TikTok Ads
TikTok Ads is the TikTok platform's advertising system, in which businesses create and pay for paid campaigns. Campaigns are run in the TikTok Ads Manager dashboard, and ads appear in places such as users' video feed. Every campaign has three levels: the campaign, the ad group and the ad. The advertiser chooses an objective, such as reach, website traffic or sales, and a daily or lifetime budget. Results of actions on the website are measured by the TikTok Pixel, a piece of code placed on the site.
What is TikTok Ads?
TikTok Ads is paid advertising in the TikTok app, bought mainly through the TikTok Ads Manager dashboard. The TikTok For Business platform brings together advertising tools, help and resources for businesses.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | TikTok Ads |
| Dashboard | TikTok Ads Manager |
| Structure | campaign, ad group, ad |
| Objectives | reach, traffic, video views, engagement, apps, leads, sales |
| Budget | daily or lifetime |
| Main formats | In-Feed ads, Spark Ads, TopView |
| Measurement | TikTok Pixel |
In-Feed ads are usually bought in an auction. Some premium formats, such as TopView, are reserved in advance.
How does TikTok Ads work?
According to TikTok's help center, every campaign in Ads Manager has three levels: the campaign, the ad group and the ad. Different settings are configured at each level.
| Level | What is set there, according to TikTok |
|---|---|
| Campaign | campaign objective and campaign budget |
| Ad group | placements, targeting, budget, schedule, optimization goal and bid strategy |
| Ad | format, video creative, profile name, ad text, call-to-action button and tracking |
The campaign objective determines which user actions the advertiser wants to pay for. TikTok divides objectives into three groups.
| Objective group | Objectives in TikTok Ads Manager |
|---|---|
| Awareness | reach |
| Consideration | traffic, video views, community interaction, Branded Mission |
| Conversion | app promotion, lead generation, sales |
According to TikTok, the sales objective covers selling products from TikTok Shop, a website and an app. Bid strategies include lowest cost and cost cap.
What ad formats does TikTok offer?
The most commonly used formats are In-Feed ads, Spark Ads and TopView. They differ in how they are bought, where they appear and where the video comes from.
| Format | Description according to TikTok |
|---|---|
| In-Feed ads | videos shown between users' content, bought in an auction |
| Spark Ads | ads built from organic posts by a brand or creator account |
| TopView | a video shown right after the app opens |
| Carousel ads | several images or cards in a single ad |
| Playable ads | interactive mini-games inside the ad |
According to TikTok, Spark Ads is a native format that promotes existing organic posts. Views, comments, likes and follows gained during the promotion go to the organic post. The format was launched globally in July 2021.
According to TikTok, TopView is the platform's most premium video format. Minimum spend depends on the market. The rate is set by a TikTok representative or by the Campaign Forecaster tool in Ads Manager.
| In-Feed ad parameter (excluding Spark Ads) | TikTok requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (recommended), 16:9 or 1:1 |
| Vertical resolution | at least 540 × 960 px |
| File formats | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi |
| Video length | up to 10 minutes |
| File size | up to 500 MB |
How do budgets and the TikTok Pixel work?
TikTok offers two types of budget: daily and lifetime, covering the whole campaign. A budget can be set both for the campaign and for the ad group.
| Level | Minimum daily budget according to TikTok |
|---|---|
| Campaign | more than USD 50 |
| Ad group | more than USD 20 |
The minimum lifetime budget for an ad group is USD 20 multiplied by the number of days the ads run. For 31 days, that comes to USD 620.
Once a campaign is launched, you can't switch the budget type from daily to lifetime or the other way round. When an ad group runs out of budget, delivery stops automatically.
The TikTok Pixel is a piece of code placed on a website. According to TikTok, it sends events from the site to the advertising platform. It lets you measure traffic and campaign results, as well as optimize ads and reach new customers.
Frequently asked questions
Q.How much does advertising on TikTok cost?
The cost depends on the budget, the objective and competition in the auction. According to TikTok, a campaign's daily budget must exceed USD 50 and an ad group's USD 20. Premium formats such as TopView have separate rates that depend on the market. Advertisers can use the lowest cost or cost cap bid strategy.
Q.What are Spark Ads?
Spark Ads is a TikTok format that lets you promote existing organic posts from a brand or creator account. Views, comments, likes and follows gained during the promotion go to the original post. TikTok launched the format globally in July 2021. The ad can have a button linking to a website.
Q.What is the campaign structure in TikTok Ads?
A campaign in TikTok Ads Manager has three levels. At the campaign level you choose the objective and budget. In the ad group you set the targeting, placements, schedule and bid strategy. At the ad level you add the format, video, text, call-to-action button and tracking.
Q.What is the TikTok Pixel used for?
The TikTok Pixel is a piece of code placed on a website. It sends events such as visits and purchases to TikTok. According to TikTok, it lets you measure website traffic and campaign results. It also helps optimize ads and reach new customers who may be interested in the offer.
Q.What sources is this description based on?
The campaign structure and advertising objectives are described in the TikTok Ads Manager Help Center articles “TikTok Ads Structure” and “Choose the Right Objective”. Budgets are described in the articles “About budgets for ads in TikTok Ads Manager” and “About lifetime budgets”. Ad formats are described in the articles “About Spark Ads”, “About TopView” and “TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads”, as well as on the TikTok For Business blog. The pixel is described in the article “About TikTok Pixel” from June 2026.
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