The TikTok Ads Audience Sync integration lets you send audiences from Iterable directly to TikTok Ads Customer File audiences. With this integration, you can create TikTok Ads audiences by exporting lists from Iterable or syncing audiences from a journey with a TikTok Ads tile.
# In this article
# Connecting your TikTok Ads account
To connect TikTok Ads, you need an active advertiser account and permission to manage its audiences. The TikTok for Business user you authenticate with must have access to each advertiser account you want to connect.
- In Iterable, go to Integrations > Integrations Hub.
- Click Connect TikTok Ads Account.
- Authenticate with TikTok and grant access.
- Select the TikTok Ads advertiser account(s) you want to connect.
You can connect multiple TikTok Ads accounts to a single Iterable project and manage them from the same screen. To disconnect or re-authenticate an account, return to Integrations > TikTok Ads and manage it from that page.
# Exporting a TikTok Ads audience from a list
You can create a TikTok Ads audience from a static or dynamic Iterable list. Suppression lists and internal lists are not supported.
When you export a list to TikTok Ads, Iterable sends each user's email value.
Iterable trims and lowercases the address, then hashes it with SHA-256 before
upload. Iterable syncs the email address only. Users without an email address are skipped.
To do this:
- Go to Audience > Lists and open a static or dynamic list.
- Select Export > TikTok Ads Audience.
- Choose a connected TikTok Ads account.
- Name the new audience.
- Click Export.
This export is sent when you start it. After Iterable successfully syncs users, TikTok may take 24–48 hours to process the audience. The audience is available for targeting after TikTok finishes processing and at least 1,000 users have matched.
NOTE
This is a one-time sync that immediately exports the users currently on the list. The Customer File audience will not update in TikTok Ads if the list changes after the export process is complete.
# Syncing audiences from a journey
You can add or remove users from TikTok Ads audiences directly from a journey using a TikTok Ads tile. When users reach this tile, Iterable queues them for the selected TikTok Ads audience(s).
Iterable does not send each user to TikTok as they arrive. Adds and removes are grouped and sent about every two hours, so a user may wait until the next two-hour window before Iterable uploads them. This schedule keeps each audience within TikTok's limit of 24 updates in any 24-hour period.
After Iterable sends the update, TikTok may take 24–48 hours to reflect it.
# TikTok audience limits
These limits come from TikTok. Iterable cannot override them.
# Update operations
Each TikTok audience allows 24 update operations in any consecutive 24-hour period. Adding users and removing users each count as an update. If an audience reaches this limit, further updates fail until the window moves.
Iterable keeps journey syncs inside this limit by grouping adds and removes and sending them on a two-hour schedule. See Syncing audiences from a journey. A list export is sent when you start it.
# Processing time
Customer File audiences are processed asynchronously. After Iterable successfully sends users, TikTok can take 24–48 hours to process the upload and make the audience available. No additional action is required in Iterable during this time.
# Minimum audience size
TikTok requires at least 1,000 matched users before a Customer File audience becomes available for targeting. Uploading 1,000 email addresses does not guarantee 1,000 matches. TikTok counts users it can match on TikTok.
# Frequently asked questions
# When will users appear in TikTok Ads?
For a list export, Iterable sends the current list when you click Export. For a journey, Iterable sends grouped adds and removes about every two hours.
After that upload succeeds, TikTok may take 24–48 hours to process it. The audience also needs at least 1,000 matched users before it is available for targeting.
# Why did an update fail after the audience was already syncing?
One possible cause is TikTok’s limit of 24 updates per audience in any consecutive 24-hour period. This limit includes updates made outside Iterable. If the error indicates the limit was reached, wait for the 24-hour window to move before trying again. For other errors, check the reported failure for the cause.
# How long do users remain in a TikTok Ads audience?
Iterable uses TikTok's default audience expiration. If you do not set a custom retention period in TikTok, the audience expires 365 days after it was last modified or applied to an active ad group. Applying the audience to an active ad group, or modifying it, resets that date. Iterable's later adds and removes count as modifications.
# Does Iterable validate Custom Audience Terms or user consent?
No. Iterable does not verify whether a connected advertiser account has accepted TikTok’s Custom Audience Terms or whether individual users have consented to be included. Check both before syncing users to TikTok Ads.