TikTok quietly tests product links in posts as it looks to boost its reputation for shopping

TikTok hasn’t posted about the integration on any official channels, but creators who were invited to participate posted about it on social media. It was also spotted by expert marketing consultants, who wrote about the update on LinkedIn. TechCrunch was the first to report that TikTok had rolled out an integration with the social commerce app LTK. But the integration also lets creators add shopping links from other affiliate partners, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Rakuten, Impact, CJ, Expedia, Clickbank, Flexlink and Temu, according to in-app notifications received by eligible creators. 

TikTok declined to provide an on-the-record statement for this story, but a company spokesperson said the new integration is part of a test available to a limited number of creators. As such, it is not an official program, but TikTok is collecting feedback from the initiative. TikTok declined to provide additional information, including whether it was receiving a commission on sales from these links.

TikTok’s latest approach to affiliate marketing marks a significant departure from creators’ earlier reliance on link-in-bio tools like Linktree. Creators selling products through affiliates usually push views to click links in their profile bios when showcasing products on TikTok. With the new integration, product links show up at the top of a post’s comment section, reducing the number of steps a shopper has to take to navigate to a creator’s recommended products.

It’s all part of TikTok’s plan to boost its reputation as a destination for online shopping, even as its future hangs in the balance amid the threat of a ban in the U.S. TikTok officially launched its e-commerce business, TikTok Shop, last year in September as a way to grow revenue beyond advertising dollars. With the new shopping links, TikTok is simplifying the purchasing experience, increasing website traffic and sales for brands.

Georgina Whalen, an independent marketing expert and consultant who also has as creator account on TikTok, said she received an invitation from the social media app to participate in the new affiliate marketing program last week.

“This is a huge deal because it shows that TikTok is looking to really become the prime shopping ecosystem,” she said. “Not only are brands going to be seeing increased website traffic and sales, it’s reducing the chances of these brands losing conversions to viewers that might otherwise have to go to the website and search around before making the purchase.”

When uploading a video, eligible creators can go to an “add product link” option, which allows them to insert URLs for product links from select third-party affiliates. Once the video is published, the link will show up at the top of the comment section with a “Related product | click to view” label. If a user clicks on the link, it takes them to the product page through TikTok’s in-app browser. Currently, the direct shopping link only appears on mobile. 

While directing users to other retailers might, on the surface, seem counterintuitive, the move actually bolsters TikTok’s reputation as a platform for shopping, according to Lindsey Gamble, an independent influencer marketing and creator economy consultant who posted about the integration on LinkedIn.

“It’s a big move for TikTok because now it’s playing nice with the affiliate networks that are essentially its competitors,” Gamble said. “Creators being able to integrate links directly on top of the comments could potentially take away from TikTok Shop, but it also just beefs up TikTok more as a shopping destination.”

To be sure, this would not be the first time TikTok played nice with its competitors. In August, the social media app announced a shopping partnership with Amazon that allows TikTok’s users to make Amazon purchases from the site without leaving the TikTok app. The deal has caught the scrutiny of the House China Committee, which questioned Amazon about its relationship with TikTok, and by extension the app’s Chinese parent ByteDance, per Bloomberg. 

By partnering with well-known brands like Amazon and Walmart, TikTok’s integrated links may also help the e-commerce platform earn the trust of users who might be more wary – whether that’s due to the lack of big-name brands on TikTok Shop or just its relative newness. 

“Some people just don’t trust TikTok Shop enough to purchase products from it because it’s brands of all different sizes,” Gamble said. 

Gamble added that there’s a “clear distinction” between TikTok’s new integration and TikTok Shop product tags, which appear above the creator’s username and are superimposed on the video itself. As such, TikTok Shop remains front and center.

For brands, the product links give them more insight into how specific creators are driving sales from them.

“What we’ve seen in the influencer marketing industry — this year, especially — is brands are really shifting their attention to performance-based engagements with creators, so they’re they’re really wanting to see the ROI from what they’re paying these creators,” Whalen said. “This is another way that they can be partnering and give these creators more opportunities to drive those sales.”

It’s unclear if TikTok will take a cut of the sales it gets from its integrated product links, but if so, “this could be a major revenue stream” for the social media app, Gamble said.

Overall, creators and marketing experts said they view product links as a win-win for everyone, from shoppers and creators to brands and affiliate networks — and, of course, TikTok.

“It comes at a pivotal time when we are months away from seeing whether or not TikTok gets banned,” said Lia Haberman, who writes the marketing newsletter “ICYMI.” “This is something that they really had to do.”