Learn TikTok Ads before you spend a dollar. Master the algorithm that's changing ecommerce.
Select your ecommerce scenario. Each has different CPM ranges and suggested content formats for TikTok.
TikTok Ads are discovery-based: the algorithm pushes your video to users who are likely to engage. For ecommerce, you run Video or Conversion campaigns that send traffic to your store or TikTok Shop. Creative quality (especially the first 3 seconds) is the main lever—TikTok finds the audience from the creative. Use our free TikTok Ads Simulator to practice without spending.
Creative fatigue is when the same ad is shown too often to the same people. On TikTok it happens fast: frequency above 2.0 starts to hurt performance, and above 3.0 it can collapse. The simulator teaches this by tracking frequency and fatigue stages so you learn to rotate creatives before performance drops.
A Spark Ad is when you boost one of your existing organic TikTok posts as a paid ad. The post keeps its likes, comments, and shares—so new viewers see social proof. Spark Ads often get 15–40% better performance than dark post ads. The simulator introduces Spark Ad opportunities so you learn when and how to use them.
A good hook rate is 25% or higher—meaning at least 25% of people who see your ad watch past the first 3 seconds. Below 25%, TikTok's algorithm tends to limit delivery because low watch-through is a negative signal. The simulator shows your hook rate each week and suggests improving the creative, not the audience.
TikTok recommends at least $20/day per ad group for consistent delivery. Many ecommerce brands start with $50–100/day to test creatives and exit the learning phase (around 20 conversions). Use our simulator to see how budget, creative, and learning phase interact before spending real money.
The learning phase is when TikTok's algorithm tests your ad with different audiences to find who converts. It typically needs about 20 conversions to exit. Editing your campaign (objective, budget, creative) during this phase can reset learning and waste data. The simulator shows learning progress and warns you not to edit too early.
Low spend can be due to a too-narrow audience (under 10M reach), low bid, or ad disapproval. On TikTok, broad audiences often perform better because the algorithm does the targeting. The simulator's audience size meter and event cards teach you to avoid over-targeting and to check creative and budget settings.
It depends on your margins. Many ecommerce brands aim for 2–4x ROAS on TikTok. Below 1x means you spend more than you make. The simulator uses your chosen business profile (AOV, conversion rate) so you can see how creative fatigue, hook rate, and learning phase affect ROAS before running real campaigns.