TikTok Quick Start

- TikTok Business Messaging is in Open Beta and currently unavailable on respond.io for organizations registered in the United States.
- TikTok Accounts in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom cannot use the API to manage or send direct messages.

If you're in one of these regions, see TikTok Messaging Ads for alternative ways to reach TikTok users on respond.io.

Introduction

This guide will help you set up and configure TikTok as a messaging Channel on respond.io. By integrating TikTok Business Messaging, you can manage TikTok conversations alongside your other Channels for consistent customer engagement.

Prerequisites

Before connecting TikTok to respond.io, ensure the following:

TikTok Account with Advanced Access

TikTok uses a 3-tier account system:

• General TikTok Account — the default tier. The messaging API is not available at this tier.

• TikTok Account with Advanced Access — required for TikTok Business Messaging on respond.io.

• Verified Business Account — the highest tier. This is not required for respond.io.

Advanced Access requires linking your TikTok account to TikTok for Business (TT4B) or Business Center. Switching to a "Business Account" in the TikTok app alone is not sufficient.

If you already have a TikTok for Business account:

For the full guide, see How to link an existing TikTok for Business account with a TikTok account.

1. Go to theTikTok for Business login page.

2. Click Log in with TikTok.

3. Sign in with your existing TikTok account.

4. Click Authorize.

5. Select Link with an existing TikTok for Business account.

6. Enter your TikTok for Business login credentials.

7. Click Confirm.

If you're creating a new TikTok for Business account:

For the full guide, see How to link a new TikTok for Business account with a TikTok account.

1. Go to the TikTok for Business signup page.

2. Agree to the Terms and Conditions.

3. Click Sign up with TikTok

   • Organization Accounts cannot be used to sign up for a TikTok for Business account.

4. Sign in to your TikTok account or create a new one.

5. Click Authorize.

6. Create a TikTok Ads Manager account and click Register.

7. Complete your ad account setup from the Welcome to TikTok Ads Manager page.

Once linked, your account will have Advanced Access and you can proceed with the connection below.

Message settings

Set your TikTok account to accept direct messages from everyone. Otherwise, you'll need to manually accept each message request from the TikTok app before messages appear in your Inbox. Edit your message settings.

Connecting TikTok to respond.io

Personal TikTok accounts cannot be connected. A TikTok account with Advanced Access is required to connect.

1. Go to Settings > Channels.

2. Click Add Channel and select TikTok.

3. Click Connect with TikTok.

4. Log in using your TikTok account credentials and authorize access.

5. Follow the prompts to complete the connection process.

Once connected, your TikTok account will appear in the Channels list and a QR code will be generated for customer interactions.

Channel Configuration

After connecting your TikTok Channel, you can customize the settings:

1. Channel name:

   1. Go to Settings > Channels > TikTok > Manage.

   2. Update the Channel name for internal identification.

2. Chat link and QR code:

   1. Navigate to the Growth Widgets section.

   2. Generate and download a QR code to share with customers.

   3. When scanned, the QR code opens a chat directly at https://tiktok.me/{username} instead of your business profile.

   4. You can also include a pre-filled message, so Contacts start the conversation with context, just like WhatsApp.

Testing

To ensure everything works:

1. Scan the QR code or click the generated chat link.

2. Confirm it opens a TikTok conversation (not just the profile).

3. Send a test message.

4. Check the respond.io Inbox for the incoming message.