Until recently, many people approached TikTok Ads with the same approach they used for Facebook or YouTube. Neat design, balanced graphics, corporate colors, perfectly matched fonts. Formally, everything is correct. But in the TikTok feed, such creatives often disappear in seconds, without even having time to convey the message.
The problem is not with the algorithms or “poor presentation.” The problem is that TikTok reads videos differently. For the platform, it is not important how beautifully the video is designed, but whether it fits into the rhythm of the feed, whether it is convenient to watch on a phone, and whether it looks out of place among the usual content.
TikTok does not have official lists of allowed colors or correct fonts. Instead, the platform constantly hints at how it evaluates creatives. Through format, dynamics, readability, and the first seconds of contact with the user. These are the things that determine whether an ad will get impressions or get lost in the feed right from the start.
In this article, we’ll figure out how to prepare creatives for TikTok Ads, taking into account the platform’s real recommendations. No myths about “magic colors” or design tricks. Just what helps videos look safe, readable, and natural in the TikTok environment.
What does TikTok actually regulate, and what doesn’t it?
Let’s start with an important clarification that is often overlooked. TikTok does not work according to the logic of classic advertising guidelines. The platform does not publish lists of “correct” colors, does not prohibit specific fonts, and does not impose a single visual style for advertising. In this sense, TikTok gives brands much more freedom than it seems at first glance.
Instead, the platform regularly publishes materials on creative best practices. In these materials, TikTok does not tell you what the design should look like, but explains how the algorithm reads videos and responds to user behavior. This is a fundamental difference. It’s not about aesthetics, but about the functionality of the content in the feed.
If we summarize these recommendations, it becomes clear what the system pays attention to:
These are the signals TikTok uses to evaluate creatives. The algorithm does not analyze the design as such. It looks at readability, nativeness, and audience behavior. If the video is easy to watch and does not stand out from the feed, the system perceives it as safe and relevant content.
Therefore, questions such as “what color is allowed” or “what font is correct” are misguided on TikTok. What is correct is what is easily perceived, does not interfere with the user, and works within the logic of the platform. This is the real regulation of TikTok Ads.
Format as the basis of safety: vertical and safe zone
One of the few things that TikTok regulates as clearly as possible is the video format. In its Creative Guidelines, the platform explicitly states that the basic and recommended format for advertising is vertical 9:16. Everything else automatically becomes a compromise that can cost creativity some of its attention.
But it’s not just about the aspect ratio. TikTok treats video as an element of the interface, not a separate screen. Buttons, icons, description text, and profile avatars are constantly present on top of the video. That’s why the concept of a safe zone has emerged — an area where content is guaranteed not to be covered by UI elements.
In practice, this means a few simple but critically important rules:
- key objects and characters should be placed closer to the center of the frame;
- text should not overlap the bottom of the screen, where the interaction buttons are located;
- important elements should not be pushed to the side edges;
- captions and messages must remain legible regardless of the smartphone model.
The TikTok algorithm does not “guess” what you wanted to show. It evaluates what the user actually sees. If part of the text or object is covered by the interface, the system perceives it as poor-quality content, even if the message itself is well thought out and powerful.
The practical meaning here is quite straightforward. Even a good message doesn’t work if it’s not physically visible. On TikTok, creative safety doesn’t start with the idea, but with the correct placement of that idea in the frame.
Text and font: why TikTok “doesn’t like design”
The same idea is repeated over and over again in the TikTok Ads recommendations. The platform does not evaluate font as a design element. It evaluates text as part of a video that the user must be able to understand in a very short time. That is why the approach to typography on TikTok is fundamentally different from classic advertising logic.
Text that looks native to the platform works best. This does not mean that you need to literally use TikTok’s standard system fonts in every video. It’s about something else. The text should look as if it appeared naturally, as part of a regular video, rather than a pre-designed advertising layout.
In its creative best practices, TikTok constantly emphasizes the speed of perception. Users scroll through their feed very quickly, and the system analyzes whether they have time to “read” the message in the first few seconds. This leads to several practical rules, which are recorded in English-language guides:
- short phrases work better than long sentences;
- the text should be understandable within 1-2 seconds of viewing;
- overloaded captions with multiple meanings get lost in the dynamics of the feed;
- small or decorative fonts reduce readability on smartphones.
A separate topic is “corporate” design. Overly neat, calibrated fonts that look good in presentations or banners often work against creativity on TikTok. They instantly signal to the user that they are looking at an advertisement. And TikTok, as a platform, prefers videos that fit organically into the feed and do not look like an advertising insert.
This does not mean that design is prohibited. But it must obey a different logic. Text on TikTok is not an element of identity, but a communication tool. If it is difficult to read or requires the user to pause to understand it, the system registers a loss of attention.
The key conclusion that directly follows from the platform’s recommendations is simple. TikTok does not evaluate font or style. It evaluates the speed of perception. In this logic, it is not the most beautiful creative that wins, but the one that the user understands instantly.
Colors: not a palette, but contrast
It is almost impossible to find direct instructions on color choices in TikTok’s recommendations. The platform does not offer “safe” palettes and does not prohibit certain shades. This often confuses advertisers who are trying to find a universal formula. But TikTok’s logic on this issue is much simpler and at the same time more rigid.
For the algorithm, it is not the color itself that matters, but whether the information in the frame can be easily read. In its creative best practices, TikTok constantly emphasizes contrast. Text, buttons, or key objects should immediately stand out from the background and not require additional effort on the part of the user.
In practice, this means several things that are repeated in the English-language recommendations:
- text must stand out clearly against the video background regardless of lighting or movement in the frame;
- key elements should not “blend” with the background or get lost due to similar shades;
- complex gradients or subtle color transitions impair readability on a mobile screen.
TikTok also draws attention to oversaturated colors. Bright, garish combinations are often perceived as banner ads. In a feed where most of the content looks lively and natural, such videos immediately stand out from the context. Users are more likely to skip them, and the algorithm records low engagement.
This does not mean that bright colors are prohibited. But they should work for clarity, not for effect. If color helps to quickly convey the message, it works. If it attracts attention only because of its aggressiveness, the system perceives it as a weak signal.
The journalistic focus here is quite obvious. The TikTok algorithm responds better to a clear frame than to a bright one. In this logic, contrast is more important than palette, and readability is more important than design experiments.
Storyboarding: how TikTok reads video
TikTok’s recommendations for advertising creatives consistently follow one logic. The platform does not evaluate a video as a complete clip with a beginning and an end. It reads it as a sequence of moments in which the user either stays or moves on. That is why storyboarding in TikTok is more important than the script itself.
Creative Best Practices directly point to the need for a clear internal structure of the video. Regardless of the topic or format, the video should be put together in such a way that it grabs attention from the first seconds and doesn’t lose it in the middle.
In most recommendations, this structure looks like this:
- the first 2–3 seconds — a hook that immediately explains why it’s worth watching further;
- the middle — the idea, demonstration, or development of the message;
- the ending — a clear action, thought, or final message.
The key here is not the division itself, but the pace. TikTok does not encourage long static scenes. The algorithm records how quickly the image changes and how the user reacts to it. That is why English-language guides constantly mention the recommendation to change frames every 1–3 seconds. This helps maintain momentum and reduces the risk of the video being skipped.
Static scenes or long shots without movement quickly “drop out” of the feed. Users get used to constant content updates and don’t linger where nothing is happening. The algorithm reads this behavior instantly and adjusts ad delivery accordingly.
It’s important to understand one more thing. TikTok doesn’t analyze the script the way a human does. It doesn’t evaluate the idea as a whole. The system looks at the dynamics, rhythm, and audience reaction to each segment of the video. That’s why even a strong idea may not work if it’s presented slowly or without a clear structure.
The explanation here is simple. For TikTok, it’s not what you want to say that matters, but how quickly and consistently the user perceives it. The algorithm reads the dynamics of the video, not the script.
Nativeness as the main “protection” of creativity
In TikTok’s creative best practices, this idea is stated as clearly as possible. The platform prefers content that looks like part of the feed, not like an ad insert. It’s not about genre or a specific format, but about the feeling of nativeness that arises in the user in the first seconds of viewing.
TikTok makes no secret of the fact that videos that are stylistically close to UGC work best in advertising. These can be phone shots, live emotions, simple presentation, natural language. Such content does not disrupt the rhythm of the feed and does not force the user to immediately identify it as advertising.
On the opposite side are overly “polished” videos. Professional lighting, perfectly calibrated shots, complex editing, and obvious advertising make the video feel foreign in the TikTok environment. In a feed where most of the content looks spontaneous and natural, such videos are quickly recognized as advertising and are more often skipped.
The platform’s recommendations regularly emphasize another point. The video should look as if it was created specifically for TikTok. Not as an adaptation from another social network or as an excerpt from a TV commercial. When an ad brings the logic of another environment into the feed, the algorithm detects a decrease in engagement and reacts accordingly.
In this context, nativeness means several things at once. A natural pace of speech. An understandable presentation format. The absence of unnecessary visual effects that are not typical for regular videos in the feed. All of this helps the video “blend in” with the general flow of content.
The editorial focus here is quite clear. TikTok does not promote advertising as a separate category of content. The platform promotes videos that do not interfere with the user experience. And the less creative content looks like advertising, the safer and more stable it works in the system.
Common mistakes that TikTok catches faster than the user
In its creative best practices, TikTok pays a lot of attention not only to what to do, but also to what to avoid. And there is an important nuance here. Most of the mistakes that harm creativity are noticed by the algorithm before the user themselves realizes why they don’t want to watch the video.
TikTok analyzes the audience’s reaction, not the advertiser’s intentions. If the video does not hold the viewer’s attention, the system quickly reads this as a signal of a problem, even if the video looks “normal” on the surface.
Among the typical mistakes that are repeated in English-language guides, the following are most often mentioned.
When there are too many words in the frame, the user physically does not have time to read them. There is no pause for thoughtful reading in the TikTok feed. If the meaning is not instantly clear, the video is skipped.
Videos shot or edited with horizontal logic look awkward in a vertical feed. Part of the frame is cropped, the meaning is lost, and the user quickly scrolls on.
Contrasting blocks, aggressive color combinations, and clearly defined advertising compositions make the video look like a classic banner. In the TikTok environment, this works against creativity because it immediately stands out from the feed.
Creative best practices constantly emphasize the importance of the start of a video. If it is not clear in the first 2-3 seconds what the video is about and why you should continue watching, the chance of retaining attention drops sharply.
Contrasting blocks, aggressive color combinations, and clearly defined advertising compositions make the video look like a classic banner. In the TikTok environment, this works against creativity because it immediately stands out from the feed.
Text that looks acceptable on a large screen often becomes blurry on a smartphone. The algorithm detects this through reduced interaction, even if the user themselves does not articulate the problem in words.
All these mistakes have one thing in common. They do not directly violate the rules, but they reduce the quality of interaction with the video. And for TikTok, user behavior is the key indicator. Therefore, the system responds to such signals quickly and without explanation, even before the advertiser begins to look for the cause of the problems.