Yes, you can search for content and users directly on the TikTok website. The TikTok website has a built-in search bar that allows you to search for specific videos, sounds, hashtags, creators, and more. Using the website search is a great way to find new content and creators to follow.
Searching on the TikTok Website
The TikTok website search bar is located at the top of the page when you are logged in. It says “Search TikTok” and has a magnifying glass icon. Simply click in the search bar and type in a keyword or phrase you want to search for.
Here are some tips for searching effectively on TikTok’s website:
- Use relevant keywords and hashtags – Searching for broader terms will yield more results while specific keywords will help you find niche content.
- Try different spellings and phrases – Play around with your search query to see different results.
- Filter your results – Once you run a search, you can filter the results by users, hashtags, sounds, etc on the left sidebar.
- Use “People” tab to find creators – Search for your favorite creators or look up new ones to follow.
- Use “Hashtags” tab to find trends – Discover trending and popular hashtags to explore.
- Use “Videos” tab to find specific clips – Search for videos using keywords that describe the actual video content.
- Use “Sounds” tab to find music and audio – Search for songs, dialogue, and audio used in TikTok videos.
Search Options
TikTok’s website search allows you to find a variety of content types and accounts. Here are the main options you can search for:
Users/Creators
You can search for specific TikTok creators by their username. Just type in their exact username into the search bar to pull up their profile and videos. This is helpful for finding your favorite creators or funny videos from a specific user.
You can also search for creators by keyword. For example, searching “makeup artist” will show you popular TikTok accounts run by makeup artists. Try searching for your interests + “TikTok” to find top creators in that niche.
Hashtags
Searching for hashtags allows you to discover new trends and view curated content around a specific topic. Every hashtag has its own page showcasing popular associated videos.
Some examples of trending hashtags are #TikTokTutorial, #TikTokDance, #CookingTikTok, #BookTok, etc. Think of relevant keywords for your interests and add “TikTok” as a hashtag term.
Sounds
TikTok has a massive library of sounds and music clips that creators use in their videos. You can search for specific sounds to find TikTok videos utilizing that sound.
Viral sounds like the “Oh No” song or audio from TV shows get used in endless TikTok memes and trends. Search sounds to find the original as well as funny spinoff videos.
Video Keywords
Searching keywords related to the actual video content is a great way to discover new videos in a niche. Describe what happens in the video or keywords about a specific meme, skit, dance, etc.
For example, try searches like “prank video,” “makeup tutorial,” “dance choreography,” “story time,” “cooking tips,” “book review,” and so on. Get specific with keywords to find niche content.
Advanced Search Tips
Beyond the basic search bar, there are some advanced techniques you can use to really narrow down content on TikTok:
- Boolean operators – Use AND, OR, NOT operators to combine keywords and filter search results.
- Quotation marks – Put a specific phrase in quotes to search for an exact match.
- Exclude words – Add a minus sign (-) before a word to remove matches with that word.
- Limit by length – Add a length filter like “long” or “short” to get videos of a certain length.
- Search within accounts – After navigating to a profile, you can search within their videos using the search bar.
- Discover page – Browse the TikTok Discover page to explore search results broken down by genres and categories.
Here are some examples of advanced searches:
- “How to bake cake” – Search for an exact phrase
- Dance AND tutorial NOT comedy – Search dance tutorials filtering out comedy
- Reading tips -short – Show concise reading tips
- Baking -dessert – Search baking but exclude desserts
Take the time to test out different keywords and filters to really fine tune your video search results on TikTok.
Searching on Mobile App vs Website
It’s important to note that the TikTok mobile app has a more advanced search and discovery algorithm than the website experience. The mobile app is tailored for endless scrolling and “FYP” (For You Page) recommendations.
However, the website search still shares many features with the mobile search. And the website is necessary for times when you want to search hands-free on a desktop without downloading the app.
In general, expect minor differences between app and website like:
- Fewer recommendations and FYP on website
- Easier long-form searching on website
- More refined results on mobile app
- Quicker access to trends on mobile app
Use the TikTok website search as a supplement to mobile searching for a more complete experience. The same keywords will produce slightly different yet related results.
Tips for Using TikTok Website Search
Here are some final tips to use the TikTok website search effectively:
- Log in to your account for a personalized experience including notifications and bookmarks
- Explore broader results before narrowing down keywords
- Click hashtags and sounds to dive deeper into trending topics
- Filter search results using the sidebar options
- Toggle between viewing short-form and long-form video results
- Utilize advanced search operators to refine your query
- Complement website searching with mobile app discovery
- Create bookmarks of your favorite videos, creators, sounds to revisit
Conclusion
The TikTok website provides a robust search engine allowing you to look up usernames, hashtags, sounds, and specific video content. Take advantage of the website search to complement discovering content on the mobile app.
Use keyword tips, advanced search filters, and search recommendations to go down the TikTok rabbit hole. Finding new videos and creators is part of the fun of the platform!
