TikTok Ads

Short vertical video at scale, bought through TikTok Ads Manager, with a creative culture that rewards native-looking content and a commerce layer (TikTok Shop) that closes the loop in supported markets.

Where ads run

• For You feed (in-feed video)
• TopView (first ad on open)
• Search results (Search Ads)
• TikTok Shop (Shop Ads, video shopping ads)
• Pangle (third-party app network, select markets)
• Branded effects, hashtag challenges, and Branded Mission (managed)

Campaign types

• Reach
• Traffic
• Video views
• Community interaction
• App promotion
• Lead generation
• Website conversions
• Product sales (Shop)
• Smart+ (automated)

Targeting

• Demographics, location, language, device
• Interests and behaviors (video interactions, creator interactions, hashtags)
• Custom Audiences: customer files, website (pixel), app, engagement, Shop activity
• Lookalike Audiences
• Smart Targeting and Smart+ automated targeting
• Search keywords for Search Ads

Buying

Auction-based, billed by impression (CPM, oCPM), click (CPC), or view (CPV); Reach and Frequency buying for guaranteed delivery on larger budgets; TopView and Branded Mission sold as reservation. Bid strategies: lowest cost, cost cap, bid cap, value optimization. Minimum campaign budget is $50 per day and ad group $20 per day in most markets. Spark Ads, which promote an existing organic post from the advertiser's or a creator's account, are the strongest-performing format in most accounts.

Measurement

TikTok Pixel and Events API (server-side) with deduplication; attribution windows selectable up to 28-day click and 7-day view; conversion lift and brand lift studies available; TikTok's Commercial Content Library serves as the public ad archive. Third-party measurement partners are supported through a partner program, and app installs are measured through MMPs.

Watch

Creative is the entire game: TikTok's own guidance is to produce many short, native, sound-on videos and let the platform find the audience. Creator content through TikTok One and the Creator Marketplace, run as Spark Ads, is the standard production path. In the United States, the platform's ownership and continued operation have been subject to federal legislation and a 2025 restructuring; check current status before committing large US budgets and keep contingency creative ready for Reels and Shorts.

Documentation

https://ads.tiktok.com/help/

See also: benchmarks for typical costs, and the glossary for any term used above.