How Long Does a TikTok Appeal Take?

If TikTok removed your post or gave your account a violation strike, what can you do? Can you appeal the decision, and how long does a TikTok appeal take? Here’s an essential guide to TikTok’s community guidelines and appeals process.

TikTok Content Violations and Bans: A Quick Guide

TikTok’s Community Guidelines “help foster a welcoming, safe, and entertaining experience” for everybody on the platform. Content violations are the most common cause of TikTok penalties. The platform has tools and technologies in place to identify any violations of its guidelines and remove the violating content or account. 

According to TikTok:

“We use both automated and human evaluation to detect and take action against violations of our Community Guidelines. If we find violations and remove that content, the account owner will be notified.”

Here are the most important questions about TikTok content violations and bans. 

When Does TikTok Review Content?

All new content automatically goes under TikTok review after you tap “Post.” TikTok’s Trust & Safety team determines if the content follows Community Guidelines and is eligible for For You feeds. The team also determines if they should remove the content or if it’s ineligible for For You feeds. Content that quickly gains popularity also undergoes additional review.

What Happens When TikTok Identifies a Violation?

TikTok removes the content and notifies the creator of the reason.

What Happens to Your TikTok Account if You Have a Content Violation?

TikTok notifies you of the consequences of the violation via your Inbox. You’ll find the notification within System notification > Account updates.

What Can You Do When TikTok Removes Your Content or Deems it Ineligible for For You Feeds?

When you receive a notification about the removal of your content or its ineligibility for For You feeds, you can submit your feedback and appeal the decision. 

Is There a Violation Threshold?

Every violation of the Community Guidelines earns you a strike against your account. TikTok counts strikes per policy area (e.g., safety and civility) or feature (e.g., comments). When you reach the threshold for any policy area or feature, TikTok will ban your account. The platform notifies users when they are nearing a violation threshold.

Repeated violations of the same nature may also lead to a permanent account ban or restricted access to certain features.

Do Account Strikes Expire?

Account strikes expire after 90 days. Expired strikes no longer factor into future considerations for a permanent account ban. 

When Does TikTok Permanently Ban an Account?

Here’s a list of violations that can lead to a permanent account ban:

1. You don’t meet the minimum age or other requirements as indicated in our Terms of Service.
2. You impersonate another person or entity, or you create or use another TikTok account to avoid restrictions or a permanent account ban. 
3. You have a severe account violation, e.g., posting or promoting youth exploitation or child sexual abuse material, promoting or threatening violence, or posting content that facilitates human trafficking.
4. You reached the strike threshold within a Community Guidelines policy or feature. 
5. You have multiple violations of TikTok’s Intellectual Property Policy. 

What Happens After TikTok Bans Your Account?

When you try to log in, you’ll receive a banner notification informing you of the account ban. You will still be able to log in, submit an appeal, and download your personal data. However, you won’t be able to do anything else. After a certain period, TikTok will delete all your data, and your account will no longer be available.

How Long Do TikTok Appeals Take?

How long does an appeal on TikTok take? TikTok typically responds to appeals within 24 to 72 hours. Some reports claim that appeal requests have gone unresolved for months. Keep in mind, however, that because strikes expire after 90 days, you should expect to get some resolution within this timeframe, at least.

How To Send an Appeal to TikTok

What’s the appeal process if TikTok has removed your content, tagged it as ineligible for posting, or banned your account? Here’s how to send an appeal to TikTok.

How To Appeal the Ineligibility of Content

When you post new content, TikTok reviews it for eligibility for For You feeds. If it determines that your content is ineligible, you can review the reason and submit an appeal. You’ll need to turn on Analytics to review TikTok’s decision. You’ll find Analytics in Menu > Settings and Privacy> Creator tools > Analytics.

To review TikTok’s decision:

1. Go to the video in question. 
2. Tap the Share button, then tap Analytics or More Data at the bottom. 
3. Tap the notification that says your video is not eligible for the For You feed. 
4. Review the feedback. Tap Yes if you understand the reason; tap No if you don’t, then follow the instructions. 
5. Tap Appeal at the top to submit an Appeal. 

How To Appeal the Removal of Content

If you believe TikTok removed your content by mistake, you can submit an appeal by following these steps:

1. Go to your inbox and find the notification of the removal of your content. 
2. Tap the notification. 
3. Tap Submit an appeal and follow the instructions.

Alternatively, you can go to the video in question and tap Community Guidelines violation. Select See details, then tap Submit an appeal. 

Make sure not to remove the content you want to appeal. If you do so, TikTok won’t be able to restore your content and remove the violation strike on your account if it approves your appeal. Deleting the violating content will also not remove the strike from your account.

How To Appeal a Banned Account

If you believe TikTok banned your account by mistake, here’s how to appeal the decision:

1. Open the banner notification that pops up when you log into your account. 
2. Tap Appeal. 
3. Follow the instructions.

How Long Does a TikTok Appeal Take? Use the Time Wisely

Removal of your content or its ineligibility for For You feeds due to a violation is an opportunity to learn from your mistake. Whether or not you appeal TikTok’s decision, you can use the experience to improve your content strategy while ensuring compliance with the platform’s policies.

Avoiding future strikes against your account should also be your priority. Especially if you’ve already built an impressive profile feed for your audiences and a decent following, you’d want to keep your account active. Fortunately, so far, TikTok does not hand out account strikes or ban accounts if it detects fake followers or engagement. But you may experience “shadowbanning” or limited visibility. 

It’s important to stay even more active with regular posts and direct interactions with your followers when you feel that your account may be under scrutiny. Focus on engaging your target audience with relevant and optimized content. Reply to comments and DMs as soon as possible and like their comments. 

Knowing “How long does a TikTok appeal take?” will help you understand the severity of the consequences for violating TikTok’s Community Guidelines. “Drawing inside the lines” is always the safest way to grow your TikTok. But if you need expert help accelerating your growth safely, sign up for a High Social account. High Social’s advanced, proprietary AI technology instantly doubles your audience-targeting capability. Deliver your videos to more users who are likely to enjoy them and give you engagement. Start growing your TikTok today!

TikTok Tips