How to Find Viral Trends on TikTok

Scrolling your For You Page can feel like seeing the future - one minute, it’s a specific audio clip, the next, it’s a universally adopted meme. Knowing how to spot these TikTok trends early is the difference between leading the conversation and just adding to the noise. This guide will walk you through seven practical methods for finding viral trends on TikTok, from using the app’s own tools to developing an instinct for what’s about to take off.

Your 'For You' Page is Your Best Research Tool

Your For You Page (FYP) is more than just entertainment, it’s a personalized trend report delivered directly to you. But consuming it passively won’t get you far. You need to switch from a consumer mindset to a researcher's mindset. It’s about active observation, not mindless scrolling.

How to Use Your FYP Strategically

As you scroll, start taking mental (or physical) notes. Instead of swiping past the tenth video using the same audio, stop and analyze it. Ask yourself a few questions:

• Is an audio clip reappearing? If you hear the same sound or song snippet three to five times in a 10-minute scrolling session, that’s a strong signal. Tap on the spinning sound icon at the bottom right to see how many videos have been made with it. A number that's rapidly growing is a good sign.
• Are you seeing a recurring format? A trend isn't always tied to a sound. It could be a specific editing style, a punchline format, a popular filter, or a green screen effect. For example, the "photo dump" trend with a specific CapCut template is a format-based trend.
• Is there a common theme or topic? Sometimes a trend is a conversation. It might be people sharing their "unpopular opinions" or "icks" in a certain niche or telling a story about a shared experience.

The key is to train your algorithm to work for you. Interact with content in your niche by liking, commenting, and saving videos. Follow creators whose content you want to emulate. This teaches TikTok what to show you, turning your FYP into a hyper-relevant feed of potential trends for your specific audience.

Go Straight to the Source: The TikTok Creative Center

If you prefer data over intuition, the TikTok Creative Center is your best friend. It’s a free, official resource from TikTok designed to help marketers and creators understand what’s performing well on the platform. It removes the guesswork and gives you hard data on what’s trending right now.

Breaking Down the Creative Center Features

Inside the portal, you’ll find several incredibly useful tools. Let’s focus on the most impactful ones for trend spotting.

1. Trend Intelligence Dashboard

This is the homepage of the Creative Center and a goldmine of information. Here’s how to navigate it:

• Trending Hashtags: See a list of hashtags that are blowing up, complete with data on how many videos have been created and the total views. You can filter by industry (e.g., Beauty & Personal Care, E-commerce, Gaming) and time frame (last 7, 30, or 120 days) to find what's relevant to your brand.
• Most Popular Songs: This section shows you what music is trending. More importantly, it shows what songs are on the "breakout" list - meaning they're gaining huge traction but aren't completely saturated yet. Jumping on these breakout sounds gives you a better chance of being seen.
• Top Creators: See which creators are crushing it right now. Studying their content can give you amazing insights into the formats, tones, and topics that resonate with audiences. You can filter by follower count and region.
• Top Videos: A curated list of high-performing TikToks. This is great for getting a feel for the editing styles and hooks that are working at the moment. You're not looking to copy these videos but to understand the high-level patterns behind their success.

2. Top Ads Library

Even if you're not running ads, the Top Ads library is an unbelievably valuable resource for organic content. It lets you see the best-performing paid content on the platform, filtered by region, industry, campaign objective, and more. Why is this useful for organic strategy? Because ads that perform well often mimic the style of viral organic content. You can spot formats, hooks, and editing techniques that capture attention effectively and apply those principles to your own videos.

Listen for Trending Sounds and Audio

Audio is the lifeblood of TikTok. A viral sound can launch a thousand videos and turn a simple clip into a cultural moment. Your ability to find and use trending sounds early is one of the most powerful levers you have for growth.

Where to Find Trending Sounds

• Within the TikTok App: When you create a new TikTok, tap "Add Sound" at the top. The first tab you see will be a curated list of sounds that are "Recommended" or trending. This is the easiest, most direct way to find popular audio.
• From Your FYP: The best method is still pattern recognition on your For You Page. When a sound lodges itself in your brain after you've heard it a half-dozen times, save it. Tap the sound icon and hit "Add to Favorites." Build a library of potential audios to use later.
• Check Other Platforms: Pop culture doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Check Spotify's "Viral Hits" playlist and pay attention to what's picking up steam on Instagram Reels. Often, trends cross-pollinate, and what’s taking off on one platform will likely show up on the others.

A pro tip: Don't just look for sounds with millions of uses. By the time a sound is that big, it's already peaking. The sweet spot is often a sound with between 10,000 and 100,000 uses. It’s popular enough to get algorithmic reach but not so saturated that your video gets buried.

Follow the Right People (Not Just Influencers)

Trends don't just appear out of nowhere, people start them. By following a diverse group of creators, you get a front-row seat to what might become the next big thing.

Who to Follow:

• Top Creators in Your Niche: This one is obvious. Identify the 5-10 leaders in your industry and keep tabs on what they're posting. A format that works for them is likely to work for you.
• Top Creators Outside Your Niche: Don't stay in your bubble. See what popular comedy, beauty, or gaming creators are doing. You can often adapt a format from a completely different industry and be the first to introduce it to your own audience.
• Up-and-Coming Creators: Look for creators with strong engagement but smaller followings (10k-50k followers). These "micro-influencers" are often on the cutting edge and experimenting with new ideas. If you see something resonate with their hyper-engaged community, it might be about to go mainstream.

Use TikTok’s Search Function Strategically

The search bar at the top of the TikTok app is more powerful than most people realize. You can use it as a real-time trend-spotting tool.

How to Search for Trends

Start by typing in a broad keyword relevant to your niche - for example, "marketing tips," "small business owner," or "skincare." Don't just look at the results. Pay attention to the autocomplete suggestions that TikTok offers, these are an indicator of what other people are actively searching for.

Once you get to the results page, tap over to the tabs to filter by "Users," "Videos," "Sounds," and "Hashtags." Look at the top-performing videos under that keyword. What sounds are they using? What's the common theme in the video titles or text overlays? This quick search can give you a dozen content ideas in a matter of minutes.

Look Beyond Sounds: Identify Viral Formats, Filters, and Effects

Thinking a trend is only defined by its sound is a common mistake. Some of the biggest trends are purely visual or structural.

Keep an eye out for:

• Video Formats: The "GRWM" (Get Ready With Me), "POV" (Point of View), or "Day in the Life" formats are all trends. Even something as simple as the "unboxing" style is a trend format.
• Editing Styles: Look for repeated editing techniques. Is everyone using quick cuts, a specific type of subtitle, or a zoom effect in the same way? For a while, the "CapCut templates" themselves were a massive trend.
• Filters and Effects: When a notable new filter or effect drops (like the AI greenscreen or a goofy face filter), it almost always sparks a wave of videos. You can find what's popular by tapping the "Effects" button in the creator camera and looking at the "Trending" tab.

Joining these visual trends is powerful because it makes your content instantly recognizable and familiar to viewers, which can get them to stop scrolling.

Create a Simple Trend-Spotting Routine

Consistency is everything. Finding trends isn't a one-time task, it's an ongoing process. Making it a small part of your weekly routine will keep you ahead of the curve without feeling overwhelming.

A 15-Minute Daily Habit

You don't need to spend hours a day researching. Just block out 15 minutes each morning for "strategic scrolling." Here’s a sample weekly plan:

• Monday: FYP Analysis. Scroll your FYP with a notepad ready. Jot down 3-5 recurring sounds, formats, or themes you see.
• Tuesday: Creative Center Check-in. Spend your 15 minutes on the TikTok Creative Center website. Look at the top trending hashtags and songs in your industry for the last 7 days.
• Wednesday: Competitor and Creator Review. Check in on 5 key creators in your space. What did they post yesterday? Do you see any new ideas you can adapt?
• Thursday: Sound Scouting. Go to the "Add Sound" page in the TikTok creator and look through the trending and breakout lists. Favor at least three sounds that might fit your content.
• Friday: Planning Session. Look over your notes from the week and pick 1-2 trends to build videos around for the following week.

Final Thoughts

Finding viral trends on TikTok is a skill that blends observation, data analysis, and a little bit of intuition. By actively using your For You Page, diving into the Creative Center, and keeping an eye on sounds and formats, you move from being a trend follower to a trendsetter. The goal isn't to hop on every single trend, but to find the right ones that align with your brand's voice and goals.

Once you've spotted the perfect trend, the next critical step is planning and scheduling it effectively. We built Postbase with a visual content calendar specifically for this reason: a simple way to see your entire content strategy at a glance. You can drag and drop your trend-based video ideas into the schedule, ensuring you post at the perfect time without feeling overwhelmed by the daily chaos of managing multiple platforms.