What Is TikTok Shop? How It Works for Sellers

TikTok Shop is a fast-growing social commerce platform. Launched in 2023, it’s projected to grow 48% in 2026, reaching $23.41 billion in US sales and outperforming the US ecommerce sales of massive retailers like Costco and Target.

In 2025, shoppers conducted more than 100 billion searches with ecommerce intent on TikTok Shop in the US, according to data provided by TikTok. For business owners, that shopping interest is an opportunity to reach new customers and generate sales directly through the app.

Ahead, learn how TikTok shopping can benefit your business, how to sign up, and some best practices to follow when selling products on TikTok. 

What is TikTok Shop?

TikTok Shop is a social commerce platform that lets you sell products and make money on TikTok. With TikTok Shop, your account transforms into a digital storefront, enabling buyers to make purchases without leaving the app.

There are a few ways users might access your TikTok Shop: 

• Profile. If a user taps on your profile in the TikTok mobile app to learn more about your business or watch your content, they will see a shopping bag icon and the word “Shop” on it. 

• Shop tab. The top menu on TikTok includes a Shop tab that suggests personalized products and deals for users. On desktop, the Shop tab appears in the side menu.

• Shoppable videos.Shoppable videos embed links at the bottom of the screen that let users buy products without leaving the TikTok app. These videos appear on For You pages and on the Shop tab.

• TikTok Live. With TikTok Live, you can embed TikTok Shop listings into live videos as you demo your products. According to data TikTok shared with CNBC, US livestream shopping sales more than doubled in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. 

• Shopping Assistant. In October 2026, TikTok announced Shopping Assistant, a built-in conversational AI tool that can answer questions about products—and recommend other items available on TikTok Shop. This means shoppers may find your product via the AI assistant when visiting another brand’s storefront or product page.

How to set up TikTok Shop

1. Apply for a TikTok Shop for Seller account
2. Connect your TikTok Shop to your online store
3. Add products
4. Promote your products

Setting up a TikTok Shop involves a number of steps:

1. Apply for a TikTok Shop for Seller account

If you already have a TikTok account, head to your profile on the mobile app and tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner. Choose Settings and Privacy > Account > TikTok Shop for Seller. Or, on desktop, select More (the three dots) from the left side menu. From there, select Sell on TikTok Shop. 

If you don’t already have a TikTok account, go directly to the TikTok Shop Seller Center and register with your email address or phone number. The screen will walk you through the process, prompting you to choose your business type and then submit documentation to verify your business. 

From here, TikTok will review your application. After approval, you’ll need to link a bank account to receive payments.

If you have a Shopify store, you can also register for a TikTok Shop through the TikTok app for Shopify, as explained in the next step. 

2. Connect your TikTok Shop to your online store

If you have a Shopify store, install the TikTok for Shopify app, which allows you to manage orders and inventory from TikTok Shop. Eligible promotions on your Shopify store will also sync over to your TikTok Shop. You can also fill out warehouse information, set up shipping, sync products, and submit tax information. 

To connect your TikTok Shop and Shopify store, follow these steps:

• Go to your Shopify admin and click on Settings and then Sales channels.

• Click on Shopify App Store, search for TikTok, and add the channel.

• On the Set Up TikTok Shop page, click Connect on the TikTok Shop section.

• Log in to your TikTok Business account or register as a business.

• Review TikTok Shop Merchant Terms of Service and click Connect.

• Go to the Shop Information section and click Verify. Complete the required fields in the Upload Documents dialog box, click Next, and then Finish setup. 

After completing these steps, you can sync your Shopify store design with TikTok Shop to keep the branding consistent. TikTok converts design elements, including images, collections, and featured products, into TikTok Shop–compatible versions. Preview and adjust the design before publishing it. 

You can also use TikTok Shop with other ecommerce platforms, however the setup process may vary.

3. Add products

If you use Shopify, you can manage your TikTok Shop product listings directly from your Shopify admin.

You also have the option to add products via the TikTok Shop Seller Center. To do so, navigate to Products > Add Products. Here, you can add products individually, use Quick Listing to find and import information from similar products, upload multiple listings using an Excel template, or import product information from a URL from another website, like Amazon. 

When creating a listing, you’ll need to provide product details, including images, descriptions, prices, inventory, and shipping information. Once you’ve completed the required fields, then submit your products for review.

If you’re not sure what to sell on TikTok, start by studying the latest trending TikTok products. Familiarize yourself with the items you cannot sell on TikTok Shop, such as alcohol, tobacco, live animals, certain plants, and discriminatory and offensive products. 

4. Promote your products

Develop a TikTok marketing strategy to get your TikTok Shop in front of your target audience. 

Ads are one option. According to 2026 research from TikTok and Ipsos, 68% of surveyed TikTok users said they made a purchase shortly after seeing advertising on the platform. 

Set up a TikTok Ads Manager account and link it to your TikTok account to create ads with targeting options including age, location, and browsing behavior. If you’ve installed the TikTok for Shopify app, you can also connect your Ads Manager account—this allows you to create and manage certain TikTok ad campaigns directly from your Shopify admin.

Next, partner with creators as part of your TikTok influencer marketing strategy and tap into trusted voices in your community. According to 2026 research from Bazaarvoice, 89% of surveyed TikTok Shop buyers said they had purchased a product because of a recommendation from an influencer. 

TikTok Shop benefits

TikTok Shop accounted for 18.2% of total social commerce in the US in 2025 and it’s expected to reach 24.1% by 2027, according to eMarketer. This growing sales channel has several benefits to businesses:

• Small business compatibility. Both big and small businesses have found success on TikTok Shop. According to 2026 research from TikTok and GlobalData, small businesses accounted for 72% of the brands that surveyed TikTok Shop users had discovered over the previous year. 

• Product and brand discovery. TikTok is a discovery tool. The same GlobalData research found that roughly two out of three US TikTok Shop users surveyed had encountered a brand they hadn’t previously known about while shopping on the platform. 

• Built-in affiliate marketing program. Businesses can work with creators directly on the app, without needing to use a third-party platform. 

• Tools to incentivize customer reviews. The TikTok Shop Review Coupon tool lets businesses reward customers who submit qualifying product reviews with discounts on future purchases. These reviews help shoppers feel more confident in their purchases. 

TikTok shopping best practices

• Only jump on the most relevant trends
• Partner with creators and influencers
• Use TikTok’s affiliate marketing feature
• Build customer loyalty

Once your TikTok Shop is up and running, consider these tips to make the most of selling on TikTok: 

Only jump on the most relevant trends

Trends on TikTok move quickly, and audiences notice when brands don’t tap into trends on time. According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index, 27% of consumers believe it’s only effective when brands jump on a trend within one or two days after the trend begins. 

Instead of rushing to cover all trending topics, Dieux Skin Cofounder and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Palermino suggests businesses consider what they can add to the conversation. 

“If you feel like you could talk about something for 10 minutes, then make a video on it and try to cut it down to two,” she says on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast. 

For example, when the concept of “looksmaxxing,” or men trying to become more handsome, started trending online, Dieux created a TikTok carousel to point out how women have long had to live with unfair beauty standards. 

While the brand doesn’t directly promote their products in the carousel, they show consumers that buying beauty products doesn’t have to be about fitting a specific beauty ideal—an idea that aligns with the brand’s values. 

Partner with creators and influencers

With influencer marketing, brands work with internet creators to build credibility and access a targeted audience. TikTok was the most popular platform for planned influencer marketing investment among marketers surveyed for Influencer Marketing Hub’s 2026 benchmark report. 

For perfume brand Dossier, TikTok has been a key component of its marketing strategy. The platform’s video-first format allows influencers to describe their fragrances and share their experiences. 

“It’s very difficult to explain the concept of Dossier, and a perfume in general, by showing a photo of the product. That’s not going to tell the story at all,” says Founder and CEO Sergio Tache on Shopify Masters. “We are very focused on working with influencers and content creators who are in the video space. We wanted to create that awareness around our perfumes.”

Use TikTok’s affiliate marketing feature

Beyond promoting the product, creators can also sell a brand’s products directly by using TikTok’s affiliate marketing program. 

On their profiles, creators can add a Showcase—a curated collection of TikTok Shop products—and promote these items via a video or TikTok Live. When a user makes a qualifying purchase through one of these video promotions, the creator earns a commission.

This is a major development in the way ecommerce works, according to Lauren Kleinman, Founder and CEO of PR agency Dreamday. “It’s opening up an entirely new affiliate network that runs completely on TikTok Shop,” she says on Shopify Masters. 

On TikTok, brands no longer have to source affiliates from third-party networks, and creators no longer have to direct followers from social media to a brand’s site via affiliate links. Instead, brands partner with creators within the TikTok platform, those creators’ followers make purchases directly from TikTok Shop, and creators get paid out via TikTok.

Build customer loyalty

Landing your first sale on TikTok Shop is the starting point. However, lasting growth comes from turning buyers into repeat customers. When you reward loyalty, it helps convert one-time shoppers into long-term fans.

Here are a few ways to use TikTok Shop to strengthen customer loyalty:

• Offer exclusive perks. Run promotions like follower-only discounts, limited-time bundles, or early access to new drops.

• Deliver a great experience. Fast shipping, clear return policies, and responsive service reassure customers they can shop with confidence.

• Stay connected with content. Keep posting engaging videos that educate, entertain, and highlight customer stories to nurture ongoing relationships.

• Reward repeat buyers. Use TikTok Shop promotions or loyalty programs to encourage second and third purchases.

When customers love your product and know your brand is reliable, they’re more likely to return and even share your brand with their friends.