Developer onboarding

Onboarding as a TikTok Shop developer has three main steps:

1. Create an account on the TikTok Shop Partner Center.
2. Register as a developer (seller developer, or app developer / ISV).
3. Initiate the compliance and legal review — required for US and UK partners (and case-by-case for others). This step can take three or more weeks, so start planning for it early.

⏱️ Plan for the full timeline. Steps 1–2 are quick, but the compliance & legal review in step 3 is the long pole. If you're a US or UK partner, factor in 3+ weeks before you can fully launch.

Step 1: Create an account on Partner Center

If you don't already have one, create an account using the TikTok Shop Partner console:

• US market → partner.us.tiktokshop.com/account/sign-up
• Non-US markets → partner.tiktokshop.com/account/sign-up

Which domain do I use? Use partner.us.tiktokshop.com for the US market and partner.tiktokshop.com for non-US markets. Later, when you make API calls, you'll also encounter auth.tiktok-shops.com (token endpoints) and the regional authorization domains (services.us.tiktokshop.com / services.tiktokshop.com). Each market/purpose has its own domain — see the authorization guides for the full mapping.

The process is the same for both. At the Log In dialog, select Sign Up, then provide your email address and (optionally) your phone number. Keep your Partner Center email current — it's essential for receiving critical platform updates.

⚠️ Use the right email for your developer type. If you want to register as an app developer or system integrator (ISV), do not use the email associated with your TikTok Shop seller account. If you register with a Shop account email, the system will identify you as a seller and you can only register as a seller developer.

Note: The TikTok Shop Partner Platform and Open Platform merged into the TikTok Shop Partner Center in late 2022. If you have an existing Partner Platform or Open Platform account, you can log in with those credentials on Partner Center. Image

Step 2: Register as a developer

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Before you begin: determine your developer type

When you register, you'll select one of two developer types:

1. TikTok Shop seller developer — builds custom apps that access their own seller data only.
2. App developer or system integrator (ISV) — builds public apps and can request authorization to access other sellers' data on TikTok Shop.

✅ Seller developer prerequisites (read before you start):

• You must have an activated TikTok Shop account and bound an Account Manager before registering as a developer.
• The email you use for verification should be the same email used to register the TikTok Shop.

These two constraints are the most common cause of failed seller-developer registrations.

Registering as an app developer or system integrator (ISV)

1. Start your partner registration application. On the business guide dialog, select For app developers (ISV), then Start Business.

If your account needs to be allowlisted for the wrong email (Using the shop account email), submit a ticket or contact your Account Manager (AM) to request allowlisting before continuing the registration process.

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1. Begin your partner application by clicking Start Business.

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1. Specify your registration region, target market, and business category:

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• Registration region: must be consistent with your company's business certification.
• Target market: cross-border partners (registration region China and/or Hong Kong, China) may select UK, MY, VN, TH, PH, or SG; local partners (entities in the local market) should choose only their local market.
• Business category: select your business category. 📌 Available categories may vary by registration region and target market.
• Specify your company name and contact information, and provide additional business details so the team can support you.

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1. Upload your company's business certificate and registration information.

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• If you don't have these ready, select Save for later; you can then go Back to profile or Create app or service. (If you create an app now, you can't publish it until certification is complete.)

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• Otherwise, select Submit to begin certification review.

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Check your application status under My Account > My category & market. Once approved, the under review message disappears. Image

Registering as a seller developer

Detailed guide refer to: https://partner.tiktokshop.com/docv2/page/seller-developer-onboarding-onepager

• When applying for a target market for a developer account, select the category Seller inhouse developer / TikTok Shop Seller and link the activated TikTok Shop account in the next step.

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📌 Note: Please ensure the seller account information you entered is authentic.

Step 3: Initiate the compliance and legal review

Once you've registered as a developer partner, initiate the compliance and legal review. It can take three or more weeks. Reviews are required case-by-case for some partners, but are always required for US and UK partners. Contact the Partner Development & Management team for your market to request a due diligence questionnaire:

• US: partner.us@tiktokshop.com
• UK: partner.uk@tiktokshop.com
• Other: partner@tiktokshop.com

When to start: initiate this review as soon as you've registered, so the 3+ week timeline runs in parallel with your development. Prepare your due diligence questionnaire and supporting business documents in advance. See Compliance and Legal Review for details.

Next steps

Now that you have a partner developer account, you're ready to make your first TikTok Shop API call.