Spark Ads Step by Step: How to Turn Creator Posts Into TikTok Ads

Written by Jacob Boe with the help of AI

To run a Spark Ad with a creator’s TikTok post, the creator turns on ad authorisation for the video in the TikTok app, chooses an authorisation period of 7, 30, 60 or 365 days and sends the generated code to the brand. The brand adds the code in TikTok Ads Manager, selects the authorised post in the campaign and publishes. The ad then runs as the creator’s own post, and the engagement stays on it.

Our earlier articles explain why Spark Ads and whitelisting matter. This one is the hands-on guide for brands heading into 2027: what the creator does, what the brand does, and what to agree before the media budget starts working.

What are Spark Ads?

Spark Ads are a native TikTok ad format that uses organic posts – the brand’s own or a creator’s, with the creator’s permission. According to TikTok, the views, comments, shares, likes and follows gained while the post is promoted are credited to the original organic post. For the audience it looks like content from a person they may already follow, not a traditional ad.

Organic posts from big names can reach far on their own, but organic reach is unpredictable. Spark Ads let the brand put money behind the posts that work and take them further and deeper into the target group.

What does the creator need to do?

Open the video in the TikTok app and tap the three dots.
Tap “Ad settings” and switch on “Ad authorization”. The first time, the creator agrees to TikTok’s Advertising Content Terms of Service.
Choose the authorisation period: 7, 30, 60 or 365 days.
Tap “Generate” and then “Copy Code”, and send the code to the brand or agency.

Each code covers one video. Before generating it, the caption should be final: TikTok says captions cannot be edited after a post is authorised as an ad. A private video becomes public once it is used in a campaign, and its privacy status cannot change during the promotion.

What does the brand need to do in TikTok Ads Manager?

Add the code: go to Tools, then the Creative library and the Spark Ads posts tab, click “Apply for Authorization”, paste the code, search and confirm the post.
Or add it in the campaign: in the ad creatives section, click “+ Add videos or images”, open the TikTok posts tab and click “Add post”. Up to 20 codes can be entered at once, and each post shows its authorisation period.
Choose an objective: TikTok lists Reach, Traffic, Video Views, Community interaction, App promotion, Conversions, Lead generation and Sales for auction campaigns, and Reach, Traffic and Video Views for Reach & Frequency.
Complete the ad: select the authorised post, fill in ad details, destination and tracking, and click “Publish all”.

Smart+ campaigns have their own guide in TikTok’s help centre, and TikTok’s Content Suite lets brands send authorisation requests to creators inside TikTok, where requests default to 365 days. Ads Manager menus change over time, so check the help pages if the steps look different.

How long should the authorisation period be?

Long enough to cover setup, review, testing and a possible extension. If the authorisation ends before the ad’s planned end date, Ads Manager flags it, and when it has expired the creator must renew it – the brand cannot do that alone. TikTok’s Ads Manager guide says the creator can extend the period from “Ad settings” on the post, but only before the code expires. Our advice: agree the period in the contract, and ask for 60 or 365 days if the campaign has several flights or the post may become an evergreen ad.

What else is good to know?

Sparked videos can be up to ten minutes long, and each Ads Manager account supports up to 10,000 Spark Ads, according to TikTok.
A video must be un-authorised as a Spark Ad before the creator can delete it, and a video code can only be deleted once all ads using it are deleted.
Posts that have been banned are rejected in Ads Manager.

How should Spark Ads creative be made?

Let the organic results choose: boost the posts with the best watch time and comments rather than the ones you like most.
Hook in the first seconds – a face, a problem or a surprise.
Keep it native: vertical, sound on, the creator’s own tone. Polished TV spots rarely work as Spark Ads.
Plan variants: ask creators for alternative openings and lengths, posted as separate videos that can each be authorised.
Refresh often: put new posts into rotation before the audience tires of the old ones.

What should the contract cover?

Agree which videos may be sparked, the authorisation period and any extension, the media budget, comment moderation and the fee for usage rights separately from the production fee. Swedish law requires consent before a person’s name or image is used in advertising, so if the brand also wants to download the video and run it in other channels, that must be agreed in writing too. Also agree that the creator does not delete or edit the post while it is running.

How should Spark Ads be labelled?

TikTok’s Branded Content Policy requires creators to turn on the commercial content disclosure toggle when posting branded content, which labels the post as branded content. Konsumentverket stresses that the company has the main responsibility for marketing made on its behalf and that it must be clear at a glance that it is advertising. Use TikTok’s disclosure, make it clear in the video itself, and take extra care with young audiences, as ICC’s code requires special care in marketing aimed at children and young people.

How does Collabri work with Spark Ads?

In the Swedish launch of Fazer Domino, creators on TikTok and Instagram were combined with a paid strategy from the start, and the campaign reached more than 3.5 million views and 14,000 interactions. We choose the creators, agree the rights and Spark Ads authorisation, produce content made for TikTok and plan the media from day one.

Key takeaways

The creator generates a code per video under Ad settings and chooses 7, 30, 60 or 365 days.
The brand adds the code in Ads Manager – up to 20 codes at a time – and selects the post in the ad.
Finalise the caption first; it cannot be edited after authorisation.
Extend the authorisation before it expires, and agree the period in the contract.
Use TikTok’s content disclosure and make the advertising clear in the content.

Frequently asked questions

Does the engagement from a Spark Ad stay on the creator’s post?

Yes. According to TikTok, views, comments, shares, likes and follows gained during the promotion are credited to the original post.

Can we spark several videos with one code?

No, each code is generated for a specific video, but up to 20 codes can be added at once in Ads Manager.

What happens when the authorisation expires?

The authorisation lapses and Ads Manager reports it as expired. The creator needs to renew it, so plan the period with margin.

Want help running Spark Ads with the right creators? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se. You can also browse our talents and client projects.

Sources

TikTok for Business – Spark Ads (Help Center): https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/spark-ads
TikTok for Business – How to create Spark Ads for Manual and Search Campaigns in TikTok Ads Manager: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/spark-ads-creation-guide
TikTok for Business – How to create Spark Ads for Smart+ Campaigns in TikTok Ads Manager: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/how-to-create-spark-ads-for-smart-campaigns-on-tiktok-ads-manager?lang=en
TikTok for Business – About Spark Ads code error notifications in TikTok Ads Manager: https://ads.tiktok.com/resources/help/article/about-spark-ads-code-error-notifications-in-tiktok-ads-manager?lang=en
TikTok for Business – Create Spark Ads on TikTok Ads Manager via Push & Pull (PDF): https://ads.tiktok.com/business/library/Generate_SparkAds_on_TTAM_via_PushnPull.pdf
TikTok for Business – How to use Content Suite to create and launch Spark Ads: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/how-to-use-content-suite-to-create-and-launch-spark-ads
TikTok – Branded Content Policy: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/bc-policy/en
Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/
Sveriges riksdag – Lag (1978:800) om namn och bild i reklam: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-1978800-om-namn-och-bild-i-reklam_sfs-1978-800/
ICC Sverige – ICC:s regler för reklam och marknadskommunikation (2024): https://iccwbo.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/ICC_2024_MarketingCode_Swedish.pdf

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.