How to Make a Showcase on TikTok

TikTok Showcase lets creators and brands turn their profile into a shoppable storefront, directly connecting their content to the products they feature. This powerful feature closes the gap between discovery and purchase, making it a must-have for anyone serious about e-commerce on the platform. This guide will walk you through exactly what a Showcase is, the requirements you need to meet, how to set one up step-by-step, and proven strategies to make it successful.

What is a TikTok Showcase and Why You Need One

Ever watch a TikTok, love a product the creator is using, and wish you could buy it right there? That's the problem TikTok Showcase solves. It's a dedicated tab on your profile, represented by a shopping bag icon, where users can browse and purchase products you've curated. Unlike a single product link in your bio, a Showcase functions like a mini-shop, displaying multiple items with their images, names, and prices right inside the app.

There are two primary ways to use Showcase:

• For Sellers: If you sell your own products - physical or digital - your Showcase is a direct sales channel. It connects to your TikTok Shop, pulling in your product catalog so your followers can shop your entire range without ever leaving the platform.
• For Creators (Affiliates): If you're a content creator, you can use Showcase to earn commissions on products you recommend. By adding affiliate products from other brands on TikTok Shop, you create a curated page of your favorite items, earning a percentage of every sale made through your links.

The benefit is simple but powerful: it streamlines the customer journey. By removing the friction of a "link in bio," you capture sales at the peak of a user's interest. It's an organic way to monetize your content and build a credible, shoppable brand identity directly on TikTok.

What Are the Requirements for a TikTok Showcase?

Before you can add products to your profile, you need to gain access to the feature, which is tied directly to the TikTok Shop ecosystem. The requirements vary slightly depending on whether you're a brand selling your own products (a Seller) or a creator promoting others' products (an Affiliate).

For Sellers (Brands with Their Own Products)

If you're launching a storefront for your own brand, you'll need to set up a TikTok Shop. The main eligibility criteria generally include:

• A Business Account: Your personal account needs to be switched to a Business Account, which you can do in your settings.
• Business Registration: You must be a registered business in a country where TikTok Shop is available (like the United States, United Kingdom, and parts of Southeast Asia). You'll need to provide official company documents.
• A Physical Presence: You must have a shipping warehouse or fulfillment center in the country where you're registered. TikTok wants to see that you can actually ship products to customers.

For Creators (Affiliates)

If you want to earn commissions by showcasing other brands' products, you'll apply to the TikTok Shop for Creator program. The requirements are more focused on your creator stats:

• Minimum Follower Count: You generally need to have at least 5,000 followers. This number can vary by region.
• Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old.
• Active Account: You need to have posted a video on TikTok in the last 28 days and have an account in good standing with no major community guideline violations.

For both pathways, the first critical step is getting approved for either a Seller or Creator account within TikTok Shop. Once you're approved, the Showcase feature becomes available automatically.

How to Set Up Your TikTok Showcase: A Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up your Showcase is straightforward once you have the necessary approvals from TikTok Shop. The process involves adding products to your profile so they appear under the shopping bag icon. Here's how it works for both sellers and creators.

For Sellers: Populating Your Showcase with Your Own Products

As a seller, your Showcase is a direct reflection of your TikTok Shop inventory. Any products you add to your shop's catalog can be displayed on your profile.

Step 1: Set Up Your TikTok Shop for Sellers
If you haven't already, go to the TikTok Seller Center and register your business. This involves submitting your business documents, linking a bank account for payouts, and configuring your shipping settings. This approval process can take a few days.

Step 2: Add Products to Your TikTok Shop
Inside the Seller Center, you will manage your entire inventory. Go to "Products" > "Add New Product." Here, you'll need to provide:

• Product name and a compelling description.
• High-quality images or videos of the item.
• Category, price, and stock quantity (SKU).
• Weight and dimensions for shipping calculations.

Once you save and publish a product in the Seller Center, it typically becomes eligible to appear in your Showcase.

Step 3: Managing Your Showcase from your Profile
After your products are live, head to your TikTok profile. You should see the shopping bag icon. If you tap on it, you can enter the "Showcase Management" section. Here you can add, remove, and organize the products displayed on your public profile. You can also "pin" key products to the top, which is great for highlighting bestsellers or new arrivals.

For Creators: Filling Your Showcase with Affiliate Products

For creators, the Showcase is your personalized, commission-earning shop. Instead of uploading your own inventory, you'll be browsing TikTok Shop for products to promote.

Step 1: Apply to TikTok Shop for Creator
Go to your TikTok profile and tap the three-line menu icon at the top right. Navigate to "Creator Tools" > "TikTok Shop for Creator." If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply directly in the app. Approval is usually quick if you meet the follower and age requirements.

Step 2: Find and Add Products to Your Showcase
Once approved, you'll gain access to the "Product Marketplace." This is where you can discover products to promote. You can browse categories, search for specific brands, and see the commission rate for each item.

• When you find a product you like, tap "Add" to include it in your Showcase.
• Some products might require you to request a free sample first. This lets you create authentic video content with the product before promoting it, which is a great practice for building trust.

Step 3: Organize and Curate Your Showcase
Just like sellers, you have full control over what appears on your storefront. Tap the shopping bag icon on your profile to manage your Showcase. You can group products, create collections, and pin your top recommendations. This curation is how your personality shines through, turning a generic product list into a trusted source of recommendations for your followers.

Best Practices for a High-Performing TikTok Showcase

Simply having a Showcase isn't enough, you have to drive traffic to it and convince followers that your products are worth a look. Here are some proven strategies to turn your Showcase into a conversion machine.

1. Create Content That Naturally Features Your Products

This is the most important part. Your Showcase is just a destination, your videos are the vehicle that gets people there. The key is to make content that is entertaining or educational first, and promotional second.

• Tutorials and Demos: Show the product in action. If you're selling a beauty product, create a GRWM ("Get Ready With Me") video. If it's a kitchen gadget, share a recipe using it.
• Problem/Solution Stories: Present a common problem your audience faces and position your product as the solution. This format is incredibly effective on TikTok.
• Tag Products in Your Videos: While uploading a video, you can tag one or more products from your Showcase. A small "shoppable" product link will appear right above your username, making it incredibly easy for viewers to buy while watching.

2. Curate Your Collection Thoughtfully

Don't just add every product available. Your Showcase should reflect your niche and your audience's interests. A cluttered, random assortment of items feels inauthentic and can hurt your credibility.

• Pick products you genuinely believe in and would use yourself. Your audience trusts your recommendations, so protect that trust.
• Pin your top 3-5 products to the top of your Showcase. These could be bestsellers, high-commission items, or products featured in your latest viral video.

3. Use Live Shopping to Engage and Sell

TikTok LIVE is one of the most powerful tools for driving sales. During a live stream, you can feature products from your Showcase, answer questions in real-time, and offer special flash deals. The products appear as interactive cards that viewers can tap to buy without leaving your stream. It creates a sense of urgency and community that pre-recorded videos can't match.

4. Talk About Your Showcase Explicitly

Don't assume your followers know the shopping bag icon is there. Mention it in your videos! A simple verbal call to action like, "I've linked this and all my other favorites on my profile - just tap the shop icon!" can significantly boost traffic and sales. You can also use on-screen text overlays to point viewers to your Showcase.

Final Thoughts

Creating a TikTok Showcase is a game-changer for monetizing your presence, letting you seamlessly blend content and commerce. By setting up your shop, curating products that resonate with your audience, and creating videos that drive traffic, you can build a thriving e-commerce business directly on the platform.

Having a well-planned content calendar is fundamental to keeping your Showcase top-of-mind with your audience. As we were building Postbase, we wanted to make that process feel effortless. That's why we created a visual calendar that lets you plan weeks of TikToks and other social content in one clean view, ensuring you always have fresh videos promoting your products without the stress of last-minute posting.