u/future_flora

TikTok Shop Affiliate Product Quality Thresholds Update

>"Affiliate product eligibility is now evaluated using the Voice of Customer (VoC) Index instead of Negative Review Rate (NRR). Products must maintain a VoC Index below 1.5 to qualify for affiliate programs, while products with a VoC Index above 2.5 may become disqualified from affiliate eligibility." Source: TikTok Shop Academy, Policy Pulse April 2026, Last Updated on 05/11/2026

So, basically… if all of a sudden you see a product that was eligible for commission go POOF and:

• say “This product isn't eligible for commission”
• the seller did not delete the product
• VoC index is above 2.5 (which, we, as affiliates can't see. lol)

Then, what's happening is this:

TikTok Shop’s automated system is kicking the product OUT of our affiliate marketplace... NOT the seller being shady, okay? The product became ineligible. Therefore no open plan. Therefore none for you. All because of the product's VoC index, or other product factors you can read up here: TikTok Shop Academy, Affiliate Marketing Policy, Last Updated on 05/08/2026.

The big change is now it's NOT Negative Review Rate (NRR) causing this... it's Voice of Customer (VoC).

It would be super nice if the system would… you know… NOTIFY affiliates when a product become ineligible due to VoC or let us see the products’ VoC. lol but alas… 

What is VoC?

>"VoC aggregates customer feedback from reviews and refund requests using AI to detect negative sentiment, helping sellers identify product or service issues early." TikTok Shop US Academy, Guide to VoC (Voice of Customer) & VoC Case Study, Last Updated on 04/28/2026

You’re not crazy. If you’re noticing your commissions are taking longer to settle, it might not actually be due the seller’s dynamic settlement tier… it actually might be due to your account being reviewed. TikTok Shop updated policy:

>"The commission settlement period may be extended from 15 days to 31 days after order delivery." Source: TikTok Shop Academy, Creator Enforcement Policy, Last Updated 04/07/2026

They’re also specifying further...

TikTok may do additional security or policy reviews on affiliate accounts, which in turn is what will cause this temporary extension to affiliate commission settlement timeline. Source: TikTok Shop Academy, Policy Pulse April 2026, Last Updated 05/11/2026.

But anyways...

This is a good reminder to refresh yourself on seller dynamic settlement tiers and how those can also impact how quickly you get paid out: read more here

Some of the newbies might be shocked how quickly we used to get paid out, pre-April 2025.

This post is just house-keeping for our subreddit's mega-thread post for new info, resources, and updates! It's pinned at the top of our subreddit and I try to update it regularly, so it's easy for y'all to see what's happening at a quick glance < 3

Here's the roundup of updates that happened in MARCH!

TOP AFFILIATE DATA

• MARCH | Top Earning Affiliates
• MARCH | Top Vertical Pro Affiliates
• 2026 | Top $60k+/mo Affiliates
• 2026 | Top $100k+/mo Affiliates

There are always a zillion changes and updates with TikTok Shop. Please check out our subreddit's mega-thread post for new info, resources, and updates! It is pinned at the top of our subreddit and I try to update it regularly, so it's easy for y'all to see what's happening at a quick glance < 3

Here's the roundup of updates that happened in APRIL!

POLICY UPDATES

• Expired Promotional and Discounted Prices
• Shop Tab Eligibility
• Spring 2026 Ban Wave
• Nudity/Sexuality
• Prohibited Products
• Bought Accounts, Creator-Bind Accounts, Creator Eligibility, Impersonation Accounts

FEATURE UPDATES

• Promotion Performance Score
• "Manage Search Keywords"
• "Allow AI to Remix Content" TikTok Toggle
• "Featured Shop Creator" Badge
• Sample Restrictions Rolling Out
• Sample Rules
• Vertical Performance Tracker

SELLER UPDATES THAT AFFILIATES SHOULD KNOW

• GMV Max Ads Dynamic Commissions
• Partial Refunds (Fashion Affiliates)
• Misleading and False Claims

• 💸 June Creator Badge Status: This begins MAY 2nd… so, your fresh start begins tomorrow! 
• 💸 April Top-Earning Affiliates: I’ll be sharing this with y’all tomorrow (hopefully)… IF the metrics update. Sometimes they’re delayed up to 1-5 days.

1ST OF THE MONTH THINGS TO CHECK!

• 💸 Brand Monthly Challenges: Many brands drop monthly challenges, keep an eye out for those.
• 💸 May Creator Badge Status: This updates on the 1st of the month.
• 💄 Vertical Pro Status: This updates on the 1st of the month.
• 🌟 Spotlight Creator Status: This updates on the 1st of the month.
• ✅ Featured Shop Creator Status: Check to see if this rolls out to you this week!

Note: Even though these are supposed to update on the 1st of the month, it could take several days if there are any hiccups.

Reminder: Please continue to share information in this subreddit and I will continue to keep this subreddit public. If people stop sharing information, I will take the subreddit private.

let’s share which tiktok shop sellers/brands we’ve seen make statements about being anti-ai content in the comments below! ...i’ll start!

"TikTok Shop recently launched a new feature called the Al Video Maker, which allows creators to autogenerate shoppable videos using Al. We wanted to get ahead of this quickly: this tool is not permitted under our affiliate program's No Al-Generated Content policy. Please note: affiliates who use Al-generated content to promote our products will have their commissions removed."

—Ninja/Shark 4/29/2026

"We’re seeing a lot of AI slop on our feeds… videos that aren’t super well produced. Quality is greater than quantity. Crocs does not allow affiliates to earn commission on videos featuring Crocs products generated by AI. This is only for videos you’re earning commission [shoppable videos]. AI voice overs and subtitles are safe."

—Crocs/HeyDude 4/28/2026

"We’re not looking to use AI! There’s over 2,000 videos in GMV Max, and there is no filter yet on platform to ensure AI content isn’t pushed. We’ve asked TikTok for this, because we do not want to allocate dollars towards AI content. That said, if we see it we remove it from GMV Max so thank you for bringing this [screen shot of choasonthecoast_ (Alycia's) AI shoppable video ft. Bloom running in ads] to our attention."

—Bloom 4/29/2026

"We did receive an inquiry around AI content and if that is considered for the [QVC] loyalty program. Currently, as it stands, our loyalty program is designed to honor and recognize individual creators who are personally connecting with their audiences everyday. As such, we do not permit AI accounts to participate in the program at the moment. However, wanted to note that this is subject to change as our loyalty program continues to evolve."

—QVC 4/20/2026

"Using AI tools to trick, mislead, or defraud people is illegal. The FTC’s enforcement actions make clear that there is no AI exemption from the laws on the books. By cracking down on unfair or deceptive practices in these markets, FTC is ensuring that honest businesses and innovators can get a fair shot and consumers are being protected."

—FTC Chair Lina M. Khan 9/25/2024

"The FTC is focused on ensuring the promise of new technology isn’t misused as a means to mislead consumers."

—FTC Director Christopher Mufarrige 8/25/2025

As a reminder...

Our subreddit does NOT allow TikTok Shop affiliates who create content without the product “in-hand”. Including AI-content. FTC guidelines will always supersede platform (TikTok Shop) guidelines. Very simply, affiliates cannot make content that would mislead a normal person… it’s considered deceptive practice.

Please share...any other brands that are anti-AI content in the comments below! 🫶

Our CSI guy came through for us! Here's his response about the new "Manage Search Keywords" feature:

"So this is a new feature that's officially live as a wide-release. Some benefits for creators:

1. Get a better idea of why these search keywords are associated with their posts and be aware of the additional views that these keywords bring.
2. Reduce negative/unwanted recommended keywords in creators' profiles and posts.
3. Establish an opportunity for creators to suggest multiple angles of keywords that they would like to be attached to their posts.

This feature will allow creators to visualize the additional views generated by search keywords while establishing a more positive relationship between TikTok and creators. Additionally, by adding more relevant keywords to their posts, creators of all tiers can increase their overall views.

Based on viewers' search behavior, TikTok automatically displays the frequently searched keywords on your post to encourage further exploration. Generally speaking, these keywords are related to video content, captions, background music, comment section, and more. As we cover in our webinars, when users view your video and search or view related content, this actually helps your video out.

Additional views brought by search keywords are shown in two ways:

• Posts that can stimulate search behavior will get more views from the For You Page.
• Posts with search keywords are more likely to be ranked at the top.

The best way to take advantage of this is to produce content related to popular topics on the platform; utilizing the keywords and fostering an environment where users (who watched your video) will be curious to explore further.

You can also block unrelated or irrelevant keywords to help your content become visible to more concise searches and audiences. Make sure that if you're blocking any keywords, be as specific as possible. For example, blocking the keyword "cat" may end up blocking related search topics such as "Cat food" and "cat toys".

Note: once keywords are blocked, not only will creators themselves not be able to see them, but also other users."

Such an amazing response!

Run to check if you have this new feature! Go to one of your videos, tapping the three dots, and scrolling over to "manage keywords". This will be a great feature to use on your TikTok Shop content to help maximize potential additional traffic, minimize irrelevant traffic, and maximize more concise audience traffic.

Source: r/TikTokSearchInsights

>“Content must not display expired promotional or discounted prices. Any such content should be removed or updated in a timely manner.”

Where was this added?

This line was added to our US Academy's affiliate "Content Policy" on 4/22/2026 under “false, misleading, and inconsistent information" section. This line was not in the previous version (updated on 4/06/2026) of the same article, so it's new.

What does this mean?

This introduces time-based compliance, meaning a video can become non-compliant simply because a promotion expires.

Why would they add this?

This aligns with FTC standards on deceptive pricing (16 CFR 233), which require that any “former” or promotional price be real and recently offered. Once a promo ends, continuing to display it can be considered misleading. FTC enforcement has been trending toward stricter pricing transparency across e-commerce. Example: the FTC pursued a $60M settlement with Instacart in December 2025 over misleading pricing practices, and as of April 2026 is actively reviewing deceptive fee practices in online grocery/delivery platforms. TikTok Shop appears to be tightening policy in that direction.

What are your sources?

• US Acadamy > Policy Center > Creator > “Content Policy”, last updated 04/22/2026, section: "False, Misleading, and Inconsistent Information".
• “FTC Seeks Public Comment on Unfair and Deceptive Fee Practices in Online Food and Grocery Delivery Services” April 14, 2026.
• FTC Guides Against Deceptive Pricing, 16 CFR Part 233, § 233.1 (Former Price Comparisons)

Happy Friday everyone!
It's your CSI guy here, excited to give you all a small sneak preview of what we have coming in our next webinar 👀

To put it simply, our team researched well-performing videos on Search and noted consistent traits, qualities, and patterns. The data that we've discovered has allowed us to put together a list of attributes that can potentially increase growth of your TikToks!

For example, 'Data shows that videos with titles that have more than 21 characters tend to have high player rates.'

We're currently polishing this information and are VERY excited to share it with you all during our next webinars, set to be at the end of May. Stay tuned for the official date and time announcements, but this is going to be HUGE!