Listing restricted products on TikTok Shop is more than uploading an item—it’s about meeting clear rules to ensure trust and safety. Whether pet food, beauty, toys, or tech, each category has unique steps.
With proper documents and compliance checks, you can turn rules into rewards. Follow the process, give the hard work to M2E, build trust, and let your shop stand out. How? Let’s dive into this blog.
What Are Restricted Products?
If you are an e-commerce seller, you should know that each marketplace has some policy restrictions on some goods sold. For example, if you are selling on Amazon, we recommend you check out the guide about “How to Sell Restricted Products on Amazon? M2E Pro Guide 2024”. This blog is still about TikTok Shop Restrictions; thus, let’s start.
On TikTok Shop, some products don’t just hit the shelves—they require a backstage pass. These Restricted Products (also known, as Dangerous Goods or hazardous material or HAZMAT) need prior approval before they can be listed. Why? Because TikTok Shop is committed to a safe, trustworthy shopping experience for everyone.
If you’re eyeing a sale in this category, here’s what to expect:
- Approval Process: Sellers must pass a category-specific review.
- Documentation Requirements: Think testing reports, certifications, product or package images, and other regulatory paperwork.
TikTok Shop’s goal? A secure, positive environment where quality and compliance come first. Before you list, ensure you’re ready to provide the necessary information to get the green light. Selling safely isn’t just a rule—it’s the TikTok way.
Still, if you are new to this marketplace, we highly recommend you to check out our article “Requirements To Open A TikTok Shop In The UK and USA: A Guide For Business Owners in 2024”.
What Are the Сategories of Restricted Products on TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop opens the door to a world of possibilities—but compliance is key when it comes to restricted products. From pet food to toys, beauty to electronics, each category has unique requirements to keep customers safe and your sales soaring.
Categories Covered:
- Pet Food: Cater to animal lovers with detailed ingredient lists and compliance images.
- Beauty Products: Highlight safe formulations and provide clear labels for skincare, makeup, and more.
- Electronics: Ensure proper documentation like UKCA/CE markings, from laptops to gaming consoles.
- Hazmat Batteries: List responsibly with details on battery type, packaging, and safety standards.
- Media Products: Showcase CDs, DVDs, and Vinyls with age ratings and internal material images.
- Toys: Make playtime safe with age suitability, safety warnings, and compliance markings.
Some other categories, such as clothes, are not under such restrictions. Thus, if you want to know how to sell clothes successfully with M2E at the TikTok Shop, read our article.
The Entire Guide of Selling Dangerous Goods via TikTok Shop
Ready to list restricted products on TikTok Shop? It’s more than just uploading a listing—it’s about compliance, safety, and trust. From submitting essential documents to selecting mandatory product attributes, each step ensures your products meet TikTok’s standards while keeping customers informed and confident. Follow the rules, check all the boxes, and add the product to the TikTok Shop.
Step 1: Provide Supporting Documents
To sell restricted products on TikTok Shop, sellers must upload specific documentation under the Product Certification section on the individual product page. Additional required details are entered in the Product Attributes fields, marked by a red asterisk. Requirements vary depending on the product category.
Some product categories require sellers to submit detailed documents like safety certifications, certificates of authenticity, or packaging photos.
For example, a seller applying to list dog food on TikTok Shop must provide the following documentation:
- Nutritional Label including the product name, net quantity statement, and manufacturer’s name and address.
- Ingredient List detailing all components used in the product.
- Guaranteed Analysis Statement outlining the nutritional value of the pet food.
- Feeding Directions provide clear instructions on portion sizes and frequency.
- The calorie statement shows the caloric content per serving.
- Product Photos displaying all sides of the packaging, including legible details of the country of origin and the labeling information.
Thus, sellers can unlock access to restricted categories by ensuring proper documentation and compliance with TikTok Shop’s safety and quality standards.
Step 2: Choose Mandatory Product Attributes
Mandatory Product Attributes are the must-know details about a product that empower customers to make smart and safe buying decisions. These attributes showcase a product’s key features, properties, or functions while highlighting any potential safety considerations tied to its use.
Sellers will be prompted to provide these critical attributes on the product listing page before their item is approved for sale. Ensuring accuracy here isn’t just a box to tick—it’s a step toward building trust and delivering a top-notch shopping experience.
Thus, sellers listing hazardous materials (Hazmat) on the US market must now comply with newly introduced mandatory attributes for dangerous goods. These attributes, integrated into the Get Attributes API, ensure compliance with safety and regulatory requirements by capturing essential Hazmat information, such as:
- Battery-related details: Type, packing method, weight, capacity, and number of batteries.
- Flammable liquids: Confirmation and volume.
- Aerosols: Confirmation and volume.
- Other hazardous materials: Identification and classification.
These attributes are critical for accurately identifying, labeling, and shipping hazardous goods in accordance with regulations. Sellers are responsible for correctly providing these details during product listing to avoid penalties or removal of listings.
Key Implementation Points of Mandatory Hazmat Attributes:
- Starting October 7, 2024, all new listings classified as hazardous materials (Hazmat) on TikTok Shop US must include specific mandatory attributes related to classification, labeling, storage, fulfillment, and transportation.
- Effective Dates: Enforcement for Hazmat attributes starts January 5, 2025 for both new and existing listings.
- Failure to provide these attributes will result in listings being blocked and a reduced Listing Seller Rating (LSR).
- API Updates:
- Get Attributes and Get Category Rules APIs now include:
requirement_conditions: Specifies when an attribute is mandatory.value_data_format: Defines expected data type and structure.
- Custom input fields for numerical data (e.g., weight, volume).
- Selectable options for categorical data (e.g., battery type, hazardous material presence).
- Get Attributes and Get Category Rules APIs now include:
Non-compliance will lead to product removal, impacting sellers’ ability to list hazardous products in the US market.
Step 3: Add Product Safety and Compliance Image
Safety and compliance markings are crucial in customer trust when listing products on TikTok Shop. Keep these tips in mind:
- Visible Markings Only: Upload safety and compliance markings visible to customers—keep confidential details private.
- Set Products: If you’re selling sets, ensure markings on the external packaging are accurate. For individually assembled sets, upload markings from at least one product while being prepared to provide full details if requested.
Transparency and accuracy aren’t just good practices—they’re essential for a seamless selling experience on TikTok Shop!
How to Sell Restricted Products on TikTok Shop with M2E Cloud?
M2E Cloud offers e-commerce sellers a streamlined solution to manage and sell products on TikTok Shop, including restricted ones. With M2E Cloud, sellers can effortlessly list their products on TikTok Shop directly from their store. Thus, no need to fill out endless details or certifications – list bulk products on TikTok with ease. So, if you have a store on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Ecwid, you should keep it. Here’s how M2E Cloud facilitates this process:
- Simplified Product Listing and Category Approval: M2E Cloud simplifies listing products in restricted TikTok Shop categories by helping sellers navigate approval requirements and submit necessary certifications directly through the platform. It streamlines the process by enabling the upload of product certifications and setting required attributes based on category rules, ensuring compliance with TikTok Shop’s standards for listing approval. Here’s how it works:
Product Certification Files: Sellers must provide certifications (e.g., safety or authenticity certificates) as files. Since file-based attributes are supported only on Shopify, M2E Cloud ensures compatibility by requiring the file to be hosted publicly and linked via an external URL. Alternatively, the seller can use a Data Source Attribute containing the file URL.
Validation and Error Handling: Before submission, M2E Cloud verifies the file’s accessibility through the provided URL. The validation of all the information provided by the seller is carried out to ensure that only successful listings are received.
- Efficient Inventory and Order Management: Once your restricted product is live, it’s only natural that orders will follow. With M2E, you can seamlessly pull TikTok orders into your Store Admin and manage them all in one place! M2E Cloud synchronizes inventory and order details across multiple platforms, including TikTok Shop. This real-time synchronization helps prevent overselling and ensures that stock levels are accurately reflected, which is crucial when managing restricted products with limited availability.
- Compliance with TikTok Shop Policies: By integrating with TikTok Shop, M2E Cloud ensures that all product listings adhere to the platform’s policies and guidelines.
M2E Cloud will take all the information you provide, validate it, and only then send it to the listing, ensuring you always get successful listings that comply with TikTok’s Hazmat Products regulations. - Centralized Management Across Multiple Channels: For sellers operating on various e-commerce platforms, M2E Cloud provides a centralized dashboard to manage listings, orders, and inventory. This unified approach simplifies the complexities of selling restricted products across different marketplaces, including TikTok Shop.
- Enhanced Category Builder for Marketplace-Specific Attribute Handling: M2E Cloud now ensures marketplace-specific attribute management, automatically retrieving and validating attributes like Mandatory Hazmat Attributes for the US marketplace, including their required conditions and data formats. The system aligns category rules with marketplace policies, sends mandatory attributes during listing updates, and flags any errors related to Hazmat compliance under action_required, streamlining your listing process and ensuring full compliance.
So, M2E Cloud equips e-commerce sellers with the tools and support to effectively list and manage restricted products on TikTok Shop. Still, if your store is on Magento (Adobe Commerce), M2E also supports you with TikTok Magento (Adobe Commerce) integration by M2E.
TikTok Shop Restricted Products Guidelines
Selling on TikTok Shop is exciting, but restricted products like pet food, beauty items, electronics, and toys require extra care. Provide precise details, comply with safety rules, and submit necessary documents to ensure customer trust. Let’s find what works best for you in each category.
Pet Food
Ready to cater to furry, feathered, and finned friends? Selling pet food at TikTok Shop is a great way to reach animal lovers, but there are a few essential steps to ensure compliance and safety. What’s Included in Pet Food? From kibble for cats and dogs to bird seed, fish flakes, and reptile snacks—if it’s food for pets, it’s covered!
What You Need to List Pet Food:
To keep things safe and transparent, sellers must provide:
- Mandatory Attributes: Ingredients and allergen details.
- Optional Compliance Images: Upload product labels or packaging showing key details like the manufacturer’s name and address, ingredient list, feeding guides, and best-before dates.
Be Prepared for Document Requests:
TikTok Shop may request additional documentation to confirm your product complies with safety and legal regulations. Ensure your product info is clear, complete, and ready to share.
Selling pet food isn’t just about the cute factor—building trust through quality and compliance. Make it happen on TikTok Shop!
Beauty & Personal Care Products
TikTok Shop is the perfect stage for beauty products, from skincare saviors to teeth-whitening wonders. But before your items debut, here’s what you need to know about selling beauty products responsibly and compliantly.
What’s Included in Beauty Products?
- Makeup and tools: Brushes, blushers, and kits.
- Skincare: Lotions, creams, oils, and kits.
- Personal care: Perfumes, mouthwash, and whitening solutions like strips and gels.
What you’ll need for listing approval? TikTok Shop ensures beauty products meet the highest safety and compliance standards. Here’s what’s required:
- Mandatory Attributes: Full ingredients list (UK sellers—no banned substances like Parabens or Hydroquinone). Cautions or warnings (recommended).
- Compliance Images: Clear product label/packaging images showing:
- Usage instructions.
- Country of manufacture.
- Certifications.
- Complete list of ingredients.
Keep in mind special requirements for teeth whitening products. Thus, for whitening strips, pens, powders, and similar items:
- It must not contain banned substances like sodium perborate.
- Hydrogen peroxide levels must be none or below 0.1%.
- Product descriptions must include a complete list of ingredients, including the exact hydrogen peroxide concentration (in percentage). Label images must reflect all details.
Why do all these matter? TikTok Shop prioritizes customer safety and satisfaction. Submitting accurate product information and following these guidelines isn’t just about compliance—it’s your ticket to building trust and growing your beauty brand.
Let your beauty products shine bright on TikTok Shop—safe, compliant, and ready to dazzle!
Electrical and Electronics
TikTok Shop is perfect for showcasing electrical and electronics products, from cutting-edge gadgets to second-hand devices. However, listing these items requires extra attention to detail and strict compliance with safety standards.
What’s covered? Phones, tablets, home appliances, laptops, gaming consoles—and yes, second-hand electrical goods—are all part of this exciting category.
Essential listing requirements include:
Mandatory Attributes:
- Warranty period.
- Plug type (e.g., UK 3-pin, 2-pin, or none).
- Safety information and product warnings.
Documentation & Images:
- Upload images showing UKCA/CE markings and applicable warnings on the product, packaging, or user manual.
- Include a user manual featuring these markings.
Still, for second-hand electrical goods, you also need the following:
- Additional Certification: Upload a Blackbelt Smartphone Defence/Phonecheck Certification via ‘Product Certification’ when listing these items.
- Invite-Only Status: Second-hand electrical goods fall under TikTok Shop’s “Invite Only” Restricted Products. Check the “Invite Only” Products article for detailed entry requirements.
TikTok Shop ensures a safe and reliable shopping experience by requiring all these. Meeting these standards isn’t just a requirement—it’s your chance to establish trust and grow your brand.
Hazmat Batteries
Selling hazmat and lithium battery-powered products on TikTok Shop can supercharge your business, but it comes with a spark of responsibility. These high-risk items, from power banks to drones, must meet strict safety and compliance standards before hitting the market. What’s Included in Hazmat Battery Products? This category covers battery-powered essentials like:
- Phones, tablets, and laptops.
- RC toys, power tools, and drones.
- Smartwatches, cameras, and gaming consoles.
- Standalone batteries like power banks or phone batteries.
What you’ll need for listing approval?
Mandatory Product Attributes:
- Does the product contain a battery? (Yes/No).
- Battery type: Lithium-ion, Lithium Metal, Cadmium/Lead/Mercury, Alkaline, or Other.
- Battery packaging:
- Built-In: Integrated batteries (e.g., phones, smartwatches).
- Packed Separately: Batteries sold with the product (e.g., power tools, RC toys).
- Standalone: Loose batteries (e.g., power banks).
TikTok Shop requires sellers to confirm their products are safe for use, compliant with legal regulations, and supported by relevant documents, ensuring peace of mind for customers.
Media Products
Have you got a collection of CDs, Vinyls, DVDs, or even classic VHS tapes? TikTok Shop is the perfect stage to showcase media products, but before you press play, make sure your listings hit all the right notes with these essential guidelines.
What’s Included in Media Products?
- Music: CDs, Vinyls, and Cassette Tapes.
- Video: DVDs, Blu-rays, and VHS Tapes.
Listing Requirements For Music Products (CDs, Vinyls, Cassette Tapes):
- Include clear pictures of the front and back covers.
- Add images of internal materials (e.g., lyric booklets, inserts).
Listing Requirements For Video Products (DVDs, BluRays, VHS Tapes):
- Show pictures of the front and back covers.
- Include a visible age rating label on the cover.
Still, keep in mind age restrictions for video products. Thus, only items rated 12 and under are allowed. Products must have a visible age rating label or be rated above 12 to be accepted.
Toys
Ready to make playtime magical for kids everywhere? Selling toys on TikTok Shop is a fantastic way to spark joy, but ensuring compliance and safety is key. Whether building blocks, cuddly stuffed toys, or family board games, here’s how to list them like a pro.
This category covers favorites like:
- Building toys.
- Dolls and stuffed animals.
- Board games and more!
Mandatory listing requirements cover the following:
Product Attributes:
- Age Suitability: Clearly state if the toy is unsuitable for children under 36 months.
- Safety Warning: Include cautions like “Requires adult supervision” when applicable.
Compliance Images:
- Upload images of the product or packaging that visibly displays:
- UKCA/CE markings.
- Applicable warnings and safety details.
FAQ
FAQ 1: What Happens if I List Restricted Products Without Approval?
TikTok Shop takes compliance seriously, and listing restricted products without proper approval can lead to consequences you won’t want to face. Here’s what could happen:
- Rejected Listings: Your product may never see the light of day.
- Delisting: Products already could be removed from your shop.
- Violation Points: Accumulate too many, and your shop’s reputation could be hit.
For repeated or severe violations, TikTok Shop may impose stricter penalties. Think of enforcement actions that go beyond the basics.
Good news! If you think an enforcement action was a mistake, you can appeal through the Seller Center Shop Health page. Play by the rules, and keep your shop thriving!
FAQ 2: What Should I Know About Brand Approval?
TikTok Shop is serious about safeguarding Intellectual Property (IP) rights and ensuring authenticity across its platform. Whether you’re a brand owner or distributor, selling branded products means following strict guidelines and submitting the proper documentation. For example, if you are selling luxury jewelry brands on TikTok Shop, you need to provide extra documents about safety and quality and brand identity.
For Brand Owners:
- Authentic trademark certifications.
- Legal authorities issue trademark registration verification.
For Distributors:
- Trademark certifications and licensing agreements.
- Authorization letters from brand owners.
- Proof of purchase to verify product authenticity.
Are you selling luxury or branded items? Get your documents ready before listing. Protecting IP rights isn’t just policy—it’s your gateway to credibility and trust on TikTok Shop.
FAQ 3: What Is the Difference Between Restricted, Invite-Only and Unsupported Products?
Navigating TikTok Shop’s product categories is essential for sellers to stay compliant and maximize sales. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Restricted Products: Before listing, prior approval and documentation are required (e.g., certifications, labels). Think pet food, beauty products, electronics, and hazmat batteries.
- Invite-Only Products: Exclusive categories open only to selected sellers through TikTok’s onboarding process. Includes pre-packaged food, second-hand goods, and luxury items.
- Unsupported Products: These are entirely prohibited from sale at TikTok Shop. Includes items like alcohol, medical devices, weight-loss supplements, and live animals.
Still, if you are selling prohibited or specific products, for example, plants, you need to check TikTok Shop’s prohibited policy and our blog about “Selling Plants & Seeds on TikTok Shop. Grow your business with M2E”.
Understanding these distinctions ensures a smooth selling experience while keeping your shop safe and compliant!
Conclusion
By following TikTok Shop’s restricted product guidelines, you show customers your dedication to quality and trust. Use the rules as your foundation, try M2E Cloud, and let compliance elevate your shop. Success is just a listing away!
