TikTok Content Posting API Daily Limits, Quotas, and Features

When using TikTok, understanding the TikTok API daily limits is fundamental for automating your workflow. In this guide, I’ll help you set up and understand these API limitations. TikTok offers multiple APIs, and choosing the right one depends on your objective. This guide focuses on uploading and downloading your own content, as well as extracting information from your personal user account. More advanced APIs are available, but they require a lengthy verification and approval process. Those are typically used for more complex tasks such as market analysis, large-scale data extraction, or advanced ad targeting.

In this guide, we’ll only focus on using the Content Posting API for your personal account. The API Limit is 15 video uploads per 24 hours.

This tutorial is a simplified version of the work done in Repostit.io, you can skip all the troublesome parts and use our software for automation if you’re interested.

Authentication and User Access Token

The TikTok API requires an authorization token to access any endpoint. Obtaining this token is necessary to authenticate your requests and enable communication with the API, and here is how.

1. Register your app: create an app on the TikTok developer portal and copy your client_key and client_secret.
2. Run a local callback receiver: run a simple HTTP server on your machine (e.g., http://localhost:5000/callback) to catch the redirect and read the code query parameter. (Any lightweight server will do.)
3. Expose an HTTPS redirect URI: TikTok requires HTTPS. For local testing, create an HTTPS tunnel that forwards to your local server (for example, using a tunneling tool) and register the resulting HTTPS URL as the redirect URI in your app settings. Example redirect to register:
   https://<your-tunnel-id>.example-tunnel.io/callback
4. Open the authorize URL: in your browser go to the TikTok authorize URL with your values:

https://www.tiktok.com/v2/auth/authorize/
?client_key=YOUR_CLIENT_KEY
&scope=user.info.basic,video.upload
&response_type=code
&redirect_uri=YOUR_HTTPS_TUNNEL_CALLBACK
&state=RANDOM_STRING

Log in and approve.

5. Capture the code: after consent TikTok redirects to your registered redirect URI with ?code=AUTH_CODE&state=.... Your local server (or the browser URL) will contain the AUTH_CODE.
6. Exchange code for tokens (server-side): on your machine, send the AUTH_CODE along with client_key, client_secret, grant_type=authorization_code, and the same redirect_uri to TikTok’s token endpoint. You will receive access_token and refresh_token.
7. Store and use tokens: keep tokens and client_secret on your machine/server (securely). Use Authorization: Bearer <access_token> in API requests.
8. Refresh when needed: when the access token expires, use the refresh_token to obtain a new access token.

Managing User Access Tokens with OAuth v2

TikTok uses OAuth v2 for authentication, handled through the TikTok Login Kit, which manages the entire token lifecycle. This system lets you integrate TikTok login and authorization directly into your app. Once a user successfully authorizes access, TikTok provides refreshable access tokens that allow your app to call API endpoints with their granted permissions.

Each endpoint on the TikTok API requires explicit user consent, granted at the scope level. Scopes define what your app can access, for example, user.info.basic lets you read a user’s avatar and display name, while video.list allows access to their public videos. Tokens must be managed securely, ideally stored and refreshed server-side. The access token is what your app uses to make API requests on behalf of the user, while the refresh token is used to generate a new access token when it expires. For most integrations, you’ll authorize users through: https://www.tiktok.com/v2/auth/authorize/

This URL is used across web and desktop apps, and it requires a registered redirect URI on your TikTok Developer dashboard. If you’re developing for mobile, TikTok recommends using the OpenSDK for iOS or Android, which manages the same process natively.

If you’re still using older endpoints (like /auth/authorize/), TikTok advises migrating to the new v2 endpoints as soon as possible.

TikTok Content Posting API Structure

The TikTok API is part of TikTok for Developers, a platform that allows developers to integrate TikTok features, such as posting videos, retrieving user data, or analyzing content, directly into their own applications. Just like most REST APIs, TikTok’s API uses HTTP requests and JSON-formatted data to send and receive information. Each request must include specific headers (like the Authorization token) and a JSON body containing the required fields for the chosen endpoint.

When making a request, the necessary fields in the JSON payload depend on the endpoint being used. For example, when uploading a video, you typically need to include:

• privacy_level – Determines who can see the uploaded video (e.g., PUBLIC, FRIENDS, or PRIVATE).
• access_token – The user’s authorization token, obtained through the /v2/oauth/token/ endpoint.

Below is a simple example of how you could upload a video to TikTok using the API:

# PULL_FROM_URL example
import requests
import json

# === CONFIG – replace with your values ===
ACCESS_TOKEN = "YOUR_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN"           # token from OAuth, with video.upload scope
VIDEO_URL     = "https://your-verified-domain.com/path/to/video.mp4"
API_ENDPOINT  = "https://open.tiktokapis.com/v2/post/publish/inbox/video/init/"

# === Prepare request ===
headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
}

body = {
    "source_info": {
        "source": "PULL_FROM_URL",
        "video_url": VIDEO_URL
    }
}

# === Execute request ===
resp = requests.post(API_ENDPOINT, headers=headers, json=body, timeout=20)

print("Status code:", resp.status_code)
try:
    resp_json = resp.json()
except ValueError:
    print("No JSON response:", resp.text)
    resp_json = None

print("Response JSON:", json.dumps(resp_json, indent=2))

# PULL_FROM_URL example
import requests
import json

# === CONFIG – replace with your values ===
ACCESS_TOKEN = "YOUR_USER_ACCESS_TOKEN"           # token from OAuth, with video.upload scope
VIDEO_URL     = "https://your-verified-domain.com/path/to/video.mp4"
API_ENDPOINT  = "https://open.tiktokapis.com/v2/post/publish/inbox/video/init/"

# === Prepare request ===
headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
}

body = {
    "source_info": {
        "source": "PULL_FROM_URL",
        "video_url": VIDEO_URL
    }
}

# === Execute request ===
resp = requests.post(API_ENDPOINT, headers=headers, json=body, timeout=20)

print("Status code:", resp.status_code)
try:
    resp_json = resp.json()
except ValueError:
    print("No JSON response:", resp.text)
    resp_json = None

print("Response JSON:", json.dumps(resp_json, indent=2))

Headers Structure of the API

The header structure in the TikTok API is presented here. First, the process for obtaining authentication was shown in the previous steps. The following table lists the essential headers required for requests to the TikTok API, including their purpose, value format, and whether they are mandatory.

Body Structure of the Content Posting API

The TikTok API supports multiple types of content and operations. You can use it to post videos or photos, upload content for users to complete in TikTok, query creator information, fetch post status, and receive webhook notifications about content publishing. It also provides access to metadata, engagement metrics, and content analytics.

For example, you can structure a request to upload a video directly to a creator’s account with the Content Posting API:

# FILE_UPLOAD example (use real numeric values for sizes/counts)
import requests
import json

url = "https://open.tiktokapis.com/v2/post/publish/inbox/video/init/"

headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer act.example12345Example12345Example",
    "Content-Type": "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
}

# Replace these example values with real numbers (bytes/chunk counts)
example_video_size = 12345678
example_chunk_size = 5242880
example_total_chunk_count = 3

data = {
    "source_info": {
        "source": "FILE_UPLOAD",
        "video_size": example_video_size,
        "chunk_size": example_chunk_size,
        "total_chunk_count": example_total_chunk_count
    }
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)

print(response.status_code)
try:
    print(json.dumps(response.json(), indent=2))
except ValueError:
    print("No JSON response:", response.text)

# FILE_UPLOAD example (use real numeric values for sizes/counts)
import requests
import json

url = "https://open.tiktokapis.com/v2/post/publish/inbox/video/init/"

headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer act.example12345Example12345Example",
    "Content-Type": "application/json; charset=UTF-8"
}

# Replace these example values with real numbers (bytes/chunk counts)
example_video_size = 12345678
example_chunk_size = 5242880
example_total_chunk_count = 3

data = {
    "source_info": {
        "source": "FILE_UPLOAD",
        "video_size": example_video_size,
        "chunk_size": example_chunk_size,
        "total_chunk_count": example_total_chunk_count
    }
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)

print(response.status_code)
try:
    print(json.dumps(response.json(), indent=2))
except ValueError:
    print("No JSON response:", response.text)

and the response will be structured as follows.

// Example fixed response JSON
{
  "data": {
    "publish_id": "v_inbox_file~v2.123456789",
    "upload_url": "https://open-upload.tiktokapis.com/video/?upload_id=12345&upload_token=Xza123"
  },
  "error": {
    "code": "ok",
    "message": "",
    "log_id": "202210112248442CB9319E1FB30C1073F3"
  }
}

// Example fixed response JSON
{
  "data": {
    "publish_id": "v_inbox_file~v2.123456789",
    "upload_url": "https://open-upload.tiktokapis.com/video/?upload_id=12345&upload_token=Xza123"
  },
  "error": {
    "code": "ok",
    "message": "",
    "log_id": "202210112248442CB9319E1FB30C1073F3"
  }
}

All the possible body inputs and response fields are described in the tables below.

Video Direct Post

Headers

Request Body Fields

Response Fields

Upload Video Headers

Video Upload

Headers

Request Body Fields

Response Fields

Upload Video Headers

Error Codes

Photo

Headers

Request Body Fields

Post Info Object

Source Info Object

Response Fields

Error Codes

Query Creator Info

Headers

Response Fields

Error Codes

Get Post Status

Fetch Status Response Fields

Nested Error Fields

Content Posting Webhooks

Fail Reasons

TikTok API Daily Limits

TikTok imposes limits on API usage to prevent abuse and ensure fair access for all creators. These limits apply to both the number of requests per minute and the total content posted per 24-hour period.

• API Limit: 15 video uploads per 24 hours per account (varies depending on account tier).
• Regular creators will likely hit the standard limit, some business accounts may have extended limits.
• If you exceed this, TikTok queues or rejects new uploads until reset.

The TikTok guide states that: “Request Restriction: Each user access_token is limited to 6 requests per minute” and “The daily upload cap from the API is reached for the current user. To reduce spamming, TikTok limits the number of videos that can be uploaded via API that are not pending approval and posting by the creator. There may be at most 5 pending shares within any 24-hour period.”

In the guideline presented on the TikTok Creator Guide page, they outline the following structure “There is a limit on the number of posts that can be made to a creator account in a 24-hour window via Direct Post API. The upper limit may vary among creators (typically around 15 posts per day/ creator account) and is shared across all API Clients using Direct Post.”. An can be summarize in the following table:

Multiple Accounts, One Less Hassle

Managing multiple TikTok accounts can be tricky, as each API key has a limited number of requests and switching between accounts can be cumbersome. To make your life easier, you can use Repostit.io, which handles multiple accounts and workflows seamlessly, without the usual hassle.

Conclusion

This tutorial provided a clear example of how to use the TikTok API and explained the daily limits for content posting. For a simpler approach, you can use Repostit.io, which offers the API along with a frontend to manage multiple channels, sources, and platforms, all in a single streamlined workflow.