At TikTok, they try to equip creators and viewers with a range of features, tools, and resources so they can stay in control of their experience. Today, they are adding to that toolbox a feature that helps bring more context to the content recommended in For You feeds.

See why content is recommended for you

TikTok For You feeds enable people to discover an incredible diversity of ideas, creators, products, and entertainment. The system recommends content by ranking videos based on a combination of factors based on your activity on the app. This includes adjusting for things you indicate you’re not interested in. 

To help people understand why a particular video has been recommended to them, TikTok is rolling out a new tool over the coming weeks. Here’s how it works:

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• In your For You feed, tap on the share panel.
• Then, tap the question mark icon called “Why this video”
• From there, you can see reasons why a particular video was recommended to you.

Their recommendation system is powered by technical models. Some of these include;

• User interactions, such as content you watch, like or share, comments you post, or searches
• Accounts you follow or suggested accounts for you
• Content posted recently in your region
• Popular content in your region

This feature is one of many ways TikTok is working to bring meaningful transparency to the people who use their platform.

Additionally, they publish guidelines for content categories that are ineligible for recommendations and tools to help customize recommendations. You can also find educational resources that explain how content recommendations work. 

Creators can also check out the TikTok What’s Next Report 2023. This is a trend forecast designed to help marketers understand how consumers’ wants and needs will change in the upcoming year. A creator should find this useful for their strategies, both on and off of TikTok.