How to Get Samples from TikTok Shop

Landing free products from TikTok Shop to feature in your videos is a fantastic way to create fresh content without spending your own money. We'll show you exactly how to find and request samples, whether you're just starting or looking to partner with specific brands. This guide covers the two primary methods for getting samples, best practices for contacting sellers, and what to do after the product arrives to build a strong reputation as a creator.

Understanding How TikTok Shop Samples Work

Before you start requesting products, it’s helpful to know why sellers offer them in the first place. For brands, giving samples to creators is a powerful marketing strategy. It’s a direct way to get their products in front of thousands of potential customers through authentic video reviews and demonstrations. When you create a video with a tagged product, you're not just making content, you're acting as a storefront for that brand.

There are two main avenues for getting these samples:

• The TikTok Shop Affiliate Center: This is the official, built-in marketplace where sellers list products available for creators to request as free samples. It’s the most direct and common method.
• Direct Brand Outreach: This involves proactively contacting brands you want to work with, even if they haven't listed a free sample in the marketplace. This requires more effort but can lead to bigger opportunities.

Both methods hinge on your ability to create engaging content that drives views, and more importantly, sales. The more effective your videos are, the more brands will want to work with you.

Method 1: Requesting Samples Through the Affiliate Center (Step-by-Step)

The Affiliate Center is your home base for finding and requesting free samples directly within the TikTok app. If you meet the basic eligibility criteria, you can start browsing for products right away.

Step 1: Make Sure You're Eligible

TikTok is constantly updating its requirements, but generally, you need to meet a baseline to access the Affiliate Program and its features. As of now, the typical requirements for US-based creators are:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a minimum of 5,000 followers.
• Have posted a video on TikTok in the last 28 days.

If you meet these, you should have access to the TikTok Shop for Creators features. If not, focus on growing your account with quality content first.

Step 2: Navigate to Your TikTok Shop for Creators

Finding the marketplace is simple. Just follow these steps:

1. Open your TikTok app and go to your Profile.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines (the hamburger menu) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Creator Tools from the menu.
4. Under the Monetization section, tap on TikTok Shop for Creator.

This will take you to your creator dashboard where you can see your earnings, manage your product showcase, and access the Product Marketplace.

Step 3: Find Products Offering Free Samples

Now for the fun part: finding products to request.

1. Inside your TikTok Shop dashboard, tap on Product Marketplace. This is a massive catalog of all products available for commission.
2. To narrow it down, you'll want to find sellers specifically offering samples. Look for a filter or a tab at the top of the marketplace labeled "Free sample" or something similar. Tapping this will show you only the products you can request without purchasing.
3. You can further filter by product category, commission rate, and price to find items that are a perfect fit for your niche and audience.

Step 4: Vet the Product and Seller

Don't just request every sample you see. A low-quality product will be hard to endorse authentically, and a negative review won't build a good relationship with a brand. Before you hit "Request," do a little research:

• Check Seller Ratings: Look at the seller's overall star rating and read a few reviews. Are customers happy? Is shipping reliable?
• Review Product Details: Read the product description carefully. Look at the number of units sold. A product with thousands of sales is likely a proven winner.
• Look at the Commission Rate: While the sample is free, your goal is to earn a commission. A higher rate means more potential earnings for you if your video performs well. A very low commission might not be worth your creative effort.

Step 5: Request and Wait for Approval

Once you’ve found a great product, tap on it and find the “Request free sample” button. The seller will be notified of your request and will review your profile to decide if you’re a good fit. They'll look at your follower count, engagement rate, and the quality of your past content.

Approval isn't guaranteed. Many sellers, especially popular ones, receive hundreds of requests a day. Don't be discouraged if you're not approved immediately. Continue creating great content and keep trying with different products.

You can track the status of your requests in the "Manage Samples" section of your Creator Center.

Method 2: Proactive Outreach to Brands

What if your dream product isn't listed in the free sample marketplace? It’s time to take matters into your own hands. Proactive outreach can open doors that the marketplace alone can't.

Step 1: Identify and Research Your Target Brands

Make a list of 5-10 brands that align perfectly with your content niche. These should be brands whose products you genuinely believe your audience would love.

Once you have your list, do some homework. Find the right person to contact. Reaching out to the general customer support email will almost always get you nowhere. You need to find the marketing, PR, or social media manager. LinkedIn is a great tool for this, or you can look for an email address like press@brandname.com or collabs@brandname.com on their website.

Step 2: Prepare Your Pitch

Your outreach needs to be professional, compelling, and concise. Put together a "mini media kit" of your key stats. Be ready to share:

• Your TikTok handle (with a link).
• Your current follower count.
• Your average weekly/monthly views.
• Your engagement rate (likes + comments + shares) / views.
• Audience demographics (age, gender, location). You can find this in your TikTok analytics.

Step 3: Craft the Perfect Outreach Email or DM

Keep your message short, personal, and focused on the value you can provide them. Avoid generic, copy-and-paste messages. Here’s a template you can adapt:

Subject: TikTok Collaboration Idea | [Your Name/Handle] x [Brand Name]

Hi [Contact Person’s Name],

My name is [Your Name], and I run the TikTok account [@YourHandle], where I create content about [Your Niche] for my audience of over [Number] followers.

I’ve been a huge fan of [Brand Name] for a while now, and I particularly love the [Specific Product Name]. It aligns perfectly with my content, and I know my audience, who are mostly [Audience Description, e.g., "millennial women interested in sustainable beauty"], would be very interested in it.

I would love to feature the [Specific Product Name] in a dedicated TikTok video, showcasing it through [Your Content Idea, e.g., "a ‘get ready with me’ video" or "a tutorial on how to use it"].

Here are a few quick stats about my account:

• [Follower_stat] Followers
• [Views_stat] Average monthly views
• [Engagement_stat]% Engagement Rate

Would you be open to sending a sample for me to feature on my page for an affiliate partnership? I’m confident I can drive both awareness and sales for you on TikTok Shop.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,
[Your Name]

You Got a Sample! What's Next?

Congratulations! A brand has approved your request. Your work isn't over, it's just beginning. How you handle this next phase will determine if you get more collaboration opportunities in the future.

1. Adhere to Deadlines and Guidelines

When you get a sample approval through the Affiliate Center, TikTok usually gives you a timeframe in which you must post a video (e.g., within 14 days of receiving it). Missing this deadline can hurt your standing as a creator. If a brand reached out directly, make sure you're clear on their expectations for when the video should go live.

2. Create High-Quality, Authentic Content

A lazy, low-effort video won't help anyone. Your goal is to create content that serves your audience and sells the product. Here are some proven formats:

• Unboxing + First Impressions: Capture your genuine reaction to opening and using the product for the first time.
• Problem/Solution: Show how the product solves a specific problem for you. For example, "My hair was always frizzy until I found this serum."
• A Day in the Life: Integrate the product naturally into your daily routine.
• Before-and-After: Visually demonstrate the product's effectiveness.

Always disclose that the product was a free sample or that you're an affiliate. Trust and transparency are essential.

3. Tag the Product Correctly

This is the most important technical step. To earn commission and show the brand the value you’re providing, you must tag the product in your video. Before posting, use the "Add Link" button and select "Product." Find the specific product from your showcase and add it. A clickable orange banner with "Shop Now" should appear over your video caption after publishing.

4. Communicate With the Brand

Drop the brand a line once your video is live, especially if it was a direct outreach collaboration. Share the link and thank them for the opportunity. This professionalism is memorable.

Final Thoughts

Getting free samples from TikTok Shop is a straightforward process once you know how to navigate it, whether you’re using the built-in Affiliate Center or proactively reaching out to your favorite brands. Focus on building a strong profile with authentic, engaging content, and you’ll become the type of creator that brands are excited to work with.

Once the samples start rolling in, the next challenge is managing all of your scheduled content. Our team built Postbase because we needed a clean visual calendar that shows exactly what's going live and where, across all of our accounts. When you're juggling multiple product post deadlines, being able to drag-and-drop a plan to schedule everything on time becomes an absolute lifesaver. That's what we want to give creators&mdash,a simple way to stay organized without the headache of managing spreadsheets.