tiktok-ads

TikTok Ads Management

Automation-first approach to TikTok Ads. Use MCP servers and the Marketing API for programmatic operations. Browser guidance only when API/MCP can't handle it.

Project data lives in .maccing/growth/tiktok-ads/<account>/README.md. This file contains only generic, reusable platform knowledge.

Iron Laws

0. MANDATORY: Read Project Context First

BEFORE ANY ACTION, ALWAYS READ THE PROJECT FILES:
1. .maccing/growth/README.md (if exists)
2. .maccing/growth/tiktok-ads/<account>/README.md (if exists)
These contain current state: pixel IDs, campaign data, pending actions.
Without reading them, you WILL operate on stale data.

1. Automation Priority

ALWAYS USE MCP OR API FOR OPERATIONS WHEN AVAILABLE.
BROWSER GUIDANCE IS THE FALLBACK, NOT THE DEFAULT.

Priority order:

1. TikTok Ads MCP (amekala/ads-mcp or AdsMCP/tiktok-ads-mcp-server) — campaign CRUD, reports, analytics
2. TikTok Marketing API (via official SDK tiktok-business-api-sdk-official) — full lifecycle management
3. TikTok Events API — server-side conversion tracking (like GA4 MP)
4. UI automation — follow the global AdsPower discipline in reference/automation.md; do NOT use Playwriter for antidetect-sensitive surfaces.

2. Self-Improving Skill

After every session: update patterns, add new API learnings, document what worked/failed.

3. Exact UI Paths for Manual Actions

WHEN GUIDING ANY MANUAL ACTION, PROVIDE THE FULL CLICK PATH.
NEVER give vague directions. ALWAYS give the exact click sequence.

4. Data Before Opinions

Never recommend changes without data. Read metrics first, diagnose second, prescribe third.

Platform Architecture

Three Separate Platforms

Platform	URL	Purpose
TikTok Business Account	TikTok app	Organic profile, basic "Promote" feature, NOT an ads account
TikTok Ads Manager	ads.tiktok.com	Campaign builder, budgets, targeting, creatives, bids
TikTok Business Center	business.tiktok.com	Admin layer: team permissions, multiple ad accounts, shared pixels

Solo advertiser: Ads Manager is enough. Business Center is for teams/agencies.

Account Hierarchy

Campaign (objective, budget)
  └── Ad Group (targeting, bid, placement, schedule)
       └── Ad (creative, CTA, destination URL)

• Campaign daily budget minimum: $50
• Ad group daily budget minimum: $20
• Recommended: 3-5 ad groups per campaign, 3-5 creatives per ad group
• Learning phase: ~50 conversions per ad group before optimization stabilizes

Permanent Settings (cannot change after creation)

• Country/Region
• Currency
• Timezone
• Business name (on the account record)

Campaign Objectives

Category	Objective	Optimizes For	Best For
Awareness	Reach	Unique impressions	Brand launches
Consideration	Traffic	Link clicks	Landing page visits
	Video Views	2s or 6s views	Content-first strategy
	Community Interaction	Followers, profile visits	Account growth
Conversion	Lead Generation	Form submissions	In-app lead capture (Instant Form)
	Website Conversions	Site actions (sign-up, purchase)	Registration, purchases
	App Promotion	Installs, in-app events	Mobile app installs
	Product Sales	Purchases via TikTok Shop	E-commerce

Ad Formats

In-Feed Ads (Standard)

• Appear in For You Page between organic videos
• Full-screen vertical (9:16 required; 1:1 and 16:9 technically supported but underperform)
• Resolution: minimum 540x960px; recommended 1080x1920px
• Duration: up to 60 seconds; 9-15 seconds performs best
• CTA button + display name + caption

Spark Ads (Boost Organic Posts)

• Boost existing organic TikTok posts as paid ads
• All engagement accumulates back to the organic post permanently
• 132% higher completion rate and 48% higher CVR vs standard in-feed
• Requires authorization code from post owner (7/30/60/365 days)
• Cannot edit caption after authorization

Authorization flow:

1. Creator: TikTok app → Profile → Settings → Creator Tools → Ad Settings
2. Select post → Choose duration → Generate Code → Copy
3. Advertiser: Ads Manager → Tools → Advertising Content Library → Spark Ads Publications → Paste code

Lead Generation Instant Form

• In-app form, no external redirect
• Auto-fills from user's TikTok profile (name, email, phone)
• Higher completion rates than external landing pages
• CRM integration: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier, LeadsBridge

Targeting

Demographics

Dimension	Options
Age	13-17, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+ (18+ mandatory for financial content)
Gender	All, Male, Female
Location	Country, region/state, city-level
Language	Device/app language
Household Income	US only (Top 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%)

Audience Types

Type	What It Is	Intent Level
Interests	Long-term engagement patterns	Medium
Behaviors	Recent actions in last 15 days	High
Custom Audiences	Upload CRM data, website visitors, app users	Highest
Lookalike Audiences	Similar to source. Narrow 1%, Balanced 5%, Broad 20%	Medium-High
Smart+	AI-driven fully automated targeting	Varies

Bidding Strategies

Strategy	How It Works	When to Use
Lowest Cost	Spend full budget at cheapest results	Starting out, learning phase
Cost Cap	Target average CPA you specify	Have target CPA, want volume
Bid Cap	Maximum per-result bid. Lower volume.	Strict budget discipline

Billing methods: oCPM (conversions), CPC (traffic), CPM (reach), CPV (video views)

Progression: Start Lowest Cost → collect 50+ conversions → switch to Cost Cap

Cost Benchmarks (2025-2026)

Global Averages

Metric	All Industries	Finance/Insurance
CPM	$9.16	$13-18
CPC	$1.02	$1.71-2.20
CPV	$0.03	$0.03-0.08
CTR	1.0%	0.72%
CVR	1.8%	1.02%
CPA	$56.67	$35-75 (leads)

Regional Costs

Region	CPM	CPC	vs. US
United States	$10.72	$1.18	Baseline
UK/Europe	$8-15	$0.90-2.00	-10-25%
Latin America	$4.18	$0.42	-60%
Southeast Asia	$3.05	$0.31	-70%

Budget Minimums

Level	Minimum
Ad group daily	$20/day
Campaign daily	$50/day
Meaningful testing	$500-1,000
Seeing results	$5,000+/month

Conversion Tracking

TikTok Pixel (Client-Side)

Standard events:

Event	When to Fire
PageView	All pages
ViewContent	Product/plan pages
ClickButton	CTA buttons
CompleteRegistration	After sign-up
SubmitForm	Lead form submissions
Purchase	After purchase (replaces deprecated PlaceAnOrder)

TikTok Events API (Server-Side)

Equivalent to Meta CAPI / GA4 Measurement Protocol. Sends events server-to-server.

Endpoint: POST https://business-api.tiktok.com/open_api/v1.3/event/track/

Authentication: Access-Token header (NOT Authorization: Bearer)

Payload structure v1.3:

{
  "event_source": "web",
  "event_source_id": "<pixel_id>",
  "data": [{
    "event": "CompleteRegistration",
    "event_id": "<dedup_id>",
    "event_time": 1717200000,
    "user": {
      "ttclid": "<raw_string>",
      "email": "<sha256_hash>",
      "external_id": "<sha256_hash>"
    },
    "page": { "url": "https://example.com/signup" },
    "properties": { "content_name": "sign_up" }
  }]
}

Critical rules:

• event_time: Unix seconds (NOT ISO 8601, NOT milliseconds)
• Event names: PascalCase (CompleteRegistration, Purchase)
• email/externalId: SHA-256 hashed (lowercase + trim BEFORE hashing)
• ttclid: raw string, NOT hashed
• Check response.ok before response.json() (non-JSON error bodies crash otherwise)
• Success: code: 0 in response body
• Deduplication via event_id: same ID in browser pixel ttq.track() and server Events API

Credentials setup:

Ads Manager → Assets → Events → Web Events → Open pixel → Settings → Generate Access Token

Content Policies

Industry Selection Impact

Sector	Restriction Level	Review Time	Documents Required
Fornecedor de serviços de Internet	Free	24h	None
Aplicações e software	Free	24h	None
Educação	Free	24h	None
Serviços financeiros	RESTRICTED	3-7 days	Licenses, disclaimers, 18+ mandatory

TikTok does NOT cross-reference CNAE codes with sector field. Enforcement is at ad content + landing page level.

Financial Services Policy

Universally prohibited: Binary options, MLM (downline recruitment), pyramid schemes, get-rich-quick, penny auctions, payday loans

Restricted (requires pre-approval): Cryptocurrency exchanges, Forex/FX trading, CFDs, financial spread betting

Allowed with disclaimers: Licensed investment platforms, banking, insurance, personal finance apps, budgeting tools

Required disclaimers: "Investments carry risk", "Past performance does not guarantee future results" — must appear as on-screen TEXT (85% watch muted)

Creative Best Practices

Hook (First 2-3 Seconds)

• 71% of users decide to continue watching in first 3 seconds
• Lead with: question, surprising statistic, bold claim, or pattern interrupt

Video Specs

Parameter	Recommended
Aspect ratio	9:16 (vertical) — mandatory for best performance
Resolution	1080x1920px
Duration	9-15 seconds (awareness), 30-60 seconds (lead gen)
File size	Up to 500MB
Format	MP4, MOV
Captions	Required — 85% watch muted

What Works

• Educational, not promotional: "Here's how compound interest works" > "Open an account"
• FinTok style: Align with organic financial content (#FinTok, #PersonalFinance)
• Native look: Shot vertical on mobile, not studio-produced
• Trending sounds: Use TikTok's royalty-free music library

What Does NOT Work

• Polished corporate ads
• Guaranteed return claims — immediate policy rejection
• Horizontal video — 35-50% performance loss vs vertical
• Making changes during learning phase (first 50 conversions) — resets algorithm

Account Setup Flow

1. Go to ads.tiktok.com → Click "Get Started"
2. Register with email + verification code
3. Business details form: company name (must match registration), website URL, sector, phone
4. Customize account (expand before clicking Continue): timezone, currency
5. Accept anti-discrimination policy (two checkboxes)
6. Payment setup: Manual (prepaid) recommended for budget control
7. Account review: ~24 hours for non-financial sectors

Post-Setup Checklist

• Account approved
• Payment method added
• TikTok Pixel created and installed
• Events API access token generated
• Server-side tracking configured
• First campaign created
• MCP server connected (optional)

Automation & API

MCP Servers Available

MCP Server	Capabilities
amekala/ads-mcp	31 TikTok tools (campaign CRUD, analytics, creative fatigue). Also supports Google/Meta/LinkedIn.
AdsMCP/tiktok-ads-mcp-server	Campaign CRUD, analytics, audience/creative management. Self-hosted Python.
ysntony/tiktok-ads-mcp	Read-only: 6 tools (campaigns, ad groups, ads, reports).

Official SDK

pip install tiktok-business-api-sdk-official

Marketing API Authentication

OAuth 2.0 flow:

1. Register at developers.tiktok.com → Create app (2-3 day review)
2. User authorizes → receive auth_code
3. Exchange for access token: POST /open_api/v1.2/oauth2/access_token/
4. Pass as Access-Token header on all requests

Sandbox available immediately. Production approval: 5-10 business days.

API Rate Limits

• 1-minute sliding window
• HTTP 429 when exceeded
• /v2/video/list/: 600 requests/minute — Note: this endpoint belongs to the TikTok for Developers creator/content API (not the Marketing API; Marketing API endpoints use /open_api/v1.x/ paths)

Comparison: TikTok vs Google Ads vs Meta

Dimension	TikTok	Google Search	Meta (FB/IG)
User intent	Discovery/entertainment	Active search intent	Social/interest-based
Funnel stage	Top/mid (demand gen)	Bottom (demand capture)	Mid (demand gen)
Primary format	Vertical video	Text (search ads)	Image/video/carousel
Average CPC	$1.02	$3-5 (finance)	$1.10
Min daily budget	$20/ad group	$1	$1
Learning phase	~50 conversions	~1-2 weeks	~50 conversions
MLM policy	Explicitly banned	Case-by-case	Case-by-case
Binary options	Banned	Banned	Banned

ROI Optimization

Ad Copy Best Practices

• Character limit: 12–100 characters. Keep under 50 to avoid "See more" truncation
• Hook in first 2 seconds: 30%+ hook rate is benchmark. Below 25% = failing hook
• Tone: Conversational, friend-talking, NOT brand-broadcasting. UGC-style outperforms studio by ~50%
• Length sweet spot: 15–30 seconds for conversion, 9–15 for awareness
• Never shorten by removing letters or odd spacing. Cut whole words/sentences only. Character substitutions (e.g. "l u c r o", "g3stão") and unusual spacing are read as filter-evasion by content-moderation systems and raise rejection risk.

Ad Copy Formulas (TikTok-Native)

Formula	Structure	Best For
Specific Outcome	[Result] in [timeframe]	Cold traffic
PAS	Problem → Agitate → Solution	Retargeting
AIDA	Attention → Interest → Desire → Action	Cold traffic
Skeptic Script	"I know what you're thinking..."	Low-trust verticals (finance)
3 Mistakes	"3 mistakes [audience] make..."	Educational content
Hook-Proof-Payoff-CTA	Hook (0-3s) → Proof (3-15s) → Payoff (15-25s) → CTA	Universal best performer

CTA Strategy

Dynamic CTA outperforms any single CTA by ~12%. Select 3-5 relevant options and let TikTok auto-optimize per viewer.

Objective	Best CTAs to Include
Education / Learning platform	Learn More, Sign Up, Subscribe, Get Started
Lead generation	Sign Up, Learn More, Get Quote
E-commerce	Shop Now, Learn More, View Now

Always include a verbal CTA inside the video at 20-25 second mark. On-screen button is often ignored.

Low-Budget Optimization ($20/Day)

At $20/day in SEA/South Asia markets, CPMs are $0.20-$2.00 (vs $8-$15 in US). Your $20 buys what $100-$200 buys in Western markets. Note: this $0.20-$2.00 range reflects the lowest-cost markets in the region — specifically Philippines, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (see country benchmarks below). The broader SEA regional average CPM is ~$3.05 (see Regional Benchmarks above), driven by higher-cost markets like Singapore and Thailand.

Rules:

1. One campaign, one ad group at minimum budget (never split across multiple ad groups)
2. Use Automatic Placement
3. Use Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO)
4. No Cost Cap during learning phase (kills delivery on low budgets)
5. Use Lowest Cost bidding
6. Never edit during learning phase (resets algorithm)
7. Increase budget max 20-30% every 48-72 hours
8. Refresh creatives every 10-14 days

Phase progression:

• Days 1-7: Traffic objective (conversions need 25+/week to exit learning)
• Days 8-21: Optimize, kill hook rate <20% or CTR <0.5% — Note: the general hook-rate target is 30%+ (below 25% = failing per Ad Copy Best Practices above); the 20% kill threshold here is a lower floor specific to the low-budget phase, where limited data makes early cuts premature
• Day 21+: Scale winners, duplicate ad groups with slight targeting variations

Country-Specific Benchmarks

Metric	Philippines	Pakistan	Bangladesh
CPM	$0.50–$2.00	$0.30–$1.50	$0.20–$1.00
CPC	$0.05–$0.35	$0.03–$0.20	$0.02–$0.15
CTR	0.8–1.5%	Similar	Similar
Ad audience	50M+ adults	66.9M adults	46.5M adults
Peak hours	6-9 PM PHT (UTC+8)	8-11 PM PKT (UTC+5)	9-11 PM BST (UTC+6)
Language	Taglish (Tagalog+English)	Urdu/English mix	Bengali/English mix

Key insights:

• Local language in hooks significantly outperforms English-only for conversion
• Filipino audiences respond strongly to aspirational self-improvement narratives
• Pakistan: Ramadan periods drive massive engagement spikes
• Bangladesh: lowest CPMs globally, optimize video for low bandwidth (compress files)
• Social proof is critical in all 3 markets (real people, real testimonials)

Financial Education Content Rules

Allowed: Financial literacy, "learn to trade", market education, personal finance Prohibited: Revenue claims, P&L screenshots, "guaranteed profits", "passive income"

Safe framing: "financial education", "learn to trade", "understand markets", "build knowledge" Dangerous framing: "get rich", "guaranteed profits", "earn money", "passive income"

Gotchas & Critical Learnings

Account Setup

Gotcha	Detail
Country is permanent	Country, currency, timezone CANNOT be changed after creation
Country locks default targeting	Must change at Ferramentas → Controles de audiência to target other countries
Industry affects review	"Serviços financeiros" = 3-7 day review. "Internet services" = 24h
Identity verification required	Phone SMS mandatory before accessing Events Manager
India permanently banned	TikTok banned in India since June 2020. No advertising possible.
Philippines unavailable	Philippines not available as targeting option for Brazil-based accounts (as of May 2026). Reason unknown — may be currency/region restriction.
"Binary" in name = instant suspension	Accounts with company names containing binary-options brand terms have been auto-suspended on first publish — TikTok bans binary options; avoid such terms in brand naming.
Account suspension is pre-emptive	Unlike Google Ads (which reviews ads individually), TikTok may suspend the entire account before any ad runs. No opportunity to prove compliance first.

Campaign Creation

Gotcha	Detail
"Vendas" has sub-destinations	Must select "Site" for website conversions (default is TikTok Shop)
URL field is TEXTAREA, not INPUT	input[placeholder*="URL"] won't find it
"Tailored ad variations" popup blocks everything	Cannot be dismissed. Work around with JS focus
File upload limit in Playwriter	50MB limit in remote CDP. Compress with ffmpeg first

Events API

Gotcha	Detail
Use v1.3, NOT v1.2	v1.2 endpoint /pixel/track/ has different payload structure
Auth header: Access-Token	NOT Authorization: Bearer
event_time: Unix seconds	NOT ISO 8601, NOT milliseconds
Event names: PascalCase	CompleteRegistration, Purchase. snake_case is silently dropped
PlaceAnOrder deprecated	Use Purchase
email/externalId: SHA-256 hashed	Lowercase + trim BEFORE hashing. ttclid: raw, NOT hashed

Browser Automation (Playwriter)

For UI automation use the global AdsPower fallback ladder (reference/automation.md). The Playwriter notes below are retained as reference only; not the recommended path.

Gotcha	Detail
Extension mode FAILS on TikTok Ads	Page redirects invalidate CDP sessions. Use --direct mode.
Direct mode requires chrome://inspect/#remote-debugging	User must enable manually
snapshot() often returns empty	Use screenshot() as fallback
TikTok uses Vue/React	evaluate() to set values doesn't trigger reactivity. Use click + type.