Guide

The TikTok API, explained in plain English

TikTok's developer platform is really three products: Login Kit to connect accounts, the Display API to read profile and video data, and the Content Posting API to publish. Here is what each one does, what needs review, and where the limits are.

Updated

The three parts of the TikTok API

  • Login Kit: the "Continue with TikTok" OAuth flow. Your app gets an access token for the user.
  • Display API: read endpoints for the user's profile and their public videos, gated by scopes like user.info.profile, user.info.stats and video.list.
  • Content Posting API: upload a video or photo post, either to the user's TikTok inbox as a draft or straight to their profile.

Scopes, and what each one unlocks

  • user.info.basic: open_id, display name and avatar.
  • user.info.profile: username, bio, profile link and verification status.
  • user.info.stats: follower, following, like and video counts.
  • video.list: the user's public videos with view, like, comment and share counts.
  • video.upload: send a draft to the user's TikTok inbox to finish in the app.
  • video.publish: post directly to the profile.

Every scope beyond the basic one has to be approved for your app by TikTok, and the user sees each scope on the consent screen.

Tokens and refresh

An access token lasts about 24 hours. A refresh token lasts about a year and gets you a new access token without asking the user again. Apps that forget to refresh are why so many tools "lose" TikTok connections after a day. OAISYS refreshes automatically before expiry.

App review and audits

A new app starts in a sandbox that only works for test users you add. To go live you submit the app with a demo video that shows the real login flow and every scope in use. Posting apps have a second gate: until the Content Posting API integration passes TikTok's audit, anything the app publishes is limited to private (only me) visibility.

Posting limits and rules worth knowing

  • Direct posts go through a creator info check first, and the app must show the creator's privacy options without a default choice.
  • TikTok caps how many posts one creator can publish through the API per day, shared across all apps.
  • The app must show TikTok's music usage and branded content disclosures.
  • Sounds from TikTok's in-app library cannot be attached through the API, so the video's own audio is used.

How OAISYS uses the TikTok API

OAISYS is an approved TikTok developer app with Login Kit and the user.info.basic, user.info.profile, user.info.stats and video.list scopes. That is how you connect and manage multiple TikTok accounts without sharing passwords.

FAQ

Is the TikTok API free?

Yes. TikTok does not charge for API access. The cost is the review process and building to their rules.

Can I post to TikTok with the API?

Yes, with the Content Posting API and the video.publish or video.upload scope. Until your app passes TikTok's audit, API posts are private only.

Can the TikTok API read another creator's analytics?

Only for accounts that authorized your app. The Display API reads data for the connected user, not arbitrary accounts.

Why does my TikTok connection keep disconnecting?

Usually the app is not using the refresh token. Access tokens expire after about 24 hours, so the app must refresh them.