How to Add a Shopping Cart on TikTok

Turning viral videos into actual sales is the name of the game, and adding a shopping cart to your TikTok profile is one of the most direct ways to make that happen. This guide will walk you through setting up TikTok’s native shopping features, showcase how to effectively tag and sell your products, and cover the go-to alternative that millions of creators use to drive traffic and sales.

What is a ‘Shopping Cart’ on TikTok Anyway?

Before we go any further, it's good to understand what "adding a shopping cart" actually means in the context of TikTok in 2024. Your options have evolved beyond just telling people to “check the link in my bio.” The platform has invested heavily in creating a more seamless e-commerce experience.

There are two main routes you can take:

• TikTok Shop: This is the fully integrated, official e-commerce solution. It creates a dedicated shopping tab on your profile, allows you to tag products directly in videos and LIVEs, and lets customers check out without ever leaving the app. It's a complete storefront built right into TikTok.
• The ‘Link-in-Bio’ Strategy: This is the classic method used across all social media. You use a third-party service (like Linktree, Beacons) or your own hosted landing page to create a hub for all your important links, including product pages.

Both methods are effective, but they serve slightly different purposes. TikTok Shop is designed for frictionless buying within the app, while a link-in-bio offers more flexibility to direct traffic to your own website, blog, or other platforms. We’ll show you how to master both.

Setting Up Your TikTok Storefront: An In-depth Guide to TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is the most powerful e-commerce feature the platform offers. It essentially turns your profile into a fully browsable and shoppable catalog. Getting it set up requires a few specific steps, eligibility checks, and a bit of administrative work, but the payoff is immense.

Step 1: Check If You're Eligible

TikTok Shop isn't available to everyone just yet. The requirements vary depending on whether you are a direct seller (brand owner) or a creator participating in their affiliate program.

For Sellers (Brands and Merchants):

• Location: You must be based in a region where TikTok Shop is available, such as the United States, United Kingdom, and parts of Southeast Asia.
• Business Verification: You will need to provide official business registration documents, like an EIN or a state business license, to prove you’re a legitimate business. Sole proprietors and individuals can often register as well, but you’ll need to provide personal identification.
• Category Restrictions: Be prepared to show you're not selling prohibited items. TikTok has a clear policy on what can and cannot be sold on the platform (e.g., no alcohol, tobacco, or weapons).

For Creators (Affiliate Sales):

• Follower Count: You generally need a minimum number of followers (often starting at 5,000) to participate.
• Account Standing: Your account must be in good standing, with no history of major policy violations.
• Engagement: Active and engaged accounts are more likely to be approved.

Step 2: Start the Registration Process

Once you’ve confirmed you meet the criteria, it's time to apply. Here’s the typical flow:

1. Visit the TikTok Shop Seller Center: Use your web browser to navigate to the TikTok Shop Seller Center for your specific region (a quick search for "TikTok Shop Seller Center US" or "UK" will get you there).
2. Sign Up: You can sign up with your phone and email, or directly link your existing TikTok account. Linking your TikTok account is usually the smoothest path forward.
3. Submit Your Business Information: This is where you'll upload your company registration documents, enter your business address, and provide tax information. Be meticulous here, as any errors can delay your approval.
4. Wait for Verification: The TikTok team will review your application. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. You'll receive a notification once your shop is approved.

Step 3: Connect Your E-commerce Platform or Add Products Manually

Once your shop is approved, you need to populate it with products. TikTok gives you two primary ways to do this.

Option A: Sync with a Partner Platform (Recommended)

If you're already running an e-commerce store on a platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce, you’re in luck. TikTok has direct integrations that make this process incredibly simple.

• Find the TikTok App: In your e-commerce platform's app store (e.g., the Shopify App Store), search for the official TikTok app.
• Install and Connect: Install the app and follow the prompts to connect it to your TikTok account and your newly approved Seller Center.
• Sync Products: You’ll be able to select which products you want to sync to your TikTok Shop. The integration will pull in product titles, descriptions, images, pricing, and (most importantly) inventory levels.

The beauty of this method is that everything stays in sync. When you make a sale on TikTok, the order will appear in your Shopify dashboard, and your inventory will be updated automatically across both platforms. This saves a massive amount of manual work.

Option B: Add Products Manually

If you don’t use a supported e-commerce platform or just want to sell a few unique items, you can add them directly through the Seller Center.

• Navigate to the "Products" section.
• Click "Add New Product."
• Fill out all the details: product name, detailed description, high-quality images or videos, size and color variations (if applicable), price, and quantity.

Pro Tip: Write your descriptions and take your photos specifically for the TikTok audience. Use clear, vibrant imagery, and keep your copy short, benefit-driven, and easy to read.

Activating Sales: How to Use Your TikTok Shop Effectively

Just having a shop isn't enough, you need to drive traffic to it. TikTok gives you three powerful ways to integrate your products into your content.

1. Tag Products Directly in Your Videos

This is the most common and effective way to use TikTok Shop. When you upload a new video, you now have the option to tag items from your storefront. Here’s how:

• Record and edit your video as usual.
• On the final posting screen (where you write your caption), tap "Add link."
• Select "Product."
• A list of products from your shop will appear. Tap "Add" next to the one(s) featured in your video.

A small yellow shopping bag icon will appear on your published video. When users tap it, a product card slides up from the bottom, allowing them to add it to their cart and check out without leaving your video. This is amazing for capturing impulse purchases.

Example: A fashion creator does a "get ready with me" video and tags the exact sweater and pair of jeans she’s wearing. A beauty influencer does a makeup tutorial and tags the foundation and mascara used.

2. Feature Products During LIVE Shopping Sessions

TikTok LIVE streams are an incredible way to engage with your audience in real-time, and with TikTok Shop, they're also a massive sales channel.

Before going live, you can select which products from your shop you want to feature during the stream. When you're live, these products appear in a small shopping cart icon on the screen. You can pin specific products at different times to highlight what you're talking about.

Tips for a great LIVE Shopping event:

• Demonstrate the Product: Don't just talk about it - show it in action! Unbox it, try it on, or show how it works.
• Create Urgency: Offer a "LIVE-only" discount or mention that stock is limited to encourage immediate purchases.
• Engage with the Chat: Answer questions about sizing, materials, or features directly from viewers. This builds trust and helps close sales.

3. Manage Your Profile's Shopping Tab

With TikTok Shop enabled, a shopping bag icon will be added to your profile bio section, right next to your video feed. When users tap this, they enter your complete in-app storefront. They can browse your entire catalog, filter by category, and see everything you have to offer in one place. Treat this as your primary storefront and make sure your top products are clearly visible.

The Alternative Power Play: Mastering the 'Link-in-Bio'

What if you’re not eligible for TikTok Shop yet, or you'd rather send traffic to your own website? This is where the classic 'link-in-bio' strategy comes in. It requires one important prerequisite: a clickable link.

Step 1: Get a Business Account and 1,000 Followers

To add a clickable website link to your TikTok profile, you generally need two things:

1. Switch to a TikTok Business Account (you can do this in your settings).
2. Have at least 1,000 followers.

Once you've hit those milestones, the option to add a website URL will appear in your "Edit Profile" section.

Step 2: Choose and Set Up Your Link Tool

You only get one link, so you have to make it count. Instead of linking to just one product, use a "link-in-bio" service to create a simple landing page that houses multiple links.

Popular tools include:

• Linktree & Beacons: These are the most well-known. They allow you to create a simple, branded page with a list of custom buttons linking to anywhere you want.
• Hosted Solutions (like Shopify’s Linkpop): If you're on a platform like Shopify, they offer their own free link-in-bio tools that are shoppable. Visitors can browse and add your products to a cart right from the landing page.

Once you've created your page, copy its unique URL and paste it into the website field on your TikTok profile.

Step 3: Direct Your Audience

With your link hub in place, your job now is to direct people to it in your content. This is where your call-to-action (CTA) comes in.

• In your videos: Use on-screen text or verbally say "Find this outfit in my bio link!" or "Shop all my kitchen favorites using the link on my profile."
• In your caption: Add a phrase like "Product list on my page!" (since you can't put a link in the caption itself).

Final Thoughts

Whether you go all-in with the fully integrated TikTok Shop or utilize the ever-reliable link-in-bio strategy, the goal is the same: reduce the friction between discovery and purchase. Both methods transform your TikTok presence from just a content hub into a powerful sales engine, helping you monetize your creativity and connect your audience directly to the products they fall in love with in your videos.

Of course, a fantastic shop is only as good as the content driving traffic to it. Consistently planning and scheduling engaging shortform videos is what keeps the algorithm happy and your audience growing. That’s why we built Postbase, to solve the chaos of managing all your social platforms, especially video-heavy ones like TikTok. With a visual calendar to plan your launches and product-focused videos, and rock-solid scheduling designed for video formats, we help you build the consistent content pipeline your new storefront needs to thrive.