With the swift expansion of TikTok’s user base, it has become increasingly essential for advertisers to showcase content that resonates with their brand values. Recognizing this importance, TikTok has taken action by incorporating a brand safety feature within the app known as the TikTok Inventory Filter. In the article, Mega Digital will explain the TikTok Inventory Filter definition and give you some ways to optimize your TikTok Ads Campaign with it.
What Is TikTok Inventory Filter?
The TikTok Inventory Filter is a brand-safety control tool inside TikTok Ads Manager. It acts as an extra layer on top of TikTok’s moderation system, letting advertisers choose how much content risk they’re comfortable with for their ad placements.
This filter helps ensure your ads don’t appear next to sensitive or controversial videos while still reaching your ideal audience. TikTok’s classification system follows the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) standards, which define clear risk levels for digital content.
In short, the Inventory Filter lets advertisers balance brand suitability and campaign reach, making it an essential tool for running professional, brand-safe TikTok Ads in 2025.
How Does TikTok Inventory Filter Work
The TikTok Inventory Filter combines AI technology and human moderation to review and classify videos before showing your ads. This dual approach ensures brand safety while maintaining campaign reach.
- Human Review:
TikTok’s moderation team manually reviews videos for violations of its Community Guidelines — such as hate speech, nudity, or violence. Each video is then given a risk level based on GARM’s brand-suitability framework. - Machine Learning Analysis:
Advanced algorithms scan video visuals, captions, audio, and engagement patterns to detect potential risks. These insights are matched with GARM categories to automatically classify each video into one of three tiers:Expanded, Standard, or Limited Inventory. - Continuous Optimization:
In 2025, TikTok also integrates new safety tools such as Vertical Sensitivity and Category Exclusion, allowing advertisers to fine-tune placements and exclude specific content categories with higher precision.
By combining AI precision with human judgment, TikTok ensures your ads appear in brand-safe environments without sacrificing performance.
Three Tiers of TikTok Inventory Filter
TikTok categorizes video environments into three inventory tiers based on content suitability and brand-safety risk. Each tier follows GARM’s industry standards to help advertisers decide how strict their ad placement control should be.
| Tier | Description | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded Inventory | Includes most content except that violating TikTok’s Community Guidelines. Ads may appear near videos with mild or implied mature themes. | Brands seeking wider reach and higher impressions. |
| Standard Inventory | Excludes all high-risk content, ensuring ads appear next to material suitable for most audiences. | Brands balancing reach and safety (TikTok’s default setting). |
| Limited Inventory | Excludes all risky content, including low-risk or sensitive educational discussions. Ads only appear beside strictly safe videos. | Brands in conservative industries or those prioritizing brand protection. |
Each tier allows you to control how your ads appear alongside user-generated content. Choosing between them depends on your brand values, target audience, and campaign goals — stricter filters provide safer placement but reduce reach.
Benefits of TikTok Inventory Filter
There are several key benefits to using the TikTok Inventory Filter for your ad campaigns:
Enhanced Brand Safety
- Control the context: You decide the type of content your ads appear next to, aligning them with your brand values and target audience. This protects your brand from association with inappropriate or controversial content.
- Minimize reputational risk: Avoid negative brand perception by excluding potentially harmful or sensitive content.
- Comply with industry standards: Easily adhere to industry-standard brand safety frameworks like GARM, ensuring transparency and accountability for your advertising efforts.
Improved Campaign Performance
- Targeted reach: Target the right audience by filtering out irrelevant or unsuitable video environments. This can lead to higher ad engagement and conversion rates.
- Optimized message resonance: Place your ads in contexts that resonate with your target audience and messaging, improving the overall effectiveness of your campaign.
- Increased ROI: By maximizing ad relevance and minimizing wasted impressions, you can potentially achieve a better return on your advertising investment.
Furthermore, you can optimize your TikTok Ads with our ebook “Maximizing CRV: Strategies to Optimize Your TikTok Ads“
How to use TikTok Inventory Filter
Here’s how to use the TikTok Inventory Filter:
- Step 1: Log in to TikTok Ads Manager.
- Step 2: Create a new campaign or edit an existing one.
- Step 3: In the campaign settings, under “Delivery”, you will see the “Inventory Filter” option.
- Step 4: Click on the dropdown menu and select the level of inventory that you want to use.
FAQs about TikTok Inventory Filter
#1. Which countries are currently able to use TikTok’s new advertising filters?
TikTok Inventory Filter is now available in over 25 countries and supports 15+ languages:
| Australia Brazil Canada Egypt France Germany Indonesia Italy Japan Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Malaysia Mexico | Netherlands Philippines Poland Singapore South Korea Spain Sweden Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Vietnam |
#2. What type of content is restricted by the filter?
The filter restricts content that violates TikTok’s Community Guidelines, which include:
- Violent extremism
- Hateful behavior
- Illegal activities and regulated goods
- Dangerous acts and challenges
- Suicide, self-harm, and disordered eating
- Harassment and bullying
- Adult nudity and sexual activities
- Minor safety
- Integrity and authenticity
- Copyright and trademark infringement
#3. Are there any limitations to the TikTok Inventory Filter?
The TikTok Inventory Filter is a helpful tool, but it does have some limitations to be aware of:
- Imperfect categorization: The filter uses machine learning to categorize content, but it’s not perfect. There’s a chance your ad might still appear next to content you want to avoid, especially for nuanced or subjective categories.
- Dynamic content: TikTok is constantly evolving, with new content and trends emerging every day. The filter might struggle to keep up with the latest developments, potentially missing content you’d prefer to avoid.
- Reduced reach: Choosing stricter filter options (Standard or Limited Inventory) can significantly limit your ad’s reach, as there’s less content available to match your targeting. This can potentially impact campaign performance metrics like impressions and clicks.
#4. How to optimize TikTok Ads Campaign with TikTok Inventory Filter?
Here are some ways to optimize your TikTok Ads Campaign with the TikTok Inventory Filter:
Understanding your goals
- Brand safety: If your primary concern is avoiding inappropriate content, choose the “Limited Inventory” option for maximum control. Remember, this might limit reach.
- Brand suitability: Consider your brand values and target audience. Choose the filter tier that best aligns your ads with content that resonates with them.
- Campaign performance: Balance brand safety/suitability with reach and performance goals. Experiment with different filter tiers and track TikTok ads metrics to find the optimal balance.
Targeting strategically
- Leverage audience insights: Use TikTok’s targeting options to reach users who are likely to be receptive to your brand and message, even within a filtered inventory.
- Combine filter with other targeting options: Layer the filter with demographic, interest, and behavioral targeting to further refine your audience and maximize impact.
- Test and iterate: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different filter tiers and targeting combinations to see what works best for your campaign.
Monitoring and adapting
- Track campaign performance: Closely monitor key metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) to assess the impact of the filter on your campaign performance.
- Refine your approach: Based on your data, adjust your filter tier, targeting, or even creative assets to optimize results and achieve your campaign goals.
- Stay informed: Keep up-to-date with changes to the TikTok Inventory Filter and platform functionalities to adapt your approach as needed.
Nevertheless, you should combine the TikTok Ad Agency account with the TikTok Inventory Filter. They can be a powerful strategy for optimizing your TikTok Ads campaign, especially when focused on brand safety and specific targeting within specific content environments. Here’s why:
- Targeted optimization: Leverage agency features to create and optimize campaigns while using the inventory filter to refine your ad placements for better brand alignment and potentially higher relevance.
- Streamlined workflow: Manage multiple campaigns and filter settings efficiently with agency tools.
#5. Is TikTok Inventory Filter efficient?
The effectiveness of the TikTok Inventory Filter feature largely depends on the tiers you choose and your specific brand, campaign goals, and target audience.
However, many well-known brands have effectively utilized the TikTok Inventory Filter to enhance their brand safety measures and refine their ad targeting on TikTok. This in-app tool enables them to customize their ad placements, ensuring they appear alongside appropriate content and enhancing brand safety.
Several top brands have already adopted the TikTok Inventory Filter and have reported exceptional results, with delivery rates exceeding 95%. Notable examples include:
- Unilever has achieved remarkable brand safety and suitability rates of 99.99% and above, demonstrating the effectiveness of the TikTok Inventory Filter.
- Adidas achieved an impressive 99.9% in Brand Safety and Brand Suitability. This achievement underscores the confidence that their ads are displayed alongside content that aligns seamlessly with their brand values and goals on TikTok.
With the TikTok Inventory Filter, brands can ensure that their messages are delivered in a secure, brand-friendly environment.
Final word
TikTok Inventory Filter is one powerful tool that effectively protects your brand reputation on TikTok and connects with younger audiences. Mega Digital hopes that this article helps you know how to use and optimize TikTok Inventory Filter. If you have trouble running TikTok Ads, you should contact us, and we will immediately reply and support you.
