Here is a current list of TikTok Shop categories that are restricted, prohibited, or can only be used if you are invited or authorized by TikTok to use them.
Overview
TikTok Shop has many restrictions in place to protect its consumers and build a positive shopping experience that consumers can have confidence in. You can see a full list of Restricted and Unsupported Products and various guidelines in regard to this in this article on TikTok Shop's Academy. We will go into brief details on some of these categories below.
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Restricted Products
🔵 Household Appliances 🔵 Beauty, Cosmetics, and Personal Care 🔵 Phones & Electronics 🔵 Computers & Office Equipment 🔵 Pet Food 🔵 Tools & Hardware 🔵 Home Improvement 🔵 Automotive & Motorcycle 🔵 Food and Beverages 🔵 Health
🔵 Jewellery Accessories & Derivatives
Invite-Only Products
🔵 Baby & Maternity 🔵 Sports & Outdoor 🔵 Toys & Hobbies 🔵 Kids' Fashion 🔵 Pre-Owned 🔵 Jewellery Accessories & Derivatives 🔵 Beauty & Personal Care
Prohibited Products
🔵 Adult Products 🔵 Alcohol, Tobacco, and E-Cigarettes
🔵 Animal, Animal-Related Products, Protected Wildlife and Plants
🔵 Baby and Maternity Products 🔵 Beauty and Personal Care Products
🔵 Body and Mental Wellness Products 🔵 Discriminatory and Offensive Products
🔵 Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia 🔵 Firearms, Ammunition, and Weapons
🔵 Gambling and Gamification 🔵 Hazardous and Dangerous Items
🔵 Human Body Parts, Remains, and Mortuary Products
🔵 Lock Picking & Theft Devices 🔵 Medicines, Medical Devices and Medicinal-Supplements
🔵 Monetary Products and Financial Services
🔵 Official Government or Military Items and Other Restricted Equipment
🔵 Safety-Related Products 🔵 Second-hand Products 🔵 Security and Privacy Products
🔵 Services and Virtual Products 🔵 Sexual Wellness Products
🔵 Unauthenticated Native American-related Products 🔵 Various Food Products
🔵 Vehicles and Automotive Parts 🔵 Youth Safety & Human Exploitation Related Products
Restricted Products
Restricted products require additional information and/or documentation to be uploaded to the product listing before being submitted for approval on TikTok Shop. That can vary from testing reports, certifications, product details, and many others.
When you use SKU IQ to push these types of items from Shopify to TikTok, they will go into your Seller Center in a draft stage so you have the chance to upload whatever is required for that listing before submitting it for approval.
Restricted Categories
Household Appliances
- Kitchen Appliances
- Home Appliances
- Large Home Appliances
- Commercial Appliances
Beauty, Cosmetics, and Personal Care
- Makeup
- Skincare
- Hair Care & Styling
- Hand, Foot & Nail Care
- Bath & Body Care
- Men's Care
- Personal Care Appliances
- Eye & Ear Care
- Nasal & Oral Care
- Feminine Care
- Perfume
- Special Personal Care
Phones & Electronics
- Phone Accessories
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Phone Batteries
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Cables, Chargers & Adapters
- Casting Devices
- Power Banks
- Point & Shoot Cameras
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- Cameras & Photography
- Audio & Video
- Gaming & Consoles
- Smart & Wearable Devices
- Education Devices
- Universal Accessories
- Table & Computer Accessories
- Phones & Tablets
Computers & Office Equipment
- Desktop Computers, Laptops & Tablets
- Desktop & Laptop Components
- Peripherals & Accessories
- Data Storage & Software
- Network Components
- Office Equipment
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Pet Food
- Dog & Cat Food
- Dog & Cat Grooming
- Hair Dryers
- Grooming Clippers
- Dog & Cat Accessories
- Cameras & Monitors
- Fish & Aquatic Supplies
- Lighting
- Temperature Control
- Aquarium Pet Food
- Small Animal Supplies
- Small Pet Food
- Farm Animal & Poultry Supplies
- Food
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Tools & Hardware
- Power Tools
- Measuring Tools
- Electrical Measuring Instruments
- Garden Tools
- Grass Trimmers
- Lawn Mowers
- Soldering Equipment
- Electric Soldering Irons
- Welders
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Home Improvement
- Solar & Wind Power
- Lights & Lighting
- Electrical Equipment & Supplies
- Smart Home Systems
- Security & Safety
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Automotive & Motorcycle
- Car Electronics
- Car Lights
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Food and Beverages
- Milk & Dairy
- Drinks
- Instant Food
- Staples & Cooking Essentials
- Baking
- Snacks
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Health
- Food Supplement
- Alternative Medications & Treatments
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Jewellery Accessories & Derivatives
- Platinum & Carat Gold
- Silver
- Natural Crystal
- Non-natural Crystal
- Jade
- Semiprecious Stones
- Artificial Gemstones
- Pearl
- Amber
- Mellite
Invite-Only Products
Sellers who wish to sell in these categories must have been onboarded through a pre-approval process by TikTok Shop or request a category authorization. You can find more details on how to submit that request here.
Some of these categories will also require additional documentation for each listing, just like restricted items. These items will be pushed as drafts into your Seller Center so you have the chance to upload whatever is required for that listing before submitting it for approval.
If you attempt to push an item from Shopify to TikTok using these categories without an invitation from TikTok, you will receive error messages on SKU IQ and the item will be rejected, doing this or trying to push an invite-only item in a different category can result in demerits to your TikTok account and even lead to permanent platform bans.
Invite Only Categories
Baby & Maternity
- Baby Clothing & Shoes
- Baby Travel Essentials
- Nursing & Feeding
- Baby Furniture
- Baby Safety
- Baby Toys
- Baby Care & Health
- Baby Fashion Accessories
Sports & Outdoor
- Sport & Outdoor Clothing
- Kids' Swimwear
- Kids' Sports Clothing
- Sports Footwear
- Kids's Sport Shoes
Toys & Hobbies
- Dolls & Stuffed Toys
- Educational Toys
- Sports & Outdoor Play
- Electric & Remote Control Toys
- Games & Puzzles
- Classic & Novelty Toys
Kids' Fashion
- Boys' Clothes
- Girls' Clothes
- Boys' Footwear
- Girls' Footwear
- Kids' Fashion Accessories
Pre-Owned
- Collection Trading Card
- Bags
- Luggage & Travel
Jewellery Accessories & Derivatives
- Gold
- Diamond
- Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald
Beauty & Personal Care
- Personal Care Appliances
- Hair Removal Devices **
Prohibited Products
Prohibited products refer to products banned from sale on TikTok Shop due to local, state, and federal regulations or considered a risk to TikTok Shop's customers and users.
While many sellers may have permission and the necessary qualifications to sell these items locally, TikTok Shop will not allow the sale of items within these categories on TikTok Shop.
This includes but is not limited to the following:
Prohibited Categories
Adult Products
- Sexy toys and games
- Erotic clothing
- Erotic wellness and massage
- Bondage gear and/or accessories
- Fetish wear, sex furnishings, sexual enhancers, or any other adult products depicting or suggesting sexual activity
- Dating, sexual contact, or escort services (including in-person or online services)
- Sexual wellness items (e.g. contraceptives, lubricants, and other similar products)
- Any product that appears to be designed for use in sexual or adult activity
Alcohol, Tobacco, and E-Cigarettes
- Alcohol of any kind
- E-cigarettes and related products
- Tobacco, or any product that contains tobacco, including but not limited to:
- Cigarettes
- Cigars
- Dipping Tobacco
- Chewing Tobacco
- Tobacco Pipes
- Vaporizer Devices
- Electronic Cigarettes
- Similar devices and their refill cartridges or liquids
- Other Smokeless Tobacco Products
- Shisha or Hookah products
- Smoking apparatuses, including pipes and rolling papers
Animal, Animal-Related Products, Protected Wildlife and Plants
- All living creatures.
- Items containing authentic animal fur from endangered species, rare skins sourced from endangered species, and any items derived from animals shielded by federal, state, or municipal statutes. Instances might include body parts, antlers, ivory, bone, teeth, and related articles.
- Aquatic resources under prohibition for exploitation.
- Aquatic merchandise containing toxic or dangerous components surpassing legally sanctioned thresholds.
- Items containing plant or wildlife species protected by regional laws and regulations.
- Aquatic products containing natural toxins posing threats to human life.
- Varieties of plants barred by law for production and trade.
- Plant varieties that jeopardize production, human well-being, the environment, and the ecological system.
- Tools and kits for ear cropping, tail docking, declawing or any other removal or modification of a companion animal’s appendage.
- Animal grooming supplies such as grooming scissors, deodorizers, and colognes.
- Veterinary medicines, vaccines, drugs or any supplements intended for animals.
- Medicated animal and pet feed that requires a prescription by a licensed veterinarian.
Baby and Maternity Products
- Breast pumps and related specialized maternity and nursing equipment.
- Maternity vitamins and supplements.
- Baby vitamins and supplements.
- All beaded teethers, including beaded amber teething jewelry, as well as those made from materials like amber, wood, silicone, or other elements strung on flexible materials.
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Beauty and Personal Care Products
- Cosmetics that are not packaged, labeled, or intended for retail sale in the U.S. (for example, cosmetic testers, imported cosmetics that do not comply with U.S. laws and regulations).
- Cosmetics, beauty, and personal care products that are intended for use by medical professionals or under medical supervision.
- Cosmetics that are named in the FDA recall or safety alert.
- Cosmetics containing FDA-prohibited or restricted ingredients.
- Products with the aim of whitening, lightening, or bleaching the skin are strictly prohibited. However, products designed to enhance the complexion's brightness or even out skin tone are permissible.
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Body and Mental Wellness Products
- Weight gain or muscle gain products that are typically used for pursuing specific body aesthetics, such as larger muscles, larger buttocks, and more. This includes but is not limited to, steroids, testosterone boosters, muscle-building supplements, and protein powders that are advertised in conjunction with achieving a particular body image.
- Products and supplements that claim to aid in weight management, fat reduction, or similar goals are strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, diet pills, appetite suppressants, products that aim to boost metabolism, fat burners and creams, detox teas, and any item making explicit weight loss claims.
- Products or content that explicitly or implicitly depict, glorify, or promote suicide, self-harm, or disordered eating behaviors.
- Products that directly or indirectly mention forms of non-suicidal self-injury or suicide:
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TikTok does not allow the sale of products that mention specific forms of non-suicidal self-injury or suicide, such as cutting, burning, overdosing, or hanging oneself. This includes but is not limited to, pens that replicate the sensation of cutting or books that discuss suicide methods.
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Products that glorify, promote, trivialize, or stigmatize mental health disorders.
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We do not allow the sale of products that imply that mental health disorders are aspirational, cool, or desirable. This includes but is not limited to, replicas of suicide notes or Halloween costumes of mental asylum patients.
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Discriminatory and Offensive Products
- Products or content that promote, contain, or encourage illegal activities, hateful behavior, hate speech, promotion of hateful ideologies, or incite, provoke, or promote violence or hatred against an individual or a group of people.
- Products promoting discrimination based on protected attributes (caste, ethnicity, national origin, race, religion, tribe, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, serious disease).
- Products that promote or glorify violent and hateful organizations or individuals, including violent extremists, violent political organizations, violent criminal organizations, hateful organizations, and individual perpetrators of mass violence.
- Products that directly exploit or profit from human tragedies and natural disasters, including those featuring explicit or insensitive depictions of such events, or those that may trivialize or make light of the suffering of affected individuals or communities.
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Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia
- Drugs, chemicals, and raw materials.
- Hallucinogenic plants and fungus
- Narcotics, steroids, and other drugs prohibited by law or regulation.
- Any chemicals, ingredients, or raw materials used to manufacture drugs or addictive substances. This includes but is not limited to marijuana, opium, and poppy seeds.
- Drug paraphernalia, such as products primarily intended for making, preparing, or consuming "controlled substances." This includes but is not limited to bongs, glass pipes, or vaporizers designed for smoking or drug use.
- Pill presses, die molds, and products related to the production of pills.
- Products that claim to provide a “legal high," including marijuana and medicinal marijuana.
- Products listed on the DOD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients list.
- Guns, pistols, rifles, automatic weapons, military ordnance, sport, and hunting guns.
- Simulation guns, airsoft guns, BB guns, potato launchers, replica guns, all gun keychains, and model guns.
- All associated parts, kits, ammunition, components, and accessories for building or constructing firearms. This includes inside accessories, including but not limited to bullets, magazines, barrels, weapon conversion kits, and firing pins. Please note cleaning kits are allowed.
- Certain knives, including automatic knives (switchblades), butterfly knives (balisongs), machetes, concealed swords, hunting knives, gravity knives, knives designed to look harmless (lipstick case knives and writing pen knives), knuckle knives, push daggers, spring-loaded knives, stiletto knives, and throwing stars (batman symbols, metal throwing stars, etc.)
- Military weaponry, explosives, and grenades.
- Stun guns and tasers.
- Batons and telescopic truncheons.
- Tear gas, pepper spray, and mace.
- Brass knuckles, knuckledusters, dan claws, foot claws, and nunchucks.
- Self-defense keychains and items encompassing, but not limited to, cat ear keychains, kubotans, Tactical Pens, Monkey Fists, discreet knives such as keys, and more.
Gambling and Gamification
- Lottery tickets, instant win tickets, and scratch card tickets or labels of any sort.
- Social casinos
- Slot machines and electronic gaming machines that are used for gambling.
- Products involved in simulating gambling activities, such as poker cards, poker tables, and gaming chips.
- Online gambling of any kind.
- Bingo, raffles, sweepstakes.
- Sports forecasting, betting, odds-making, bookmaking.
- Casino-style games, such as roulette, slot machine, wager, lotteries, and poker.
- Claw machines and claw machine entries.
- Lucky Games and Drawings such as Oyster Opening, Lucky Scoop, Lucky Bag, Lucky Draw, Lucky Spin, Lucky Card, Wheel Spin, and Giveaway Entry.
Hazardous and Dangerous Items
- Any product that is named by the FDA recall or safety alert.
- Any product containing FDA-prohibited or restricted ingredients.
- Any lighters and torches with fuel. This includes but is not limited to, butane lighters, Zippo lighters, propane lighters, torch lighters, and plasma lighters.
- Strike anywhere matches.
- Radioactive materials and their processing equipment.
- Explosive materials and processing equipment, such as gases, fireworks, or fuses
- Toxic substances and hazardous chemicals.
- Chemical substances banned by law or needing approval.
- Industrial-use chemicals that are not for general consumers.
- Products that contain large quantities of magnetic balls or cubes, including nanodots, buckyballs, magnet balls, and similar products.
- Pesticides, insecticides, weed control, and fertilizers. Indoor plant food is allowed.
- Etching creams.
- Aerosol paints or spray paint.
- Piercing kits with needles, piercing needles, tattoo machines, and tattoo needles.
- High-power laser pointers.
Human Body Parts, Remains, and Mortuary Products
- Caskets
- Cremation urns
- Burial vaults
- Mortuary preparation, embalming, and cremation supplies
- Body parts include genuine bones or skeletons, waste, remains, organs
- Reproductive materials like sperm, egg cells, fertilized eggs, and embryos.
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Lock Picking & Theft Devices
- Devices to bypass automobile locks or jiggling tools
- Secret handcuff keys
- Digital decoders
- Cards and guns for picking locks
- Sets of tools for lock picking
- Slim-jims
- Tools for applying tension
- Practice locks
- Keys used for trial purposes
- Tools for opening tubular locks
- Instruments for duplicating keys
- Theft aids, including devices to detach Sensormatic tags
- Devices for skimming cards
- Hacking devices
- Devices for capturing codes
- Master keys or skeleton keys
Medicines, Medical Devices and Medicinal-Supplements
- Products requiring a prescription written by a healthcare provider.
- Unlicensed medicines, herbal or homeopathic products, and those making health claims
- Medicinal supplements, including steroids, chitosan, sexual enhancement or performance supplements, comfrey, etc.
- Beauty and Personal Care products that are made from or contain Cannabidiol, or CBD. A non-exhaustive list includes serums, creams, masks, body and face oils, lotions, shampoos, and other topical products.
- Ophthalmic drugs, including but not limited to eyedrops or other remedies for eye conditions.
- Otic drugs, including but not limited to ear drops or other remedies for ear conditions.
- Feminine care products
- OTC medication
- Certain classes and types of medical devices. Refer to the TikTok Shop Restricted Products Policy for more information.
Monetary Products and Financial Services
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Currency and replicas
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Coins or paper money with legal tender status
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Replica or counterfeit coins, stamps, or paper money
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Money orders, gold certificates, or silver certificates
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Counterfeit production
- Equipment or material for producing counterfeit coins, stamps, paper money, or virtual currency
- Cash equivalents
- Cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies
- Money orders, travelers' cheques, stored value instruments
- Gifts and Coupons
- Gift cards, coupons, certificates, electronic redemption codes
- Financial instruments
- Stocks and securities
- Gold, silver, precious metal bullion
- Other financial services
- Funds provision, insurance, loans, money transfers, financial management services
- Services potentially facilitating money laundering
Official Government or Military Items and Other Restricted Equipment
- Government, police, or military equipment like uniforms and identification documents
- Items intended for impersonating government, police, or military personnel
- Government-issued certificates and documents
- Official emergency lighting systems and sirens
- Devices like mobile phone repeaters and signal boosters
- Tools for odometer modification
- Products meant to evade or impair traffic safety laws
- Unauthorized products to access cable or satellite services
- Credit card readers and terminals
- All types of helmets intended for recreational uses such as cycling, equestrian riding, mountaineering, snow sports, and more
- Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
- Type I, II, and III personal floatation devices (PFDs)
- Halocarbon clean-agent fire, water fire, wet chemical fire, dry chemical fire, carbon dioxide fire, and water-based agent fire extinguishers
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Second-hand Products
Second-hand, used, and open-box products are prohibited on TikTok Shop unless approved to sell in the preowned luxury handbag and collectibles categories. Any other kind of used item outside of the pre-existing invite-only categories is strictly forbidden.
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Security and Privacy Products
- Access to materials containing personal information like phone numbers, email addresses, identity cards, passports, or social security cards.
- Software or products designed to collect or steal personal, institutional, private, or confidential data.
- Concealed photographic and recording devices
- Any other products that may violate or facilitate the violation of an individual's privacy.
- Custom document creation.
- Intermediaries for customs declarations.
- Exam-related solutions and ghost-writing services.
- Real estate transactions or services.
- Multi-level marketing and pyramid schemes.
- Offering or facilitating sex acts.
- Engagement in surrogacy arrangements.
- Sale of memberships or subscriptions granting access to content, products, services, or benefits.
- Software and standalone digital products.
- Online classes or consultations
- Music samples or files.
However, physical products such as DVDs with digital content are permitted.
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Sexual Wellness Products
Sexual wellness products are prohibited on TikTok Shop.
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Unauthenticated Native American-related Products
Federal law states it is illegal to sell products labeled as “Native American-made” when the producer is not a member of a U.S. Native American Tribe or a certified Native American artisan with a Tribe. The term "Native American product" means any art or craft product made by a Native American. Items that are not made or sold by a member of a state or federally-recognized tribe or someone certified as a Native American artisan by a recognized tribe are prohibited from sale on TikTok Shop.
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- Perishable food items
- Food items that must be stored at a specific temperature
- Prepackaged food for children under three years old
- Baby formula (including powder and liquid)
- Food additives
- Food items that are not packaged, labeled, or intended for retail sale in the U.S. (for example, repurposed retail candies that do not comply with U.S. laws and regulations)
- All homemade food products
- Car electronic products with batteries exceeding 15,000 Amps.
- Electronics designed specifically for motorcycles or marine vehicles.
- E-bikes, E-scooters, and all-electric vehicles, as they are classified as motor vehicles.
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Youth Safety & Human Exploitation Related Products
- Youth Safety
TikTok Shop strictly prohibits the sale of products that contribute to youth exploitation and abuse. This includes but is not limited to content involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), grooming, nudity, sextortion, solicitation, pedophilia, and physical or psychological abuse of children. These restrictions apply to all listings, whether they involve real, fictional, digitally created, or artistic content.
Any instances of abuse are promptly reported to relevant authorities, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
- Human Dignity and Exploitation
TikTok Shop strictly prohibits the sale of products associated with human trafficking and smuggling.
Human Dignity and Exploitation products include, but are not limited to products profiting from exploiting others through fraud, force, or coercion. Human smuggling involves profiting from aiding individuals in illegal entry to another country.
Reporting
TikTok takes human rights and environmental concerns seriously. If you have any human rights or environmental concerns related to TikTok Shop, we strongly encourage you to report your concerns here.
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