UGC for TikTok Ads: Spark Ads, Specs, and What to Brief
How brands use creator videos in TikTok ads: Spark Ads vs. non-Spark ads, authorization codes, video specs from TikTok, and what to put in the creator brief.
There are two ways to run creator videos as TikTok ads. With Spark Ads, the creator posts the video on their own account, turns on ad authorization, and sends you a code that's valid for 7, 30, 60, or 365 days. You then run their actual post, and the engagement counts toward it. With non-Spark ads, the creator sends you the file and you upload it under your own identity. Either way, brief for vertical 9:16 video with a fast hook, clear audio, music from a source cleared for commercial use, and a written license that matches the ad type and duration.
This page is the TikTok-specific playbook: how Spark Ads work according to TikTok's own Business Help Center, the published video specs, and a checklist you can paste into a creator brief. If you also run Meta, the equivalent mechanism there works differently (see UGC for Meta ads). For comparing creatives once they're live, use how to test UGC ad creative, which covers TikTok's split test.
Spark Ads vs. non-Spark ads: which to use for UGC
TikTok describes Spark Ads as "a native ad format that allows you to leverage organic TikTok posts and their features in your advertising." The ad is the creator's real post, and per TikTok, "all of the Spark Ads post engagement will be attributed to the original organic post." A non-Spark ad is a video you upload to Ads Manager yourself and run under your brand's identity.
| Spark Ad (creator's post) | Non-Spark ad (uploaded file) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who the ad appears to come from | The creator's TikTok account | Your brand's identity |
| What you need from the creator | A published post, an authorization code, and a written license | The video file and a written license for paid use |
| Where engagement goes | To the creator's original post | To the ad |
| Time limit | The authorization period the creator chooses, plus your contract term | Your contract term only |
| Caption | Taken from the organic post and can't be edited after authorization | Written by you in Ads Manager |
| Typical fit | Creators whose post looks native and whose handle adds credibility | Creators who don't post the video, or when you want full control of edits |
Both options are legitimate. The real question is whether the creator will publish the video on their account and keep it up for the period you need. If they won't, or if their account is new and the handle adds nothing, a non-Spark ad with a clear paid-usage license is simpler.
How Spark Ads authorization works, step by step
TikTok's help pages describe the creator-side process in the TikTok app as follows.
What the creator does
- Open the post they want to authorize and tap the three dots, then Ad settings.
- Agree to the advertising terms.
- Turn on the Ad authorization toggle.
- Generate a code and select the authorization duration: 7, 30, 60, or 365 days.
- Tap Copy Code and send it to the advertiser.
What you do in TikTok Ads Manager
- Go to the TikTok posts tab and click Add post. TikTok says you can batch-authorize up to 20 video codes at a time.
- When building the ad, select the TikTok account as the ad's identity, then complete the music, text, call to action, destination, and tracking fields.
- Launch under a supported objective. TikTok's Spark Ads overview lists Reach, Traffic, Video Views, Community Interaction, App Promotion, Conversions, Lead Generation, and Sales for Auction buying. Reach & Frequency buying supports only Reach, Traffic, and Video Views.
Rules that affect your plan
- The caption is fixed. TikTok says you can't edit a post's caption after it's been authorized as an ad. Approve the caption before the creator generates the code.
- Private videos go public. Per TikTok, private videos become public when used in campaigns. A creator can post privately to generate a code, but it won't stay private once it runs.
- Deleting is blocked while ads run. TikTok says a video must be un-authorized as a Spark Ad before it can be deleted from the organic account, and a video code can only be deleted once every ad using it has been deleted.
- Banned posts are rejected. Organic posts that have been banned are rejected in Ads Manager.
- Account limit. TikTok lists a maximum of 10,000 Spark Ads per Ads Manager account.
Other routes exist. TikTok lists three ways to source Spark Ads: linking authorized accounts, using creator-provided codes, or pushing new posts from Ads Manager to authorized identities. Separately, when a creator tags a brand partner in a sponsored post, TikTok says the content goes into the brand's Content Suite and can be used for Spark Ads "by default for 60 days without waiting on authorizations." That route requires the creator to have the commercial content disclosure setting turned on.
A Spark Ads code is TikTok's technical permission. It doesn't record what you paid, whether you can also cut the video into non-Spark ads, which territories you can run in, or whether the creator can work with your competitors. Put those terms in writing, and match the code duration to the contract term. UGC usage rights for brands has a clause checklist.
Choosing the authorization duration
Choose the code duration to match the paid-usage term you've agreed, not the longest option. If you license 60 days of paid use, a 60-day code keeps the technical permission and the contract aligned. If you might extend, agree the extension price in the contract up front so a well-performing ad doesn't stall while you renegotiate.
A brand licenses one creator video for 30 days of paid use on TikTok, with an option to extend to 90 days at a pre-agreed fee. The creator generates a 30-day code. In week three the ad is still running well, so the brand exercises the option and the creator authorizes again for the new period. Every number here is hypothetical. The point is that the option and its price were settled before launch.
TikTok video ad specs for UGC
TikTok's Business Help Center lists separate specs for Spark Ads and non-Spark In-Feed ads. As listed in October 2026:
| Spec | Non-Spark In-Feed ad | Spark Ad (pull) |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio and size | Vertical 9:16 at 540 x 960 px or more (recommended). Also 16:9 at 960 x 540 px or more, or 1:1 at 640 x 640 px or more. | Whatever posted successfully on TikTok |
| File type | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi | .mp4 or .mov |
| Duration | Up to 10 minutes | No time restriction |
| File size | 500 MB or less | Not specified |
| Bitrate | 516 kbps or more | Not specified |
| Caption | Displayed in a fixed white font. No clickable links, mention symbols, or hashtags. | Pulled from the organic post. Up to 4 lines display. |
For non-Spark ads, TikTok also lists a 98 x 98 px square profile image under 50 KB and a display name of up to 20 characters in most languages. On safe zones, TikTok says the size "is determined by the dimension (vertical, horizontal, or square), ad caption length, and any additional formats used," and offers downloadable safe zone templates on the specs page. Use those templates rather than a fixed percentage, because the overlay changes with caption length.
The 9:16 minimum is low. TikTok's creative best practices separately recommend shooting at 720p or higher, so ask creators to record at their phone's full vertical resolution. You can always export smaller, but you can't add detail back. The same best practices recommend introducing your proposition in the first 3 seconds and prioritizing the hook in the first 6, which is why the brief below asks for alternate openings.
A hypothetical brand books two creators. Creator A has an engaged audience in the brand's niche and agrees to post the video, keep it live for 60 days, and send a 60-day Spark code. Creator B has a new account and doesn't want to post branded content. The brand runs A's post as a Spark Ad and B's video as a non-Spark ad from its own identity. It also asks A for the clean file, so that if A's post comes down early, a non-Spark version can keep running, as long as the license allows it. The creators, terms, and durations are invented to show the decision, not a recommendation.
Music and disclosure: two things to settle before filming
Music
TikTok's Commercial Music Library is described by TikTok as "a pre-cleared global music library" of about one million songs, free for businesses to use, and TikTok says businesses should use it for organic content, video ads, and branded content. Trending sounds from the general library aren't automatically cleared for ads. The safest brief is to record with voice only and add music later from a cleared source, or to have the creator choose from the Commercial Music Library.
Disclosure
TikTok's advertiser guidance says that when posting content that promotes a brand, product, or service, creators must turn on the Commercial Content Disclosure setting, which adds a label such as "Paid partnership." This matters for Spark Ads because the ad is the creator's organic post. If the post is branded content, it should be disclosed from the moment it's published. The FTC's rules sit on top of TikTok's. See FTC rules for UGC.
What to put in the creator brief for TikTok
Most TikTok UGC problems come from things that weren't decided before the shoot: who posts the video, what the caption says, which sound is used, and how long the ad can run. The checklist below covers the TikTok-specific items. Add them to your standard UGC brief. If you source creators through CreatorsUGC (our platform), its Terms of Service include digital advertising use on TikTok. Spark codes, posting from the creator's account, and keep-live periods are extras to agree with the creator in writing before you order.
- Ad type: Spark Ad from the creator's account, non-Spark upload under your identity, or both.
- Posting: If Spark, whether the creator posts publicly or privately, and on what date.
- Caption: The exact caption, approved before posting, since it can't be edited after authorization. No links in the caption.
- Disclosure: The commercial content disclosure setting is on for branded posts.
- Code duration: 7, 30, 60, or 365 days, matching the contract term.
- Keep-live period: The creator agrees not to delete or make the post private during the authorized period.
- Sound: Voice only, or a track from the Commercial Music Library. No trending sounds you haven't cleared.
- Format: Vertical 9:16, full resolution, filmed with TikTok's on-screen interface in mind. On-screen text is checked against TikTok's safe zone templates.
- Hook: At least two or three alternate openings filmed with the same body. See UGC hook examples by angle.
- Files: Even for Spark, request the clean file (no TikTok text or stickers) so you can run a non-Spark version if your license allows.
- Claims: A list of claims the creator must not make, and a reminder to describe only their real experience.
- License: Paid usage term, territory, whether edits and cutdowns are allowed, and any exclusivity.
AD TYPE: [Spark Ad from your account / File delivery for our account / Both]
POST: [Public / Private] on [DATE]. Turn on Commercial Content Disclosure.
CAPTION (use exactly): [CAPTION TEXT, no links]
SPARK CODE: Ad settings > Ad authorization ON > duration [7/30/60/365] days
> Copy Code > send to [CONTACT]
KEEP LIVE: Don't delete or hide the post until [END DATE].
SOUND: Voice only, or choose from the Commercial Music Library.
FORMAT: Vertical 9:16, full resolution. Key text away from the bottom
and right side, where TikTok's buttons and caption sit.
HOOKS: Film these openings with the same body: [A] [B] [C]
ALSO DELIVER: Clean file without TikTok text or stickers.
DO NOT SAY: [BANNED CLAIMS]
LICENSE: Paid use on TikTok for [TERM] in [TERRITORY]. See contract.FAQ
Can a creator post privately just to give me a Spark code?
They can generate a code from a private post, but TikTok says private videos become public when they're used in campaigns. Tell the creator before they post so nobody is surprised when it appears on their profile.
Can I extend a Spark Ads authorization?
The creator chooses the duration when generating the code. To keep running beyond it, you need a new authorization from the creator and contract terms that cover the longer period. Agree the extension terms before launch.
Can I edit a creator's Spark Ad?
You run the post as published, and TikTok says the caption can't be edited after authorization. If you want re-edits, cutdowns, or new text overlays, get the file and run non-Spark ads, which needs a license that allows edits.
Do I need Spark Ads to run UGC on TikTok?
No. A non-Spark ad built from the delivered file is a normal TikTok ad. Spark is worth the extra coordination when the creator's account and post add credibility, and when they'll keep the post live for your whole term.
Is Spark Ads the same as whitelisting?
It's TikTok's mechanism for running ads from a creator's post and identity, which is what "whitelisting" usually means. Meta's equivalent is partnership ads.
Sources
- About Spark Ads — TikTok Business Help Center
- How to create Spark Ads for Manual and Search Campaigns in TikTok Ads Manager — TikTok Business Help Center
- How to create Spark Ads for Smart+ Campaigns in TikTok Ads Manager — TikTok Business Help Center
- TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads specifications — TikTok Business Help Center
- Creative best practices for performance ads — TikTok Business Help Center
- About the Brand Partner tag in content disclosure settings — TikTok Business Help Center
- About the Commercial Content Disclosure setting for advertisers — TikTok Business Help Center
- About the Commercial Music Library — TikTok Business Help Center
CreatorsUGC publishes this guide. We run a UGC marketplace, so we have an interest in the topic — we link to independent sources for facts and label illustrative examples.