How to Connect Your TikTok Account to TikTok Ads Manager

Linking your personal or brand TikTok profile to Ads Manager does more than merge two dashboards—it changes what ad formats are available to you.

• Spark Ads access: You can select any video from your connected organic account and run it as a paid ad. The post retains its original likes, comments, and shares, preserving social proof that a newly uploaded dark ad would not have.
• No duplicate uploads: Because Ads Manager pulls directly from your account library, you do not need to re-export or re-upload creatives every time you start a new campaign.
• Multiple account support: You can connect more than one TikTok account to the same Ads Manager, which is useful for agencies managing several brands.
• Granular permission control: When connecting an account that belongs to a client or partner, you can restrict exactly which actions the business center is allowed to perform.

If you have not yet set up your Ads Manager at all, start with the TikTok Ads Manager and Business Center setup guide before following the steps below.

Make sure you have the following ready:

1. An active TikTok Ads Manager account. If you still need one, see how to create a TikTok Ads account.
2. Access to the email address registered with your Ads Manager, because a verification code will be sent there.
3. The login credentials (email, username, or password) for the TikTok profile you want to connect.

1. Open User Settings in Ads Manager

Log into TikTok Ads Manager. In the top-right corner, click your profile icon or username. From the dropdown, select User Settings. This opens your personal information page, where the account-linking section lives.

2. Locate the TikTok Account Section

Scroll down the personal information page until you find the section labelled TikTok Account. Click Link TikTok Account to start the connection flow.

3. Verify Your Email Address

For security, TikTok requires you to confirm your identity before linking an external account. Click Send to receive a verification code at your registered email address. Copy the code from your inbox, paste it into the confirmation field, and click Confirm.

4. Log Into Your TikTok Profile

A new window or screen will open prompting you to sign into TikTok. Use the same email address, username, or password associated with the TikTok profile you want to connect. If TikTok's system detects unfamiliar activity, you may receive a second security code—enter it when prompted and click Next.

5. Grant Permissions

After logging in successfully, TikTok will ask what level of access you want to grant to the business account. Review each permission carefully:

• Full access is appropriate when both accounts belong to you.
• Restricted access is the safer choice when connecting a client's account or working with a third-party agency. Deselect any permissions that are not needed for your campaign work.

Once you have made your selections, click Continue.

6. Confirm the Connection

Return to the User Settings page and click Refresh. You should now see the connected TikTok username listed under the TikTok Account section. From this same area you can also click Edit Access at any time to adjust permissions without disconnecting the account entirely.

Permissions are not set-and-forget. If you are running ads for a brand account and the scope of work changes, you may need to expand or restrict what Ads Manager can do on behalf of that profile. The Edit Access option in User Settings lets you do this without repeating the full linking process.

If you are an agency, consider connecting each client account with only the minimum permissions required—typically the ability to use posts as Spark Ads and to read basic analytics. Avoid granting permissions to publish organic content unless the client has explicitly approved that scope.

Once your TikTok profile is linked, your organic video library becomes available inside the campaign creation flow. When you reach the ad creative step, you can select TikTok Account as the source and pick any existing post rather than uploading a new file. TikTok refers to these as Spark Ads.

Spark Ads carry over the engagement metrics from the original organic post—views, likes, and comments remain visible to users who see the paid promotion. This is one reason they often outperform standard in-feed ads created from freshly uploaded assets. For a full walkthrough of the format, the TikTok Spark Ads tutorial covers creative strategy and campaign setup in detail.

You can also connect multiple TikTok accounts and switch between them when creating different campaigns, making the setup particularly efficient for agencies or businesses running separate sub-brands.

• Using the wrong email at the login step. TikTok's login page accepts email, phone, or username. If your TikTok and Ads Manager accounts were created with different emails, use the credentials that belong to the TikTok profile specifically.
• Skipping email verification. The security code step is mandatory. Attempting to bypass it or closing the window early will cancel the linking process.
• Granting full access to a client account by default. Always review the permission list before clicking Continue, especially when connecting an account you do not own.
• Forgetting to refresh the settings page. After completing the login and permission flow, the connection will not appear until you manually refresh the User Settings page.

Connecting your TikTok account to Ads Manager is a quick process—typically just a few minutes—but the operational benefits are significant. Spark Ads become available immediately, you eliminate duplicate upload workflows, and you can scale across multiple profiles from a single interface. The permission controls also make the setup viable for agencies handling client accounts.

If you have not yet started your Ads Manager account, claim your TikTok ad credits to get your first campaigns funded, then follow this guide to complete the connection before launching.