TikTok is one of the most popular video sharing platforms but it does have rules around content moderation in order to keep the platform safe. Videos uploaded to TikTok go through review by automatic systems and human moderators to identify any policy violations. There are a variety of reasons a video may be flagged or reviewed, ranging from technical issues to inappropriate content.TikTok has invested heavily in moderation teams and processes to ensure a safe platform, however users do not always receive full transparency into the review process.
This article provides an overview of how TikTok moderates content, reasons videos may be flagged, possible notifications creators receive, and how to check a video’s status. Knowing what causes issues can help creators avoid common pitfalls when producing content.
Warning Notifications
TikTok may show warning banners on videos that have been flagged for containing unverified or misleading information. These banners appear on top of the video with a message like “Caution: This video may contain unverified information”. The banner aims to caution viewers about potential misinformation and remind creators to verify content before sharing (TikTok Adds New Video Warning Labels to Stop…).
Other warning banners may flag content for things like violence, nudity, or dangerous acts. The specific banner wording depends on what policy violation resulted in the video being flagged. Users cannot appeal banners directly but can appeal account restrictions that result from multiple violations (TikTok Adds New Video Warning Labels to Stop…).
Limited Visibility
If your video has limited visibility on TikTok, it means your content has been restricted in some way. According to TikTok’s help center, “Limited visibility reduces a video’s distribution. Other users will be less likely to see it in areas like the For You feed.”
Essentially, TikTok has flagged your video and is limiting its reach. As a result, your content may not show up on the For You page or in hashtags, which significantly reduces the number of people who can view or engage with it.
There are a few potential reasons TikTok may limit a video’s visibility, including inappropriate content, copyright issues, or algorithmic restrictions. You may see a warning on the video or in your notifications indicating it has “limited visibility.”
Having limited visibility is often the platform’s way of restricting videos without an outright ban. It’s meant to curb the spread of problematic content before it goes viral. However, it can negatively impact creators who feel their content has been unfairly limited. If you receive this warning, you can appeal the decision with TikTok to request a review.
Restricted Features
If a video is under review, TikTok will restrict access to certain features like editing, deleting, or viewing analytics for that particular video. Users will be unable to make changes to a video or see performance data while it is being reviewed by TikTok’s moderation team.
According to TikTok’s support page, “If your video is under review, you won’t be able to edit or delete it.” [1] This prevents users from removing or altering content that may violate community guidelines while it is being examined.
In addition, users will be unable to view analytics for a video under review. As stated on TikTok’s help page, “You won’t be able to view analytics for videos that are under review.” [1] Restricted analytics prevents users from accessing performance data for content that has not yet been cleared by moderators.
These restrictions on editing, deleting, and analytics are signs a TikTok video is currently under review by the platform’s moderation systems.
Appealing Decisions
If you disagree with TikTok’s decision to remove one of your videos for violating community guidelines, you can appeal the decision through the app. According to TikTok’s creator portal, when you appeal, TikTok’s safety team will review the content again. If your appeal is successful, the video will be restored and you’ll be notified in the app.
To appeal a video removal:
- In the TikTok app, go to your profile and tap on the video that was removed.
- Tap on “Appeal” and fill out the appeal form, explaining why you think the removal was a mistake.
- TikTok will send you an email once your appeal has been reviewed, usually within 24 hours.
According to TikTok’s support site, you can also appeal bans on your account by submitting an appeal form. The appeals process allows you to contest TikTok’s moderation decisions if you believe they were incorrect.
Account Penalties
TikTok may issue account penalties for multiple community guideline violations. According to TikTok’s support page, penalties can range from temporary account suspension to permanent banning.
Some common account penalties include:
- Temporary suspension – Accounts may be suspended anywhere from 1 day up to 2 weeks for policy violations. Users cannot post or interact during a suspension.
- Permanent ban – Repeated or severe violations can result in a permanent ban. Banned accounts cannot be reinstated.
- Limited visibility – Violative content may be removed and accounts restricted from appearing in recommendations or search.
- Limited commenting/duetting – Capabilities like commenting or using duets may be temporarily disabled.
According to TikTok, the severity and duration of penalties depends on factors like the nature of violations, previous enforcement history, and risk posed by an account’s behavior.
Check Video Status
The easiest way to check if your video is under review in TikTok Studio is to go to the “Content” tab and look at your video’s status. Videos awaiting review will show a “Pending” status. According to TikTok’s documentation, videos go through the following statuses:
- Uploading – Video is still being uploaded and processed
- Processing – Video is being processed and reviewed
- Pending – Video is awaiting final review
- Published – Video has been approved and posted
- Rejected – Video was rejected and not posted
So if your video displays “Pending”, that means it’s currently under review by TikTok moderators. The review process typically takes 24-48 hours. You’ll receive an email notification from TikTok Studio once the review is complete, either approving or rejecting your video.
You can also click on the video itself in Studio to bring up details including its current status. This is another easy way to check if TikTok has your video marked “Pending” for review.
Review Times
TikTok videos typically go through an automated review process first to check for potential Community Guidelines violations. According to TikTok’s own reporting, about 90% of videos removed for guideline violations in Q2 2022 were taken down before a single view. For the remaining videos, review times can vary based on the severity of the violation:
- Minor violations: TikTok aims to review within 24 hours.
- Major violations: TikTok aims to review within 4 hours.
- Severe violations: TikTok aims to review within 1 hour.
Examples of minor violations include things like spam or minor nudity, while major violations cover harassment, violence, dangerous acts, and hate speech. Severe violations are for things like child safety issues.
TikTok has been working to improve review times. A 2021 transparency report showed their response rate within 24 hours for content violations improved from 77% in H2 2020 to 91% in H1 2021.
Avoiding Issues
There are some best practices that can help avoid your videos going under review on TikTok:
- Review TikTok’s Community Guidelines and make sure your video does not violate any rules around nudity, harassment, dangerous acts, illegal activities, regulated goods, or violent and graphic content.
- Avoid posting unoriginal or duplicated content, which TikTok may flag as spam. Create unique, high-quality videos.
- Don’t use clickbait or sensationalized thumbnails, titles or captions which can be flagged as misleading.
- Stay on the safer side when it comes to copyrighted content. Use original audio, properly credit creators, and get permission when needed.
- Keep your hashtags relevant and don’t overtag. Excess tags may get flagged as spam.
- Avoid buying fake views, likes or followers. TikTok can detect and penalize inauthentic activity.
Keeping these tips in mind when creating and posting videos can help prevent your content from triggering TikTok’s automatic review filters. However, sometimes flagged videos are just mistakes, so having patience during the review process is key.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few key ways to identify if your TikTok video is under review or has restrictions. This includes receiving warning notifications, having limited visibility or restricted features on the video, and seeing penalties applied to your overall account. If you believe your video has been incorrectly flagged, you can appeal the decision through TikTok’s appeals process. However, review times can vary. The best approach is being aware of TikTok’s content guidelines and community standards to avoid your videos triggering reviews in the first place. By following best practices and understanding the signs of restrictions, you can confidently publish quality videos on TikTok.
