Catalog Feed Checker for TikTok Ads

How to check a TikTok catalog feed

Load the TikTok catalog feed you plan to upload and the checker tests each product against TikTok's Catalog Product Parameters and its list of catalog product issues. It is built for the files people really reuse: a Google Shopping feed, a Shopify or WooCommerce export, or a sheet from a feed app.

1. Load the file. Drag in a CSV, XML, TSV or Excel file, paste from a spreadsheet, or try the sample beauty catalog.
2. Check the column matches. TikTok's names are recognized automatically, including g: tags from a Google XML feed. An id column is treated as sku_id and renamed in the download.
3. Choose your catalog currency. Prices in another currency are flagged; prices without a code get the catalog currency added.
4. Work through the problems. Errors are likely to get products rejected, warnings are worth fixing, notes are for information. Each one lists the rows and the fix.
5. Download the corrected CSV. Upload it in Catalog Manager, and send the "products to fix" file to whoever maintains your product data.

TikTok product feed specifications this checker applies

• Values — availability must be in stock, available for order, preorder, out of stock or discontinued; condition new, refurbished or used.
• Text — no emoji or control characters in sku_id or title, and no promotional words such as "free shipping", "high quality" or "wholesale".
• Images — JPG or PNG, a link that ends in .jpg, .jpeg or .png, and no unsupported hosts.
• Categories — TikTok reads only three levels of google_product_category, so longer paths are cut to three.
• Limits — fewer than 20 million products and less than 50 GB per file; custom labels up to 100 characters.

What to do next in TikTok Catalog Manager

1. Create the catalog if you don't have one. In TikTok Ads Manager go to Assets > Catalog > Create. Give it a name, a default currency that matches your prices, and one targeting location.
2. Add products. Open the catalog, then Manage > Products > Add Products. Choose Upload File for the corrected CSV, or Data Feed Schedule to fetch it from a URL on a timetable. Download Template on the same screen gives TikTok's own blank file.
3. Connect your pixel or app. TikTok asks for catalogs to be bound to a pixel or app. Send the same sku_id as content_id in pixel events so ads can match products.
4. Keep it fresh. Update the feed at least weekly and keep ads running from the catalog to avoid the 28-day freeze.

Common TikTok catalog errors and fixes

TikTok catalog required fields missing

A file without one of the nine required columns gets an error for every product. The most common cause is a Google feed where the ID column is called id and there is no sku_id.

Duplicate IDs

TikTok ignores duplicate IDs. Each size and shade needs its own sku_id; tie variants together with the same item_group_id.

TikTok catalog price and currency format

Write prices as a number with a dot, a space and the code: 9.99 USD. Symbols and commas are rewritten in the corrected file, but a price in a different currency from the catalog has to be fixed at the source.

Invalid image link or image too small

The link must lead straight to a JPG or PNG file of at least 500 x 500 pixels. If your image server blocks TikTok, add TikTok's crawler IP addresses listed on its issues page to your allowlist.

Emoji or special characters

Emoji in titles and IDs are listed as a product issue. They are flagged here but not removed, because the title should be rewritten by a person.

Incorrect number of columns

Stray commas, unquoted line breaks or an empty column at the end of each line shift values into the wrong fields. The corrected file is written with proper quoting and without empty trailing columns.