How to Fix TikTok Shop

Your TikTok Shop is set up, your products are listed, but something’s wrong - your listings are suspended, the features aren't working, or worse, you're hearing crickets instead of cha-chings. Getting a TikTok Shop to run smoothly involves more than just uploading products, it’s about navigating the platform's rules and creating content that genuinely connects with people. This guide cuts through the confusion and gives you a clear roadmap to fix common technical snags and, more importantly, solve the problem of low sales.

Troubleshooting Your TikTok Shop: Common Issues and How to Solve Them

Before you can make sales, your shop needs to be fully operational. Many sellers get stuck on technical hurdles without knowing where to turn. Let’s walk through the most frequent account-level problems and how to get them sorted out, step-by-step.

Problem 1: Your Products Aren't Being Approved or Showing Up

You’ve uploaded a product, triple-checked the details, and hit submit... only for it to be rejected or stuck in review forever. This is one of the most common frustrations for new sellers. Usually, it comes down to a few specific reasons.

Why It Happens:

• Policy Violations: TikTok has a long list of prohibited and restricted products. Your item might fall into a gray area, even if it seems innocent. Things like certain health claims, dropshipped goods from unverified suppliers, or even mentioning another social platform in your description can trigger a rejection.
• Poor Listing Quality: Low-resolution images, blurry videos, vague product descriptions, or keyword-stuffing can all lead to your product being flagged. TikTok wants a good user experience, and a messy product page is a red flag.
• Incorrect Categorization: Placing your product in the wrong category can cause delays or rejections. The algorithm needs to know exactly what you’re selling to show it to the right people.

How to Fix It:

1. Check the Seller Center First: Your first stop should always be the TikTok Shop Seller Center. Navigate to the “Products” >, “Manage Products” tab. Here, you'll see a status next to each item (e.g., Live, Inactive, Suspended). If a product is suspended or deactivated, there will typically be a reason provided. Click on the product for more details.
2. Read the Violation Notice Carefully: Don’t just skim it. The notice will tell you exactly which policy you’ve violated. It might be an issue with your product images (e.g., promotional text overlays) or a specific word in your title or description.
3. Optimize Your Product Page for Approval:
   • High-Quality Visuals: Use clear, well-lit photos and videos that show the product from multiple angles. For your main image, a clean background is best. Show the product in use in your other images or videos.
   • Descriptive and Honest Titles: Your title should be simple and accurate. Avoid using ALL CAPS or promotional phrases like “Best Seller” or “Limited Time.” State what the product is, such as "Cotton Crewneck T-Shirt" instead of "🔥AMAZING Deal!🔥 Best Tee Shirt EVER."
   • Detailed Descriptions: Be specific about materials, dimensions, and features. Most importantly, don't make unsubstantiated claims. For skincare or wellness products, this is especially important. Stick to facts, not miracles.
4. Submit an Appeal (If Necessary): If you’ve read the policy and genuinely believe your product was rejected by mistake, you can submit an appeal through the Seller Center. Provide a clear explanation and attach any supporting documents or photos. Be professional and concise.

Problem 2: Your Account or a Listing Was Suspended

A suspension can feel scary, but it’s often fixable. Suspensions happen when TikTok detects repeated policy violations or poor performance metrics, but you usually get a warning first.

Why It Happens:

• High Late Dispatch Rate: If you don't ship orders within the specified timeframe, your account health score will drop. Too many late shipments can lead to temporary suspension.
• Customer Complaints and Returns: A high rate of returns or negative reviews signals to TikTok that there’s a problem with your product quality or descriptions.
• Intellectual Property Issues: Selling counterfeit items, using copyrighted music without permission in your promo videos, or using a brand's logo are quick ways to get your listings taken down or your whole shop suspended.

How to Fix It:

1. Review Your 'Account Health': In the Seller Center, find the "Account Health" or "Shop Health" section. This dashboard is your report card. It shows your performance metrics, policy violations, and any penalties you've accumulated. Green is good, red means you have issues to address immediately.
2. Address the Core Problem: Look at your metrics to see where you're failing.
   • Slow Shipping? Re-evaluate your fulfillment process. Can you pack orders faster? Do you need a better shipping provider? Be realistic about your handling times when you set them.
   • Bad Reviews? Reach out to unhappy customers professionally and see if you can resolve the issue. Re-read your product descriptions - are you accidentally misleading customers?
   • IP Violations? Remove any trademarked logos or copyrighted content immediately. Only sell authentic products you’re authorized to distribute.
3. Follow the Appeal Process: If you're suspended, the Seller Center will guide you through an appeal. You'll need to submit a "Plan of Action" explaining how you've fixed the issue and what you'll do to prevent it from happening again. This shows TikTok you're serious about following the rules.

Beyond Technical Fixes: How to Get Your TikTok Shop Actually Making Sales

If your shop is technically sound but you aren’t making any sales, the problem isn’t with the platform - it’s with your content. TikTok is a social discovery platform, not a storefront like Amazon. People come here to be entertained and informed. If your videos feel like clunky, repetitive ads, they will scroll right past.

Rethink Your Content Strategy: Stop Pitching, Start Connecting

The secret to TikTok Shop success is making content that doesn't feel like a sales pitch. Your goal is to integrate your product into a story or a solution that viewers find valuable, relatable, or entertaining.

Actionable Strategies:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Instead of holding up a product and listing its features, show it solving a real problem.
  • Example: If you sell a kitchen gadget that chops vegetables quickly, don't just show the gadget. Create a video where you show the struggle of slowly chopping carrots, then cut to how fast and easy it is with your product. Frame it as "The kitchen gadget that saves me 15 minutes of meal prep."
• Adopt the Native Language of TikTok: Lean into trends, use relevant sounds, and keep your editing style fast-paced and engaging. A static product image with text overlays won't work. Think short, dynamic clips. Shoot your videos with your phone, not a professional camera crew. Authenticity almost always outperforms overly polished content.
• Create "Hero" Content for Each Product: Don't just make one video per product. Brainstorm 5-10 different angles for each item.
  • A video solving a common problem.
  • A "satisfying" video of the product in action (ASMR, cleaning, organizing).
  • A humorous video showing a funny situation where the product is needed.
  • A trust-building video showing behind-the-scenes of how it’s made or packed.

Master the Affiliate Program

You don't have to be the only person creating content for your products. The TikTok Shop Affiliate program is arguably the most powerful growth engine on the platform. You allow creators to promote your products in their videos, and they earn a commission on every sale they drive.

How to Make It Work for You:

1. Set Up Your Affiliate Plan: In the Seller Center, go to the "Affiliate Marketing" section. Here you can create different commission plans for your products. You can offer a higher commission on products you want to push. A commission between 10-20% is competitive and attracts better creators.
2. Actively Recruit Creators: Don't just wait for creators to find you. Use the "Creator Connect" marketplace within TikTok Shop to search for affiliates in your niche. Look for creators whose audience matches your ideal customer and whose content style feels authentic.
3. Send Free Samples: This is the single best way to get on a creator's radar. Offer a handful of your best products to creators you’d love to work with. If they love the item, they are far more likely to make multiple videos about it. This is a small investment with a potentially massive return.

Engage with Your Community Like a Human

Every comment and question on your videos is an opportunity. When people see an active and helpful shop owner, it builds trust and encourages purchasing. Answer questions, reply to comments, and use their feedback to create even better content.

If someone asks, "Does this come in blue?" don't just reply, "Yes." Create a quick video reply showing off the blue version! This personalized engagement can turn a curious viewer into a loyal customer.

Final Thoughts

Fixing your TikTok Shop comes down to two parts: getting the technical basics right and mastering the art of content-driven commerce. First, use your Seller Center dashboard to diagnose and address any operational issues like product rejections or performance dips. But the real growth happens when you stop thinking like a traditional ecommerce seller and start thinking like a TikTok creator who happens to sell great products.

Managing all that content, planning videos, and staying consistent can be a drain, especially when you're also handling fulfillment. Personally, we built Postbase to solve this exact headache. Using a simple visual calendar to map out our TikTok videos alongside content for our other social platforms lets us plan our strategy without the stress. Since it's built from the ground up for short-form video in a way that older tools aren't, it takes the friction out of staying on top of our shop's content schedule.