Keyword Moderation & Appeals Process

Keyword Moderation

When you submit keywords for the Search Ad campaign, each keyword undergoes moderation to ensure compliance with legal requirements and TikTok policy standards. You will be able to see the status of each keyword in TTAM under ad group details. If a word was disapproved, you will see a corresponding reason for the rejection, and a suggestion to fix it.

Not all industries that can advertise on TikTok are eligible for the Search Ad campaign currently. For industries that are open, we provide more details below, including guidelines to take note of when choosing and submitting your keywords, in order to prevent and minimise keyword disapproval scenarios.

For industries that are closed, all related keywords will be rejected. If you are an advertiser from these industries, you may want to leverage TikTok's other ad offerings first, and check back on the status of the Search Ad campaign later. Please note that there may be some differences depending on which country you are advertising in.

If your industry is not listed here, you may fall into either of these scenarios:

1. Your industry is an allowed industry without significant restrictions (example: furniture, electronics, fashion). Reference the broad principles below and exercise best judgment in choosing keywords.

2. Your industry is a highly restricted / prohibited industry (example: tobacco-related). You are likely ineligible to use the Search Ad campaign.

See our industry entry policies here.

Broad principles

• Do not target audiences based on perceived hardships or personal struggles.

• Do not use irresponsible advertising claims.

• All campaigns must comply with legal restrictions around personalized advertisements.

• We apply the Anti-Discrimination Policy to prevent targeting users based on sensitive categories such as race, sexual orientation, health information, religious beliefs, financial status, political views, and more.

Industry-specific guidelines

Baby & child products

This industry is partially open. We do not allow:

• Keywords that make reference to minor users, such as kids, teens, young children

We allow:

• General product keywords like toys, school bag, textbook, cartoons

• Keywords related to baby supplies and baby food/milk powder

Cosmetics/skincare/beauty

This industry is open.  We allow:

• General product related keywords for skincare, haircare, dental care, body care, sun care, make-up, and fragrance.

We do not allow:

• Keywords of medical conditions e.g. rosacea, melasma, psoriasis, eczema

• Keywords related to negative body image

Dating apps

This industry is open. We allow:

• Regular dating app names

• References to generic dating behavior, seeking partner / relationship

We do not allow:

• Dating app names that may be associated with a sexual orientation, sexual preference, religion or other protected characteristic in accordance with TikTok's Anti-Discrimination Ad Policy

• Sexually explicit or suggestive keywords

Entertainment/media

This industry is open. We allow:

• Keywords related to movies, TV, music, books, podcasts, etc. For keywords that are associated with potentially sensitive areas (examples: gambling, crime, weapons), please use keyword combinations that clearly indicate entertainment/media context (examples: true crime documentary, casino royale movie)

We do not allow:

• Keywords related to prohibited entertainment/media services, such as adult entertainment.

• Keywords that are related to digital piracy.

Financial services

This industry is partially open. We do not allow:

• Keywords related to financial hardships or negative financial position, and products/services associated with them

• Keywords related to financial advice or investment recommendations, and products/services associated with them

• Exaggerated or misleading financial claims

Examples of what is allowed:

• General banking services

• Debit and credit card services

• Non-investment linked insurance

• Currency exchange, remittance

• Trading platforms

• Tax and accounting services

Examples of what is not allowed:

• Loans (including mortgages, student loans, car loans, buy now pay later, cash advances, etc)

• Investment products (including stocks, bonds, funds, forex trading, etc)

• Advisory services

• Debt refinancing / consolidation / relief

• Credit building / repair

Fitness / wellness products & services

This industry is open. We allow:

• Keywords related to healthy lifestyle, dietary categories, fitness and workouts, fitness tracking products and services.

We do not allow:

• Keywords related to potentially risky or unhealthy diet and physical activity behavior

• Keywords related to body image / weight or fat issues

Gaming

This industry is open. We allow:

• Keywords related to card games, board games, table games, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, role-playing games (RPG / MMORPG), shooter games, crime games, and other mobile / desktop games.

We do not allow:

• Keywords related to weapons, crime, or violent behavior in non-game contexts or otherwise unclear contexts

• Sexually explicit or suggestive keywords

• Reference to illegal or inappropriate gaming behavior (example: cheat codes, hacks)

Healthcare & Pharma

This section is applicable for the United States only.

This industry is partially open.

We do not allow:

• Keywords related to misleading or irresponsible health-related claims and behavior

• Keywords that indicate or imply an association with a specific medical condition e.g. diabetes, asthma, HIV, depression

• Keywords related to pregnancy, fertility, sexual health or other similar topics

• Keywords related to weight management / weight loss, or negative body image

Examples of what is allowed:

• Vitamins and supplements for maintaining / enhancing general well-being e.g. multi-vitamins, skin / hair supplements

• Medical devices, treatments and procedures that are meant for general health related needs e.g. non-invasive facials

• Products and treatments for animal/pet medical conditions

Reproductive & sexual health

This industry is partially open. We do not allow:

• Keywords that make reference to sensitive or controversial topics, such as abortion, miscarriage, egg freezing, sperm donation, etc.

• Keywords related to pregnancy, as well as family planning products and services, including contraceptives and fertility treatments

We allow:

• Keywords related to general feminine hygiene products, as long as they are not sexually explicit or associated with underlying health issues.

Retail & e-commerce platforms

This industry is open. We allow:

• Keywords referencing retail and e-commerce platforms

• Keywords related to discount code, promo code, sales, events, and other promotions

Please note any other relevant restrictions that may apply for the platform's product categories, such as cosmetics, toys, etc.

We do not allow:

• Keywords related to political merchandise

• Keywords related to brand controversies

• Keywords indicative of potential intellectual property infringement

Underwear, swimwear, shapewear

This industry is partially open. We allow keywords related to:

• Regular underwear

• Sports underwear

• Swimwear

We do not allow:

• Sexually explicit or suggestive keywords, including references to sexually suggestive underwear and swimwear

• Keywords referencing intimate body parts

• Keywords related to shapewear or body image / weight or fat issues

Appeals Process

If you believe your keywords were incorrectly rejected, you can submit an appeal for a review to potentially overturn the rejection.

How to Submit an Appeal:

You can submit an appeal for ad groups that have rejected keywords and received a status of "Partial Disapproval" or "Disapproval" directly in the TTAM UI.

1. Click the "View More" button on the relevant ad group.

2. Fill out the Ad Group appeal form, including your reasons for the appeal and any supporting materials.

3. Once submitted, the ad group status will change to "Under Review."

Appeal Details:

You will receive an email with the result of your appeal, whether it’s approved or rejected. Appeals are submitted at the ad group level, not at the keyword level.