Many sellers already know how to earn through TikTok’s affiliate system. But what most sellers don’t realise is that joining the program is only the beginning.

TikTok continuously monitors each shop’s performance and product quality on a daily basis, and if your metrics drop below certain thresholds, your affiliate access may be restricted or even disqualified.

This article explains the key Affiliate Marketing rules, qualification standards, and performance limits sellers must follow, and how you can stay eligible long term.

Daily Shop & Product Evaluation

To maintain fairness and quality within the platform, TikTok Shop continuously monitors every seller’s performance through an automated evaluation system. This system checks both shop-level and product-level metrics every single day, ensuring that only trustworthy and high-performing sellers remain eligible for the affiliate program.

Here are the key metrics TikTok tracks, and what each one means for your shop:

TikTok’s system uses these indicators to determine whether your shop and products continue to qualify for affiliate visibility.

If any of these metrics fall below the platform’s required standards, your affiliate access may be restricted automatically. You’ll still be able to monitor your shop’s data, but your products might be temporarily hidden from the creator marketplace until your performance improves.

Restriction Rules

When a shop’s performance begins to decline, TikTok doesn’t immediately disqualify it from the Affiliate Marketing program. Instead, the platform first imposes a temporary restriction period, a grace phase designed to give sellers time to recover their performance and fix underlying issues.

During a restriction period:

• You cannot create new affiliate plans. This means you won’t be able to launch new campaigns or recruit new creators until your metrics improve.

• You can still manage or edit existing affiliate plans. You’ll retain access to your current campaigns, so you can continue tracking performance, updating commission rates, or adjusting product details as needed.

Once your store rating, negative review rate, and product quality metrics return to acceptable levels, TikTok automatically lifts the restriction, restoring full affiliate access.


 

Disqualification Rules (Shop vs Product)

If issues persist or policy violations are detected, TikTok may permanently disqualify your shop or specific products from participating in the affiliate program.

Shop Disqualification

A shop can be disqualified for:

• Low store rating

• Counterfeit or intellectual property violations

• Excessive customer complaints

• Account suspension or major misconduct

Once disqualified, all affiliate activities are terminated immediately.

Product Disqualification

Even if your shop qualifies overall, individual products can still be disqualified if they exceed the negative review or return rate limits below:

Disqualified products will no longer be visible or selectable by creators for promotion. This helps maintain a consistent standard of product quality and protects creators from promoting listings that may result in poor customer feedback.

What Happens After Disqualification

When a shop or product is disqualified, TikTok enforces a full reset of its affiliate If your affiliate access has been restricted or revoked, the good news is that requalification is possible. TikTok continuously monitors performance, and once your key metrics meet the required standards again, your eligibility will be automatically reinstated.

To speed up recovery, focus on the following areas:

• Monitor store performance regularly: Track your Seller Center dashboard closely to identify patterns in reviews, refunds, and customer satisfaction. Early detection of negative trends helps prevent further impact.

• Maintain accurate product listings: Ensure your product titles, descriptions, and photos reflect what customers actually receive. Misleading details are one of the main causes of avoidable returns.

• Prioritise quality control: Inspect inventory before shipping to reduce issues such as defects, missing parts, or damaged packaging that lead to poor ratings.

• Enhance customer service: Respond promptly to inquiries and resolve disputes professionally. Consistent engagement improves store rating and builds customer trust.

• Avoid policy risks: Never list restricted, infringing, or counterfeit items. These violations heavily affect your penalty score and may trigger permanent disqualification.

Once your performance stabilises and meets TikTok’s benchmarks, the system will automatically restore your affiliate privileges, allowing you to create new plans and reconnect with creators.

Build Lasting Success with Consistent Performance

Earning through TikTok’s Affiliate Marketing program is one of the most effective ways to scale sales, but long-term success depends on consistent performance. Sellers who monitor their store health, deliver reliable service, and maintain product quality are the ones who stay eligible and attractive to top creators.

To make this easier, BigSeller offers automation tools that help manage orders, track returns, and maintain operational accuracy, giving you more control over the metrics that matter.

Try BigSeller for free and keep your shop affiliate-ready every day.