your webpages.


Custom Events

Unlike standard events which are defined by TikTok, custom events are events that partners can define themselves, outside of the standard events TikTok currently offers.


Note: To comply with TikTok's data terms and policies, and to protect your user's privacy, do not send TikTok any sensitive data about visitors on your site when setting up events. You are responsible for ensuring all event labels are created in accordance with TikTok's Advertising Policies, Anti Discrimination Policy, and Housing, Employment and Credit Policy. Events names are subject to review and may be removed if non-compliant.


Examples of Acceptable Custom Event Categories & Names

Note: Custom events should only be used in instances where TikTok's standard event list does not meet your needs. If there is not a standard event that fits your criteria, you may use a custom event. Below are some examples of acceptable custom event categories:

  • Labels that reflect conventional consumer activity such as 'signing up for a free trial.' As there isn't a standard event that fits this use case, you may want to use a custom event label "StartFreeTrial".

  • Labels that reflect conventional merchant activity such as shipping a product. This is different from a close standard event like 'Place an Order' so you may want to use a custom event label 'ProductShipped'.


Additional considerations & specifications

Before setting up custom events, there are a few requirements and considerations to keep in mind:

  1. Reporting and audience creation of custom events are currently supported. Custom events cannot be used for optimizing campaigns at this time.

  2. Make sure to use a custom event name that is not the same as one of TikTok's predefined standard events. Here are the requirements for custom event naming:

Requirement

Details

Character Limit

Custom event names should not exceed 50 characters.

Format

Only alphabetic letters, Arabic numerals, underscores, and dashes are accepted.

Name Conflict

Avoid using the reserved event names for your custom event. Refer to the full list of reserved event names below.

Special Rule

Custom event names must start with an alphabetic letter and cannot end with a space.


Reserved event conflicts (these events will automatically be mapped to a Standard Event so it is recommended to not set them up as a custom event).

Reserved Events

Standard Event Mapping

AddBilling

AddPaymentInfo

Browse

PageView

Checkout

PlaceAnOrder

ClickForm

SubmitForm

ClickInConsultationPage

ClickButton

ClickInDownloadPage

ClickButton

ClickToDownload

Download

Consult

Contact

ConsultByPhone

Contact

Purchase

CompletePayment

Registration

CompleteRegistration

StartCheckout

InitiateCheckout

ViewConsultationPage

ViewContent

ViewDownloadPage

ViewContent

ViewForm

ViewContent


Example website code with standard or custom events added:

code image

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