How to get eligible for TikTok Creator Program in 2025?

This article has been written by our TikTok expert who will tell you what are the most efficient strategies in your niche

What are the exact requirements for joining the TikTok Creator Program in 2025?

The Creator Rewards Program demands five non-negotiable requirements: 10,000 followers, 100,000 views in the last 30 days, videos over 1 minute long, location in an eligible country, and being 18+ years old.

Unlike the old Creator Fund, the new program specifically excludes short-form content entirely. Every video you want monetized must exceed 60 seconds, which forces creators to develop longer-form storytelling skills and deeper content strategies. The program also requires authentic account information verified through government ID, real name registration, and consistent adherence to community guidelines without any strikes or violations.

Personal accounts are the only eligible account type - business accounts, creator marketplace accounts, and any accounts associated with political organizations or government entities cannot participate. This restriction exists because TikTok wants to reward individual creators rather than brands or organizations, maintaining the platform's creator-first ecosystem.

The 100,000 view requirement must be achieved organically within a rolling 30-day window, and TikTok's algorithm actively monitors for artificial inflation. Views from your own account, repeated views from the same device, and views lasting under 5 seconds don't count toward this threshold.

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How many followers and views are needed to be considered eligible?

You need exactly 10,000 followers and 100,000 views within the last 30 days, but these numbers represent the bare minimum - successful monetization typically requires significantly higher engagement rates.

The 100,000 views must be "qualified views," meaning each view lasts at least 5 seconds and doesn't result in the viewer marking your content as "not interested." This qualification system eliminates accidental views, scroll-throughs, and negative engagement from your monetization calculations. TikTok's algorithm tracks viewer behavior patterns, so if people consistently skip your content after 2-3 seconds, those views won't count toward your eligibility.

Beyond the basic thresholds, TikTok evaluates your account's overall health through multiple metrics. Your follower-to-view ratio matters significantly - accounts with 10,000 followers generating only 100,000 monthly views (a 10:1 ratio) are considered underperforming. Healthy accounts typically maintain at least a 20:1 or 30:1 monthly view-to-follower ratio, indicating active audience engagement.

The program also considers view velocity and consistency. Accounts that spike to 100,000 views through one viral video but normally average 10,000 views monthly are less likely to maintain program eligibility than accounts consistently generating 3,000-5,000 views per video across 20-30 posts.

Does the account need to be based in a specific country or region?

Region	Available Countries	Earning Potential & Notes
Top Tier Markets	United States, France, Brazil	Highest RPM rates, up to $0.50-$1.00 per 1,000 qualified views, priority feature rollouts
European Markets	United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain	Moderate RPM rates, $0.20-$0.40 per 1,000 views, stable payment systems
Asian Markets	Japan, South Korea	Variable RPM based on content type, $0.15-$0.35 per 1,000 views, age requirement 19+ in Korea
VPN Detection	All countries	Automatic disqualification if VPN detected, permanent ban risk for geographic manipulation
Expansion Plans	Under consideration: Canada, Australia	No confirmed timeline, creators should monitor official announcements
Excluded Regions	All other countries	Must wait for regional expansion, cannot use workarounds or proxy methods
Payment Methods	Varies by country	US: Direct deposit/PayPal, EU: SEPA transfers, Asia: Local banking partnerships

Are there any age restrictions to join the Creator Program?

The Creator Rewards Program enforces a strict 18+ age requirement globally, with South Korea requiring creators to be 19 or older due to local regulations.

Age verification happens through multiple checkpoints during the application process. TikTok requires government-issued ID verification, cross-references your declared birthdate with your account creation date, and monitors for any inconsistencies in your profile information. Attempting to circumvent age restrictions through false information results in permanent account suspension and lifetime ban from all monetization features.

For creators who built their following before turning 18, TikTok allows application immediately upon reaching the age requirement. However, the platform maintains records of previous age-related violations, so accounts that previously attempted to join while underage face additional scrutiny during the review process. The waiting period between reaching 18 and successful program acceptance typically extends 30-60 days for these accounts.

Parents cannot monetize content featuring their minor children through the Creator Rewards Program, even if the parent meets all age requirements. TikTok specifically prohibits monetizing content where minors are the primary subject or performer, protecting children from potential exploitation.

Is a certain type of content or niche preferred by TikTok for the program?

TikTok doesn't officially favor specific niches, but the algorithm and monetization system clearly reward content with high watch time, search value, and repeat viewership.

Educational content, storytelling formats, and tutorial-based videos consistently outperform simple entertainment clips in the Creator Rewards Program. The shift to 1+ minute requirements naturally favors creators who can maintain viewer attention through structured narratives, step-by-step processes, or compelling information delivery. Comedy sketches that build to a punchline, cooking videos with complete recipes, and educational explainers about complex topics generate higher RPMs than dance trends or lip-sync content.

Content that drives search traffic receives algorithmic bonuses in the rewards calculation. Videos answering specific questions ("How to...," "Why does...," "What is...") often earn 2-3x higher RPMs than generic entertainment content. TikTok's internal data shows users spend more time on platform when finding answers to questions, so the algorithm promotes and better monetizes searchable, evergreen content.

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Certain content categories face silent restrictions or reduced monetization rates. Political content, while not banned, earns significantly lower RPMs. Controversial topics, even when following community guidelines, often see reduced distribution and lower payment rates. Content featuring luxury goods, financial advice, or health claims undergoes additional review and may experience delayed or reduced payments.

Does the account need to follow any community or copyright guidelines strictly?

Absolute compliance with community guidelines and copyright rules is mandatory - even minor violations can result in permanent disqualification from monetization.

TikTok employs a strike system where accumulating five violations within 30 days triggers automatic removal from the Creator Rewards Program. These violations include using copyrighted music without proper licensing, reposting others' content without transformation, showing dangerous activities, or creating misleading content. Each strike remains on your account for 90 days, and patterns of violations create permanent flags that affect future monetization eligibility.

Copyright compliance extends beyond obvious music usage. The platform's Content ID system scans for reused video clips, borrowed visual effects, and even similar editing patterns from other creators. Original content doesn't mean just filming yourself - it requires creating unique value through your perspective, transformation, or added commentary. Simply reacting to others' videos or compiling existing clips, even with attribution, often results in monetization disqualification.

The platform maintains a "shadow flagging" system for accounts that technically follow guidelines but push boundaries. Accounts creating content about sensitive topics (eating disorders, self-harm adjacent content, extreme political views) may find their monetization limited even without official violations. TikTok's trust and safety team manually reviews flagged accounts, and this review process can delay payment processing by weeks or months.

Is it required to post a minimum number of videos within a specific timeframe?

While TikTok doesn't mandate specific posting quotas, the algorithm heavily favors consistent creators who maintain regular upload schedules.

Based on data from successful Creator Rewards Program participants, accounts posting 3-4 times weekly represent the minimum viable frequency for maintaining algorithmic favor. However, top earners typically post 1-4 times daily, with many successful creators batching content creation to maintain this pace. The key isn't just frequency but consistency - posting 20 videos one week then nothing for three weeks performs worse than steady twice-weekly uploads.

TikTok's algorithm includes a "recency bias" that prioritizes active accounts in both discovery feeds and monetization calculations. Accounts that go dormant for 14+ days see dramatic drops in reach and earnings, often taking 4-6 weeks of consistent posting to recover previous performance levels. This recency factor means taking breaks from posting directly impacts your earning potential.

Quality threshold requirements intensify with higher posting frequency. Creators posting multiple times daily must maintain engagement rates above 5% across all content, or the algorithm begins suppressing reach. If you feel like your content isn't getting enough engagement, we can help improve that. The platform's quality score system evaluates each video against your account average, penalizing creators who dilute their content quality for quantity.

How does TikTok evaluate video engagement metrics for eligibility?

Metric Type	Calculation Method	Impact on Monetization
Qualified Views	Views lasting 5+ seconds without negative signals	Direct multiplier for RPM calculations, baseline requirement of 1,000 per video
Average Watch Time	Total seconds watched divided by total views	Videos with 60%+ completion rate earn 2-3x higher RPM than those under 30%
Engagement Rate	(Likes + Comments + Shares) / Views × 100	5%+ engagement unlocks bonus payments, under 1% may disqualify videos
Share-to-View Ratio	Number of shares per 1,000 views	High share rates (10+ per 1,000 views) indicate viral potential, triggering RPM bonuses
Comment Sentiment	AI analysis of comment positivity and relevance	Negative comment ratios reduce RPM by up to 50%, positive discussions increase earnings
Replay Value	Percentage of viewers who watch multiple times	Videos with 20%+ replay rate earn premium RPM rates, indicates evergreen content
Search Performance	Views generated from search vs. For You page	Search-driven views worth 1.5-2x more than FYP views in RPM calculations

Is verification or a business account necessary to qualify?

Verification (blue checkmark) is not required for the Creator Rewards Program, and business accounts are specifically excluded from participation.

The program exclusively accepts personal accounts to maintain its focus on individual creators rather than brands or companies. This restriction remains firm even for solo entrepreneurs or individual-run businesses - if your account type shows as "Business" in settings, you must switch to a personal account and wait 30 days before applying. The waiting period allows TikTok's system to fully transition your account status and clear any business-related flags.

While verification isn't mandatory, verified accounts do experience certain advantages in the monetization ecosystem. Verified creators report 15-20% faster payment processing, priority support access when issues arise, and slightly higher RPM rates due to increased algorithmic trust. However, the verification process itself requires meeting separate criteria (authentic, unique, complete profile with notable presence) that many monetizable creators don't fulfill.

Account switching carries risks that creators often overlook. Converting from business to personal account erases all analytics history, removes access to business-specific features like Instagram Shopping integration, and may trigger manual review of your monetization application. Some creators report waiting 45-60 days after switching before successful program acceptance, suggesting the platform implements additional verification steps for recently converted accounts.

What kind of monetization features does the program unlock once accepted?

Accepted creators gain access to performance-based payments calculated through RPM (revenue per thousand qualified views), with top performers earning $0.50-$1.00 per thousand views on high-quality content.

The primary monetization mechanism revolves around the RPM model, which dynamically adjusts based on multiple factors. Your baseline RPM depends on your content category, geographic location, and audience demographics. Educational content in the US market might earn $0.80 per 1,000 qualified views, while entertainment content in European markets averages $0.30. These rates fluctuate based on advertiser demand, seasonal trends, and platform-wide performance metrics.

Beyond basic RPM payments, the program includes performance bonuses for exceptional content. Videos achieving viral status (1M+ views with high engagement) can trigger bonus payments ranging from $500-$5,000, depending on the content's advertiser-friendliness and audience retention. The platform also runs monthly challenges exclusive to program members, offering additional earning opportunities through themed content creation.

Secondary monetization features become available as your account grows within the program. At 100,000 followers, creators unlock access to the Creator Marketplace for brand partnerships, typically earning $500-$10,000 per sponsored post. Live streaming gifts activation allows real-time monetization during broadcasts, with top live creators earning $1,000+ per stream. When in doubt about what to post, we've got your back.

Payment processing occurs monthly, with earnings calculated from the 1st-31st paid around the 15th of the following month. Creators must accumulate minimum earnings of $50 before receiving payment, and TikTok deducts applicable taxes based on your tax documentation submission.

How long does it typically take to get accepted after applying?

Standard approval times range from 30 minutes to several weeks, with most creators receiving decisions within 2-7 days of application.

The review process follows a multi-tier system that affects timing. Initial automated checks verify basic requirements (followers, views, age) within minutes. Accounts passing automated screening enter manual review, where TikTok staff examine content quality, originality, and guideline compliance. This manual phase typically takes 2-5 business days but extends during high-volume periods like January (New Year rush) or September (back-to-school surge).

Several factors can delay approval beyond standard timeframes. Accounts with previous violations, even if resolved, undergo extended 14-21 day reviews. International accounts requiring document translation or additional identity verification often wait 3-4 weeks. Creators who recently switched from business to personal accounts face mandatory 30-day waiting periods before their applications enter active review.

Rejection doesn't mean permanent exclusion. Denied applications receive specific feedback about disqualifying factors, and creators can reapply after 30 days. However, addressing the stated issues is crucial - reapplying without fixing problems results in automatic rejection and extends the waiting period to 60 days. Common fixable issues include insufficient original content percentage, borderline community guideline violations, or incomplete identity verification.

What can disqualify an account even if the follower and view thresholds are met?

1. VPN or Location Spoofing: Using any technology to mask your true location results in immediate disqualification and potential permanent ban from all monetization features. TikTok's detection system identifies VPN usage through IP inconsistencies, GPS mismatches, and device fingerprinting.
2. Artificial Engagement: Purchasing followers, views, or likes creates detectable patterns in your analytics. Even using engagement pods or follow-for-follow schemes triggers algorithmic flags that prevent monetization approval.
3. Copyright Strike Accumulation: While the threshold is five strikes in 30 days, even 2-3 strikes create "high-risk" flags that often result in rejection. Music copyright violations are most common, but visual content copying also triggers strikes.
4. Modified App Usage: Installing modified TikTok versions, automation tools, or third-party uploaders violates terms of service. The platform detects these through API calls and app signatures, resulting in shadow bans and monetization blocks.
5. Inconsistent Identity Information: Mismatches between your TikTok profile, payment information, and government ID trigger security reviews. Name variations, birthdate discrepancies, or address differences can delay approval indefinitely.
6. Content Farm Indicators: Operating multiple similar accounts, reposting content across accounts, or showing patterns of mass-produced content triggers "content farm" flags that block monetization across all associated accounts.
7. Viewer Satisfaction Scores: Hidden metrics tracking "not interested" clicks, quick scrolls, and negative comments affect eligibility. Accounts with satisfaction scores below platform averages face silent rejection without explicit explanation.

Conclusion

Sources

1. Supliful - TikTok Monetization Requirements
2. TikTok Support - Creator Rewards Program
3. Miracamp - How to Join the Creator Program
4. Sprout Social - TikTok Creator Fund vs Creativity Program
5. Brandwatch - TikTok Creator Program Guide
6. ContentStudio - TikTok Creativity Program Analysis
7. Comparitech - TikTok Creator Program Geographic Access
8. Metricool - TikTok Creativity Program Overview
9. SocialChamp - How to Get Paid on TikTok
10. The Leap - TikTok Creator Rewards Program Deep Dive

Who is the author of this content?

NAPOLIFY

A team specialized in data-driven growth strategies for social media

We offer data-driven, battle-tested approach to growing online profiles, especially on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Unlike traditional agencies or consultants who often recycle generic advice,we go on the field and we keep analyzing real-world social content—breaking down hundreds of viral posts to identify what formats, hooks, and strategies actually drive engagement, conversions, and growth. If you'd like to learn more about us, you can check our website.

How this content was created 🔎📝

At Napolify, we analyze social media trends and viral content every day. Our team doesn't just observe from a distance—we're actively studying platform-specific patterns, breaking down viral posts, and maintaining a constantly updated database of trends, tactics, and strategies. This hands-on approach allows us to understand what actually drives engagement and growth.

These observations are originally based on what we've learned through analyzing hundreds of viral posts and real-world performance data. But it was not enough. To back them up, we also needed to rely on trusted resources and case studies from major brands.

We prioritize accuracy and authority. Trends lacking solid data or performance metrics were excluded.

Trustworthiness is central to our work. Every source and citation is clearly listed, ensuring transparency. A writing AI-powered tool was used solely to refine readability and engagement.

To make the information accessible, our team designed custom infographics that clarify key points. We hope you will like them! All illustrations and media were created in-house and added manually.