TikTok Shop US Publishes Creator Content Policy: Affiliate Sellers Must Standardize Promotional Materials
TikTok Shop US requires creators to promote products accurately and compliantly, banning misleading claims and various promotional methods that manipulate consumers; violations may affect sellers relying on creator channels.
What are the key facts?
- 1TikTok Shop US published a creator content policy
- 2Accurate and compliant product descriptions are required
- 3Violations may result in content removal and account restrictions
What happened?
TikTok Shop US published a new creator content policy on September 25, 2026, applicable to creators on the US site. The policy requires creators to describe promoted products accurately and compliantly in livestreams, short videos, images, and titles. They may not use misleading backgrounds, exaggerated settings, false effects, gambling-like content, deceptive statements, or other promotional methods that manipulate consumers.
The policy also specifically addresses the presentation and promotion of medicines, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other high-risk regulated products. For violations, the platform may remove content, restrict functions, deduct violation points, restrict accounts, or, in serious cases, suspend or terminate accounts. It also provides appeal channels through Seller Center or the TikTok app.
Although the policy is primarily aimed at creators, cross-border sellers relying on creator affiliate sales, affiliate commissions, and livestream promotion may also be affected because product descriptions, scripts, and visual materials may be traced back to merchant responsibility.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
US sellers relying on creator affiliate sales, affiliate commissions, and livestream promotion need to include product descriptions in creator livestreams, short videos, images, and titles in their compliance reviews. Misleading backgrounds, exaggerated settings, false effects, and deceptive statements may lead to content removal, function restrictions, violation points, account restrictions, or, in serious cases, suspension or termination.
What should sellers do now?
- 1This week, organize livestream talking points, short-video scripts, images, and titles for products promoted by US creators. Check each item for accurate product descriptions, remove exaggerated, false, or deceptive statements, and create a materials checklist for pre-publication review.Creator Outreach
- 2For US-site listings that rely on creator affiliate sales and affiliate commissions, review the product claims, visual backgrounds, and promotional language used by creators. Mark misleading risks item by item and produce revised scripts, titles, and image review records.Listing Optimizer
- 3Conduct a focused review of creator content for medicines, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other high-risk regulated products. Check livestreams, short videos, images, and titles for improper presentation or promotional methods that manipulate consumers, and retain the completed checklist.Listing character checker