When posting videos on TikTok, one of the key metrics creators care about is views. Views indicate how many times a video has been watched, and more views typically means more engagement and reach. This drives many creators to constantly wonder: do self-views on TikTok count towards your overall view count?
The short answer is yes, TikTok does count your own views. When you post a new video and watch it yourself, either in the app or from your creator analytics page, those views do contribute to the total view count. However, there are some nuances to be aware of.
How TikTok Counts Views
When a video is first published on TikTok, the view count reflects the number of times it has been watched. This includes:
- Views from your own account
- Views from followers
- Views from non-followers (such as in the For You Page)
- Views from shares
TikTok does not differentiate between views from yourself versus other users. A view is a view. However, there are some exceptions.
The 3-Second Rule
TikTok has implemented a rule to avoid artificial inflation of view counts from self-views. If you view your own video but watch for less than 3 seconds, it will not be counted as a view.
The logic is that views under 3 seconds are unlikely to be genuine interests from real viewers. So this rule prevents creators from merely tapping through and inflating their own view metrics.
To contribute to your view count, you need to watch your own videos for over 3 seconds. You can’t just rapidly tap through and have each one register as a view.
Limits on Frequency
Similarly, TikTok limits how frequently your self-views will be counted. If you watch your own video an excessive number of times, it will not keep counting views at that frequency.
The exact time delay or viewing limit before your views no longer count is not publicly known. But TikTok has indicated they do throttle self-views to maintain accurate metrics.
So you can’t just sit and watch your video hundreds of times in a row to scale up the views. TikTok’s systems are designed to detect and prevent artificial inflation.
Why View Counts Matter
View counts matter because they are a key metric TikTok uses in its algorithm to determine which videos to surface and recommend to users.
Videos with more views may signal either higher quality content or stronger viewer engagement. So TikTok uses high view counts as a factor in recommending videos across user For You Pages.
More views also tend to lead to more likes, comments, and shares for a video. All of this then cycles back into the algorithm to surface the content even more. So view counts kick off an upward spiral of engagement.
For creators, higher view counts attract more followers and open up additional opportunities like sponsorships or the Creator Fund. That’s why artificially inflated metrics don’t accurately reflect real interest.
Best Practices for Creators
As a creator, you want your content to genuinely resonate with viewers and organically accumulate views. Here are some best practices:
Watch Your Own Video, But Don’t Obsess Over Self-Views
It’s fine to view your newly posted video a few times from your own account. This helps ensure the content is posting properly and looks as intended. But don’t obsessively re-watch it just to scale up the views.
Focus on Quality and Value for the Audience
The best way to get more legitimate views is to publish high quality videos that people actually want to watch. Understand your niche and what your audience respond to. Provide value through useful information, entertainment or inspiration.
Utilize SEO Tactics
Leverage relevant hashtags, sounds, captions and descriptions that make it easy for viewers to find your content when searching TikTok. This will lead to more impressions and earned views.
Engage With Your Followers
Build connections with followers by actively liking, commenting and engaging with their content. This makes them more likely to watch and share your new videos.
Cross-Promote Across Other Social Channels
Let your audiences on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube etc. know when you’ve posted new TikTok videos. Drive more traffic from other platforms.
Collaborate with Complementary Creators
Team up on duets or stitches with other creators in your niche whose audiences would align well. This expands your reach and introduces your content to new potential followers.
Experiment with Content Types
Try out different formats like dances, comedy sketches, educational explainers etc. See what your audience responds to best. Lean into your strengths.
Post at Optimal Times
Pay attention to when your key demographics are most active on TikTok and aim to publish at those high traffic times. This scores your new videos more initial views.
Analyze Performance Data
Use TikTok analytics to identify your top performing videos. Break down why they resonated and replicate that in future content.
By focusing on value for viewers rather than self-views, creators can build an authentic audience and gain more traction on TikTok. While self-views count, they should not be an obsession or sole strategy.
Other Factors in the TikTok Algorithm
In addition to view counts, TikTok’s algorithm analyzes several other factors to determine which videos to promote. These include:
- Watch time
- Likes and comments
- Shares
- Follower/following counts
- Device and account settings
- Keywords and hashtags
The underlying goal is to provide each user with an endlessly entertaining, personalized feed of engaging content. View counts are just one piece of that larger mission. But they remain an important metric for creators to track.
Third Party Services to Buy TikTok Views
A quick online search will reveal many third party services offering to sell TikTok views. However, this is not recommended for most creators.
While these services may be able to temporarily inflate your view counts, the views will not originate from real engaged users. So they provide no actual value in terms of reaching new audiences or converting views into followers.
Services promising thousands of views for cheap are likely using bot networks or click farms. These fake views can actually harm your account by triggering TikTok’s spam detection algorithms.
Invest your time and resources into creating compelling content and cultivating authentic engagements instead. While tempting on the surface, buying views from third parties is risky with little long term payoff.
TikTok View Counts Reflect Your Content’s Reach
At the end of the day, view counts represent how far your content is travelling on TikTok and how many people it’s reaching. While self-views do increment your totals, they should not become an overwhelming focus.
Maintain integrity by avoiding extreme self-viewing just to juice your stats. TikTok’s systems limit artificial inflation anyway. You’ll find greater success by delighting real audiences with quality videos tailored to your niche.
So be encouraged when those view totals climb through organic discovery and engagement. Let it fuel you to keep creating your best content and delivering value to the TikTok community.
