# How to Get a TikTok Spark Ads Code (2026 Steps) Source: https://www.seedinfluencers.com/blog/how-to-get-a-tiktok-spark-ads-code Published: 2026-10-26 Generate a TikTok Spark Ads code as a creator and use it in Ads Manager as a brand: exact steps, duration options and common errors. Checked Oct 2026. A TikTok Spark Ads code is a one-time string a creator generates from their own video, inside that video's ad settings, for a period of 30, 60, or 365 days. The brand pastes the code into TikTok Ads Manager under Spark Ad posts, links the video, and can then run it as a paid ad from the creator's handle. No code is needed for a brand's own content already connected to its Ads Manager or Business Center account. This is the mechanical how-to: the exact taps on the creator's side, how a brand links the code in Ads Manager, the duration options, what happens at expiry, and the errors that come up most. For why you would bother doing this at all (the seed-then-amplify sequence, and the usage rights you need alongside the code), see [whitelisting and Spark Ads for gifted UGC](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/blog/whitelisting-spark-ads-gifted-ugc). This matters most once you already have a pipeline of gifted or recruited TikTok posts to choose from, covered in [how to send free products to TikTok creators](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/blog/how-to-send-free-products-to-tiktok-creators) and, for affiliate posts specifically, [TikTok Shop creator outreach](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/blog/tiktok-shop-creator-outreach). ## Creator side: generating the code Every step below happens in the TikTok app, on the creator's phone, on the video being promoted. 1. **Turn on ad authorization for the account.** This is a one-time account-level switch. Without it, no video on the account can be authorized at all. 2. **Open the specific video to be promoted.** Authorization is per video, not per account, so this has to be the exact post the brand wants to run. 3. **Tap the share arrow or the three-dot menu on that video, then go into Ad settings.** Menu wording has shifted between app versions, but the destination is the same: the per-video ad settings screen. 4. **Toggle ad authorization on for that video, and choose an authorization period.** This is where the creator picks how long the brand can run it. 5. **Tap Generate code, then copy it.** Send the code to the brand or agency through whatever channel you already use, the same DM or email thread as the gift itself. The code is tied to that one video. A creator with three posts worth amplifying generates three separate codes. ## Authorization duration: what the creator is agreeing to As of October 2026, the duration options reported by TikTok's Ads Manager documentation, cited in both Insense's 2026 Spark Ads guide and Relevant Audience's October 2026 guide, are 30, 60, or 365 days. A small number of older third-party write-ups also mention a 7-day option. TikTok changes available options and menu labels between app versions without much notice, so treat this list as a strong default and confirm against what your own app actually shows before promising a brand a specific number. Whatever period the creator picks, the ad can only run for that long from the point the code is linked. There is no indefinite option. Even the 365-day grant needs to be renewed or replaced for a campaign that runs past a year. ## Brand side: using the code in Ads Manager 1. **Go to your creative assets in TikTok Ads Manager.** Look for a section named Spark Ad posts (sometimes shown under a creative library tab; TikTok has renamed this area more than once). 2. **Click to apply for authorization and paste the code.** Ads Manager will look up the specific video tied to that code. 3. **Confirm the post details.** Check the account handle and video thumbnail match what the creator sent you before you link it, since a pasted code with a typo can resolve to the wrong content or fail silently. 4. **Link the post.** Once linked, the video becomes available as a selectable asset when you build a Spark Ad. 5. **Build the campaign and pick the linked post.** In the ad creation flow, choose to use a TikTok post rather than an uploaded video, then select the now-authorized post from the list. Some account types support batch-authorizing multiple codes at once if you are amplifying several creators in the same push. A brand-owned post, published from an account the brand already controls inside Ads Manager or Business Center, skips this whole flow. There is nothing to authorize because the brand already owns the account the post lives on. ## What happens at expiry, and what breaks When the authorization period ends, or the creator cancels it from their side, the ad stops delivering. The code itself cannot be extended once it has already expired. If you know a campaign needs to run longer than the original grant, ask the creator to extend before the expiry date passes, since renewal only works on a code that is still live. The errors that come up most in practice: - **Code rejected or not found.** Usually a typo in the code, or the authorization toggle was switched off after the code was generated. Ask the creator to confirm the toggle is still on and resend the code. - **Post not public or not eligible.** The video's privacy setting has to allow it, and that setting cannot be changed while the post is being promoted. If a creator's account is private, authorization will not work until it is public. - **Caption changed after linking.** Captions generally cannot be edited once a post is authorized, so lock the caption before sending the code, not after. - **Comments need moderating.** Comments on a Spark Ad show up on the creator's original post, not a separate ad-only thread, so the account owner is the one who has to moderate them. ## Lock in the code at the same time as the gift The cheapest moment to ask for a Spark Ads code is the moment the creator is already saying yes, when they fill out your gifting form and agree to the shipment. Asking after a post has already performed means negotiating from a weaker position; the creator now knows the content has value. Bundle the usage-rights ask into the same step where they pick a product and enter their address, covered in the [influencer gifting form template](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/blog/influencer-gifting-form-template), so you are not chasing a separate message days or weeks later. [Seed](https://www.seedinfluencers.com) creates a real $0 Shopify draft order for every gift and keeps a record of who received what, which is exactly the log you need when you are deciding whose posts are worth the extra step of getting a Spark Ads code. ## FAQ ### What is a TikTok Spark Ads code? A Spark Ads code (also called a video authorization code or post authorization code) is a one-time string a creator generates from one of their own TikTok videos. It grants a brand or agency permission to run that specific video as a paid ad, from the creator's own account, inside TikTok Ads Manager, for a fixed period. ### How does a creator generate a Spark Ads code? In the TikTok app: turn on ad authorization in account settings, open the video to be promoted, tap the share arrow or the three-dot menu, go to Ad settings, toggle ad authorization on for that video, choose an authorization period, then tap Generate code and copy it to send to the brand. ### How long does a TikTok Spark Ads authorization last? The duration options reported in 2026 are 30, 60, or 365 days, chosen by the creator at the point the code is generated. A handful of older guides also list a 7-day option, so check what your own app offers before assuming a specific list. ### What happens when a Spark Ads code expires? Delivery on that ad stops. The code cannot be renewed once it has expired, so the creator has to generate a fresh one and the brand has to re-link it in Ads Manager under the new code. If you need a campaign to run longer than the original grant, ask the creator to extend the authorization before the expiry date, not after. ### Can a brand run Spark Ads without getting a code? Yes, for the brand's own content. A post published from an account linked directly to the brand's Ads Manager or Business Center can be used as a Spark Ad with no code, because the brand already owns the account. A code is only needed to run a creator's post from the creator's own, separate account. ### Do I need a Spark Ads code to whitelist a gifted creator's post? Yes. The code is the technical permission TikTok requires before any ad can run from a creator's account. It does not replace a usage-rights agreement, which is the business permission. Get both at the same time, ideally when you first ship the gift, so you are not negotiating usage rights after a post has already proven itself. See [whitelisting and Spark Ads for gifted UGC](https://www.seedinfluencers.com/blog/whitelisting-spark-ads-gifted-ugc) for the full sequence. ## FAQ **What is a TikTok Spark Ads code?** A Spark Ads code (also called a video authorization code or post authorization code) is a one-time string a creator generates from one of their own TikTok videos. It grants a brand or agency permission to run that specific video as a paid ad, from the creator's own account, inside TikTok Ads Manager, for a fixed period. **How does a creator generate a Spark Ads code?** In the TikTok app: turn on ad authorization in account settings, open the video to be promoted, tap the share arrow or the three-dot menu, go to Ad settings, toggle ad authorization on for that video, choose an authorization period, then tap Generate code and copy it to send to the brand. **How long does a TikTok Spark Ads authorization last?** The duration options reported in 2026 are 30, 60, or 365 days, chosen by the creator at the point the code is generated. A handful of older guides also list a 7-day option, so check what your own app offers before assuming a specific list. **What happens when a Spark Ads code expires?** Delivery on that ad stops. The code cannot be renewed once it has expired, so the creator has to generate a fresh one and the brand has to re-link it in Ads Manager under the new code. If you need a campaign to run longer than the original grant, ask the creator to extend the authorization before the expiry date, not after. **Can a brand run Spark Ads without getting a code?** Yes, for the brand's own content. A post published from an account linked directly to the brand's Ads Manager or Business Center can be used as a Spark Ad with no code, because the brand already owns the account. A code is only needed to run a creator's post from the creator's own, separate account. **Do I need a Spark Ads code to whitelist a gifted creator's post?** Yes. The code is the technical permission TikTok requires before any ad can run from a creator's account. It does not replace a usage-rights agreement, which is the business permission. Get both at the same time, ideally when you first ship the gift, so you are not negotiating usage rights after a post has already proven itself. See whitelisting and Spark Ads for the full sequence.