Creator BriefingTikTok Community Guidelines2026 H2

The For You feed has new rules.

TikTok's updated Community Guidelines took effect on September 24, 2026. Most of the rulebook stayed the same. Here are the changes that affect your reach, your account and your brand deals, and what to do about each one.

goTether Creator DeskSeptember 24, 20266 min read

First, how enforcement works

Most rules don't remove your post. They limit who sees it.

Every rule in the guidelines sits on a reach tier. A post can stay up and still stop being recommended, or be shown only to adults. Knowing which tier a rule sits on tells you how much it can cost you.

AllowedCan be recommended to anyone.
18+ onlyStays in For You, shown to adults only.
Not in For YouStays up, reaches followers and search, isn't recommended.
Not in For You, 18+Not recommended, and hidden from viewers under 18.
RemovedTaken down. Can count against your account.

The update at a glance

Seven rules moved. Here's where they landed.

Jump scares and shock effects (Sudden visuals or audio meant to startle): moved from Allowed to Not in For You. Stricter.
Gambling and firearms content (Was regional, now applies everywhere): now Not in FY, 18+. Wider.
Promoting clinics and medical services (Telehealth, licensed treatments): Not named before, now Removed. Stricter.
Promoting needle-based cosmetic procedures (Injectables, fillers, anything that cuts skin): Not named before, now Removed. Stricter.
Adults vaping on camera (Now includes non-nicotine vapes): now Not in FY, 18+. Wider.
Low-risk fitness and weight products (Promoting or selling them): moved from Not in FY, 18+ to 18+ only. Looser.
Paid promos without the disclosure toggle (Was automatic, now case by case): Not in For You, before and now. Possible, not automatic. Looser.

The big one for everyday creators

Jump scares now cost you the For You feed.

TikTok added a new item to its list of content that won't be recommended: content that may shock people with sudden visual or audio effects.

Your video won't be removed for this. It stays on your profile and can still reach your followers. What it loses is the For You feed, which is where most new viewers find you.

This matters because the scare format has been a reliable way to grab attention in the first second. That trick now works against you.

Scare pranksHorror editsScare-cam reactionsSudden loud sound dropsScreamer and bait-and-switch clips

What to do

Give viewers a heads-up before the moment, like a caption or a clear setup. Avoid sudden sound spikes that are much louder than the rest of the video. Horror and suspense are still welcome. The problem is the ambush.

If you go LIVE

Your alerts are part of your content.

The LIVE rules themselves didn't change this cycle. Two existing LIVE rules make the jump-scare change more important for streamers, though.

LIVE

What TikTok's rules say

If you keep posting content that isn't eligible for For You, TikTok may limit how visible your LIVE sessions are, or restrict some LIVE features.
You're responsible for everything in your stream, including third-party tools like text-to-speech, translation and on-screen comment displays.

What we'd check

Our reading, not TikTok's wording: a gift alert with a sudden screaming sound or a full-screen flash could count as a shock effect.

Keep alert sounds at a steady, sensible level.
Skip full-screen flashes and sudden screamer sounds.
Moderate text-to-speech so viewers can't trigger shock sounds.

Brand deals

Health and beauty promos got a lot stricter.

TikTok added three new named categories that regular creators can't promote or sell. TikTok counts links, discount codes, "DM me" and sending people off TikTok as selling.

Removed

Restricted medical services

Anything that diagnoses or treats a health condition and needs a license: clinics, telehealth, prescription programs.

Removed

Invasive cosmetic procedures

Treatments that cut the skin or use needles to change how you look: injectables, fillers, surgery.

Removed

High-risk financial services

Money products that are predatory, extremely risky or unclear. Financial education is still fine.

Now 18+ only

Low-risk fitness and weight products

Promoting low-risk products tied to weight loss or muscle gain now reaches adults in For You. Before, it wasn't recommended at all.

Your account

A second chance, and fewer escape hatches.

New

Optional policy training

After a violation, some creators may be offered a short policy course to get full access back.

Stricter

Associated accounts can be banned

A serious violation, or trying to get around a ban, can now take down your associated accounts too.

New

Protective account locks

If TikTok gets a credible report that someone else may get into your account without permission, it can restrict the account to protect you.

Also changed

Quick hits

Vaping: Vapes are now named everywhere, including non-nicotine ones. Adults vaping on camera is 18+ and not recommended in For You.
Gambling and firearms: Showing or promoting them is now kept out of For You and limited to adults in every country, not just some.
Cosmetic surgery content: The reach limit on showing or promoting cosmetic surgery now applies to invasive surgery specifically.
Recovery stories: Talking about your own struggles with disordered eating stays 18+ and out of For You, as long as it doesn't encourage the behavior.
Group chats: Group chats now officially count as DMs. You must be 16 or older to use them.

No changes

What stayed the same

LIVE and multi-guest rulesLIVE gamingHate speech and harassmentViolent and criminal behaviorMisinformationFor You feed standards pageCommunity PrinciplesEnforcement process

Where this is heading

Three signals from this update.

Our analysis of the direction TikTok is moving, based on what changed between versions.

Reach

Limiting reach over removing posts

This update added a separate "18+ only" tier for fitness products and moved several items between tiers. More rules now decide who sees your post rather than whether it stays up.

Verified

Verification is the key to commerce

Medical, cosmetic and financial promotion now runs almost entirely through verified business accounts. Expect more brand deals to require a verified partner.

Retention

Watching longer beats being startled

Penalizing jump scares pushes against shock-based hooks. Hooks built on curiosity, story and personality don't carry that risk.

Before your next post

Your five-minute check

Creator checklist

0 of 5 done

Warn before any scare

Set it up in the caption or on screen, and keep sound levels steady.

Check your LIVE alerts

No screamer sounds or full-screen flashes, and moderated text-to-speech.

Use the disclosure toggle on every paid post

Brand deals, gifted products, affiliate links and LIVE.

No links or codes for clinics, injectables or medical services

Personal experience is fine. Selling isn't.

Keep one main account

Backup accounts can now be banned along with your main account.