[FAQ]

Hi,

My business account is about to hit a nice follower milestone, and I want to run my first-ever giveaway to celebrate and say thanks to my community.

I’m super nervous about doing it wrong, though. I see people running contests all the time, but I’m looking for the official rules. Like, what does TikTok actually require you to do?

Do I need to include that disclaimer that says ‘this isn’t sponsored by TikTok’? Are there rules about what I can ask people to do to enter (like, can I require them to follow me and tag three friends?)? I also want to make sure I’m following all the legal stuff.

Just trying to make sure I don’t get my account in trouble. Any links to the official terms or a clear checklist would be a huge help. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

This is a critical area to get right, as the rules are strict and vary wildly.

The Short Answer: The rules depend entirely on what you are giving away. If you are promoting a TikTok Shop product, you must use the official LIVE Giveaway tool, which has very limited entry methods. For all other giveaways, you have more flexibility but must provide clear, official rules.

The platform’s number one concern is transparency, so your main job is to ensure no part of your contest is misleading.

First, you must determine which set of rules to follow. If your prize is a product from a TikTok Shop, you are required to use the built-in “LIVE Giveaway” feature during a stream. This tool is restrictive: it only allows “comment to win” or “join to win” as entry methods. You are explicitly forbidden from requiring entrants to follow you, tag friends, or share the video. For any non-Shop giveaway (like a gift card or your own merchandise not sold on the Shop), you can set your own entry rules, and this is where you can require actions like “follow this account, like this video, and tag a friend” to boost engagement.

Regardless of which type of giveaway you run, you are legally and platform-required to be transparent. Your video or caption must include a set of Official Rules. This means you must clearly state who is eligible (age, location), the exact start and end dates, a clear description of the prize, how and when the winner will be chosen and announced, and that “no purchase is necessary”. Finally, you must always include a full legal disclaimer in your caption that states, “This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with TikTok.”

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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