If you’ve used TikTok, you’ve likely had the uncanny feeling that it knows exactly what you want. A potato salad recipe appears on your For You page the same day you tell your best friend you’ve been craving potato salad. Or you Google “how to install a sink faucet,” only to see a TikTok video explaining the process hours later.
It may feel like magic, but the algorithm isn’t as much of a mystery as you’d think. Using a set of indicators—from watch time to likes and comments—the algorithm develops an understanding of the content that most appeals to you. As a result of all this data crunching, your feed can feel as unique to you as your own fingerprint.
For brands, this also means that with a little work, content can find its way to potential customers. Learn how the TikTok algorithm works so you can get your content in front of the right users, whether you’re selling industrial grade glycine or dropshipping hats.
What is the TikTok algorithm?
The TikTok algorithm is a set of instructions dictating which videos get surfaced based on user preferences. Instead of only showing users content from accounts they follow (as is often the case with some social media platforms), TikTok’s algorithm mixes in content from accounts they’ve yet to discover. TikTok takes into account several data points—from user interaction metrics to account settings—to deliver highly personalized, relevant content to their user base. Often, that includes content users would have never thought to seek out.
Whereas most social media companies have tended to reward conformity and broadly appealing content, TikTok has gained a reputation for connecting niche content with niche audiences. Brands with highly specialized products and services have flocked to the platform as a result.
How does the TikTok algorithm work?
TikTok’s algorithm relies on several ranking factors to connect you with content you may enjoy. TikTok’s algorithm works by analyzing key elements.
- User interactions: This category includes the likes, shares, and comments you leave; the videos you save; the time you spend watching certain videos; and the accounts and hashtags you follow or search for.
- Video information: This category accounts for the content itself, including details like captions, sounds, filters, and hashtags that help the algorithm determine what the video, photo, or slideshow is about.
- Device and account settings: The language preference, country setting, and device type you choose when you set up your TikTok account all help the algorithm determine what to show you—albeit to a lesser degree than other factors.
What the TikTok algorithm doesn’t show
To comply with the app’s community guidelines and ensure your content can be featured on TikTok users’ For You pages, avoid posting:
- Hate speech. This includes stereotypes that demean others based on characteristics including race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, family status, and medical or genetic condition.
- Promotion of disordered eating habits. Information about calorie-restrictive diets, dangerous supplement use, exercises for rapid weight loss, and opinions on ideal body types are all prohibited.
- Dangerous challenges. TikTok warns against encouraging activities that could cause physical harm.
- Nudity. This includes semi-nudity, substantial cleavage, and partially nude infants and toddlers.
- Sexually suggestive content. This includes displays of intimate kissing, sexualized behavior, or products related to sex.
- Graphic content. Avoid showing blood, physical fighting, graphic bodily functions, or otherwise distressing footage.
- Misinformation. Avoid spreading conspiracy theories, misrepresented events, and unproven treatments.
- Unverified election claims. This includes misrepresentations of ballot counts, bills, and other civic information.
- Fake engagement tactics. Offering false incentives or spammy ploys to boost engagement (such as like-for-like campaigns) will get your content flagged.
- Unoriginal content. TikTok doesn’t show content with visible watermarks, extremely short clips, or exclusively GIF-based videos.
- Gambling footage. Content that glamorizes gambling is also prohibited.
- Promotion or use of regulated substances. This includes alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other regulated drugs.
- Undisclosed paid promotions. You must disclose when a company has paid you to promote a piece of content.
According to TikTok’s community guidelines, minor violations get a warning strike, and severe violations can result in an immediate ban of your account.
Tips for working with the TikTok algorithm
- Lead with your interests
- Optimize the first few seconds
- Maximize the captions
- Be consistent
- Prioritize quality
- Put your own spin on trends
- Learn from your own data
Let the following few tips be your guide as you craft your TikTok content strategy:
Lead with your interests
For the sake of you and your audience, make content about topics that pique your interest or curiosity. Centering your passions will help you avoid burnout and lead with authenticity—something your viewers will appreciate.
That approach worked for Mimi Ikonn, cofounder of the brands Luxy Hair, a hair extension company, and Intelligent Change, a line of gratitude journals and productivity tools. When Mimi started making video content, she focused on sharing her journey in the hairstyling and hair accessories world, because that’s what she was most interested in. “It’s about enjoying what you’re doing, because that will resonate with the audience,” Mimi tells the Shopify Masters podcast.
Likewise, if the content feels tedious to you, there’s a good chance it’ll feel tedious to your audience too.
Optimize the first few seconds
Knowing that watch time is one of the most important ranking signals for TikTok’s algorithm, you want to grab users’ attention right away and keep them watching. To do that, make the first few seconds of your videos as compelling as possible. Get right to the point of the video, use a text overlay to display a short, snappy headline, insert a trending audio clip, and start with an intriguing image to grab your audience’s attention.
Maximize the captions
Captions offer a great opportunity to tell audiences—and the TikTok algorithm—what your video is about. Put relevant keywords in the captions of all of your TikTok videos so users will have an easier time finding your video when they search for related topics. This is the space to include relevant hashtags.
It may sound counterintuitive, but for the sake of content visibility, worry less about gaming the system with trending hashtags that have nothing to do with your content. Instead, be descriptive and let the TikTok algorithm work at delivering your niche videos to the right niche audiences.
Be consistent
It’s difficult to know what works and what doesn’t without repeatedly attempting to reach your target audience. Consistently create content in your niche—at least a few videos a week for several months—before expecting to see results. Think about it like buying raffle tickets; the more tickets you buy, the more chances you have to win.
It’s as much about having enough material to reach new audiences as it is about staying top of mind with your engaged audiences. “If you’re making one video or two videos a month, and if it’s sporadic, people won’t know whether when they come back there will be a new piece of content,” Mimi says. “Building that trust with your audience is extremely important.”
Prioritize quality
Contrary to popular belief, gaining traction on TikTok has less to do with publishing four videos a day or posting at the right time. The single best thing you can do is offer something tangible to users every time, whether it’s education, entertainment, or food for thought.
When Mimi sold Luxy Hair and launched Intelligent Change, the bulk of her existing community stuck with her because they’d come to appreciate her commitment to quality. “That’s the beautiful thing about content creation,” Mimi says. “When you create content, regardless of what you talk about, you build trust. So then if you choose to all of a sudden sell tea or workout gear, people will support whatever it is that you’re doing because they support you and they trust you.”
Put your own spin on trends
On TikTok, it’s possible for the same dance routine or challenge to gain momentum and create viral content for multiple people—even if their videos look nearly identical. It can be tempting to recreate every trend in the pursuit of views, but your brand will be better off in the long run if you engage with trends thoughtfully.
“It’s just watching for those trends that resonate with people and then doing it in the way that resonates with your values and the content that you want to put out,” Mimi says. For example, let’s say you run a small-batch coffee bean company. To attract relevant users, you might answer the trending question, “What’s the one item you’d take to a deserted island?” Coffee, of course. But skip out on trends that have nothing to do with your niche.
Learn from your own data
Once you’ve spent a few months consistently creating content, head to your TikTok analytics dashboard to review what formats and topics users interact with the most. Is there a particular video that got thousands of more views than the rest? Does your audience seem to engage more with longer or shorter videos? Which had the lowest video completion rate?
In the same way that the TikTok algorithm learns from when users engage and lose interest, you can observe your own data to optimize performance.
TikTok algorithm FAQ
How do I reset my TikTok algorithm?
To reset your TikTok viewing preferences, simply go to “Privacy and settings,” “Content preferences,” “Refresh your For You feed,” and tap “Continue” to refresh the recommendation system.
How do I get 1,000 views on TikTok?
To improve your odds of getting thousands of TikTok views, create engaging content, remain consistent with your posting schedule, use trending sounds and hashtags, and learn from your own performance data.
Why am I not getting views on my TikTok?
Your TikTok content may see low user interaction if it violates the platform’s community guidelines, looks similar to many other creators’ content, or doesn’t grab users’ attention in the first few seconds.
