How to Get a Shop Now Button on TikTok

Transforming your TikTok views into sales is easier than ever, thanks to TikTok Shop and its integrated shopping button. This feature bridges the gap between entertainment and e-commerce, allowing followers to buy your products directly within the app. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from setting up your shop to adding product links to your videos and promoting them effectively.

What is the TikTok Shop Button, Really?

First, let's clarify what we're talking about. The "Shop Now" button isn't a single feature but rather a part of the larger TikTok Shop ecosystem. Unlike the old method of putting a single link in your bio, TikTok Shop turns your profile into a fully functional, native storefront. It's a direct-to-consumer sales channel built right into the platform where your audience already hangs out.

Here’s how these shopping features appear to users:

• The Shopping Bag Tab: This is the main storefront on your profile, marked by a shopping bag icon. Tapping it reveals all the products you've listed for sale, similar to browsing a regular e-commerce site.
• In-Feed Video Links: This is the most visible "Shop Now" button. When you feature a product in a video, a clickable link appears directly on the screen above your username. Viewers can tap it, see the product details, and check out without ever leaving the video feed.
• LIVE Shopping Links: During a TikTok LIVE session, you can pin products to the screen. Viewers can browse and purchase items in real-time, which is a fantastic way to demo products and answer questions on the spot.

Are You Eligible for TikTok Shop? Here’s the Checklist

Before you get started, you need to ensure you meet TikTok's requirements. The eligibility criteria differ slightly depending on whether you're a brand selling your own products (a Seller) or a creator promoting products for a commission (an Affiliate).

For Sellers (Brands &, Businesses)

If you want to open a shop to sell your own inventory, you'll need to meet these core requirements:

• Location: Your business must be based in a country where TikTok Shop is available. As of now, this primarily includes the United States, the United Kingdom, and several countries in Southeast Asia (like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore).
• Business Verification: You must be a legally registered business. During setup, you'll need to provide documentation like a business registration license or an EIN (in the U.S.). Sole proprietors can often use their social security number or personal identification.
• Be the Owner of the Products: You must sell your own products. TikTok is cracking down on dropshipping from unvetted suppliers, so it’s essential to have your own inventory or a solid supply chain.
• Product Compliance: You cannot sell items from TikTok's prohibited products list. This includes things like weapons, medical items, alcohol, and certain types of supplements.

For Creators (Affiliates)

If you don’t have products but want to earn money by promoting items from other brands, you can join the affiliate program. The requirements are generally:

• Follower Count: You typically need at least 5,000 followers.
• Age: You must be 18 years or older.
• Account Status: Your account must be in good standing, with no serious violations of TikTok's Community Guidelines in the past 30 days.

This guide will focus on the path for Sellers, as it's the most direct way to get a shop button for your own brand.

How to Set Up TikTok Shop: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to get your store up and running? The setup process happens in the TikTok Shop Seller Center, which is a separate portal from the main TikTok app. Grab your business documents and follow these steps.

Step 1: Get to the Seller Center and Sign Up

Head over to the TikTok Shop Seller Center for your region (e.g., seller-us.tiktok.com for the U.S.). You can sign up using an existing TikTok account or with a new email and phone number. Using your business's primary TikTok account makes linking everything easier later.

Step 2: Provide Your Business Information

This is where TikTok verifies that you're a real business. You'll be asked to choose your business type (Individual/Sole Proprietor, Corporation, LLC, etc.) and provide your legal business name. You will then need to upload your verification documents.

• For Corporations/LLCs: You'll need your business registration document and possibly your Employer Identification Number (EIN). You’ll also have to provide identification for the legal representative or beneficial owner (like a driver's license or passport).
• For Sole Proprietors: You can typically use your personal identification, such as a passport or driver's license for verification.

Be precise here! Any mismatch between your documents and the information you enter can lead to delays in approval.

Step 3: Configure Your Shop Details

Once your business is verified, you'll set up your basic shop information. This includes:

• Shop Name: This is what customers will see. Make it consistent with your brand.
• Warehouse/Pickup Address: This is your primary shipping and return address.
• Contact Information: A customer service email or phone number.

Step 4: Link Your Bank Account

Tell TikTok where to send your money. You'll need to enter your bank account details for payouts. There’s a short waiting period (usually 24 hours) after setting this up for security verification before you can start receiving payments.

Step 5: Add Your Products

You can't have a shop without products! You have two main ways to do this:

1. Manual Upload: Add products one by one directly in the Seller Center. You’ll need to upload images/videos, write a product title and description, set the price, enter inventory details, and provide weight/dimensions for shipping.
2. Sync with an E-commerce Platform: This is the recommended route if you already have a store on a platform like Shopify. Simply install the official TikTok for Shopify app from the Shopify App Store. It allows you to sync your entire product catalog - including images, descriptions, inventory, and pricing - directly to your TikTok Shop. This saves a massive amount of time and keeps your stock levels consistent across both sales channels.

Activating the Shop Tab on Your TikTok Profile

Once your shop is approved and a few products are active, the final step is linking it to your TikTok profile. You can’t skip this part - it’s what makes the shopping bag icon actually appear.

1. In the TikTok Shop Seller Center, navigate to "My Account" in the left-hand menu.
2. Click on "Linked TikTok Accounts."
3. Go to the "Official Account" tab and link the TikTok account you want to be your primary marketing profile for the shop.
4. You'll get a notification in your TikTok app to authorize the connection. Approve it.

After a short review period, the shopping bag icon will appear on your linked profile. Congratulations, your TikTok storefront is now live!

How to Add a Product Link (Shop Button) to Your Videos

With your shop set up, you can now tag products in your TikTok videos, creating that famous shoppable link.

1. Create a Video: Film or upload your video just like you normally would within the TikTok app.
2. Navigate to the Post Screen: After editing, proceed to the final screen where you write your caption and add hashtags.
3. Add the Link: Look for an option that says "Add Link" or "Link." Tap it.
4. Select "Product": A new menu will appear. Choose the "Product" option.
5. Choose Your Product: You’ll see a list of all the active products from your TikTok Shop. Select the one(s) featured in the video (you can add up to 10).
6. Confirm and Post: Tap "Add" to attach the product to your video. You can customize the name of the link that appears on screen. Finish writing your caption and post the video.

That's it! Your video will now have a clickable shopping link that viewers can tap to browse and buy instantly.

Best Practices to Actually Drive Sales with Your TikTok Shop

Simply having a shop button isn't enough, you need a content strategy that drives traffic to it. Here’s how to make your TikTok Shop a success:

1. Create Shoppable Entertainment, Not Ads

The cardinal rule of TikTok is to entertain first. Don't just post sterile product showcase videos. Instead, integrate your products naturally into viral trends, storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, or helpful tutorials. Make a TikTok that people want to share, and let the product be a part of the story.

2. Go LIVE Regularly

LIVE shopping is an incredibly effective sales tool. Use it to do product Q&,As, demo how a product works in real-time, or launch exclusive "flash sales" for your live viewers. The interactive nature builds trust and creates a sense of urgency that’s hard to replicate.

3. Use Clear &, Direct Call-to-Actions

Don't assume your viewers will see the little link on their own. Tell them what to do! Use both on-screen text and your voice-over to say things like:

• "Tap the orange shopping cart to get yours."
• "I've linked my all-time favorite sweater right here in the video."
• "Check out my new collection by tapping the shop tab on my profile!"

4. Leverage Creator Partnerships

Use the affiliate tools in TikTok Shop to partner with creators. Find influencers whose audience aligns with your brand and offer them a commission to promote your products. It's one of the fastest ways to get your products in front of thousands of potential new customers. You can find partners and manage campaigns directly from your Seller Center.

Final Thoughts

Unlocking the "Shop Now" button on TikTok involves setting up a full-fledged TikTok Shop, from business verification to product uploads. While it requires some administrative work upfront, the reward is a seamless, integrated e-commerce experience that lets you convert entertained viewers into happy customers directly within the app.

To drive consistent traffic to your new TikTok shop, a well-planned content calendar is essential. That's why we built Postbase to make our own lives easier. With our visual calendar, we plan and schedule all of our TikToks, Reels, and Shorts weeks in advance, allowing us to focus on making great shoppable content. Since it was designed specifically for video-first platforms, it helps ensure our content goes live exactly when planned, keeping our feed fresh and our audience engaged.