Want your brand to appear in the most visible spots on TikTok? Reservation Ads can make that happen. But while the idea sounds great, many advertisers are confused by how it works and ways to optimize it. Thus, this easy guide will show you how to use TikTok Reservation Ads strategically in 2025!
Quick Summary
- TikTok Reservation Ads let you book premium placements in advance and pay a fixed cost for a guaranteed number of impressions.
- How it works: Pre-booked inventory, upfront payment, creative review, pacing and sequencing control
- How to set up: Create campaign and ad group, select placement and schedule, choose reservation basis, define audience and frequency cap, confirm reservation, upload ads, track results after launch
- Best practices: Book early for top slots, use dayparting and sequencing, plan multiple creatives, choose the right reservation basis, monitor pacing and billing closely
What Are TikTok Reservation Ads?
TikTok Reservation Ads let you secure premium ad placements in advance and pay a fixed price for a guaranteed number of impressions. This method, thus, fits advertisers who want predictability of results, maximum visibility, and complete control over when and where ads appear. This is perfect for big launches, seasonal sales, or any campaigns needing broad reach and high visibility at a fixed cost.
But not all ads on TikTok can use the reservation method. It is only available for awareness-focused objectives like TikTok Reach and Frequency, and is limited to a few high-impact formats. These include TopView, Brand Takeover, Top Feed in-feed ads, and Pulse campaigns. You cannot run performance goals like app installs or conversions with this method.
To use Reservation Ads, businesses have to cooperate directly with TikTok or any managed partner agency. These options will not appear in the self-serve Ads Manager as it is not part of the auction system.
Why Use TikTok Reservation Ads?
TikTok Reservation Ads are designed to help you reach more people with better control. Here’s how they benefit your campaigns:
1. Position your brand in the best spots
Reservation lets you secure TopView, Brand Takeover, and Top Feed, the most visible placements on the platform. In a Reservation-style campaign, PepsiCo’s 7Up Strawberry Lemonade used TopView placement to launch in Pakistan. They saw 44 million impressions and achieved a CTR 6.6 % above benchmark, all powered by reserved inventory.
2. Reach more users in less time
TikTok’s Reach and Frequency buying method lets you book campaigns up to 225 days in advance and lock in a fixed CPM. You can plan your audience, delivery time, and frequency, useful when you need consistent reach.
3. Run campaigns when timing matters
According to TikTok’s official Sports Campaign Playbook, campaigns using TopView with Reach and Frequency saw up to 10% higher brand recall when timed around key moments like sports events or holidays.
4. Avoid wasted budget and ad fatigue
You can set frequency caps to control how often someone sees your ad. This reduces the risk of annoying users and helps you deliver your message more efficiently.
How TikTok Reservation Ads Are Delivered?
TikTok Reservation Ads are powered by the Reach & Frequency campaign type, which is the foundation of TikTok’s reservation delivery system. Here’s how the delivery mechanism works:
Stage 1. Inventory is reserved in advance
TikTok sets aside ad placements based on your campaign’s schedule, audience, and format (e.g., TopView or Top Feed). This inventory is locked before the campaign starts, so your ads don’t face auction competition. This guarantees delivery and avoids auction-related fluctuations.
Stage 2. Payment is confirmed
Once you click “Purchase” on your campaign draft, TikTok immediately freezes your budget (pre-pay) or approves a credit line (post-pay invoicing). This happens before you upload ad videos or images. That ensures TikTok only delivers ads once financial terms and inventory are secured.
Stage 3. Creatives are submitted and undergo review
After your reservation is confirmed, you then upload your ads. While official TikTok sites don’t specify submission windows, in practice, brands are advised to submit assets early, about 5-10 days in advance, especially for high-impact formats like TopView or Brand Takeovers, to ensure review and delivery readiness.
Stage 4. System forecasts reach, frequency, and cost
After having your creatives, TikTok’s Campaign Forecaster calculates how many people you’ll reach, how often, and at what CPM before launch. These estimates are based on your selected audience, frequency caps, and time range.
Stage 5. Ads are delivered with pacing, caps, and sequencing
When TikTok finally approves your creative, it will distribute your ads evenly over your set schedule, keep ad frequency within your limits, and rotate or sequence creatives as you’ve configured.
Stage 6. Reporting and billing follow the reservation plan
After delivery, TikTok provides clear reporting on reach, frequency, impressions, and CPM. Charges are based on booked impressions, not clicks or conversions, so your billing matches exactly what was reserved.
How to Set Up a TikTok Reservation Ad with Reach & Frequency
Setting up Reservation Ads uses TikTok’s official Reach & Frequency campaign type. Here’s how it works step by step:
Step 1. Start a Reach & Frequency campaign
In TikTok Ads Manager, click Create Campaign.
Choose Reach as your objective, then select Reach & Frequency as the campaign type. This unlocks reservation features like pre-booked inventory and fixed CPMs.
Step 2. Choose your placement and schedule
In the Ad Group settings, select your Feed Type, either Standard Feed or Top Feed. Top Feed appears as the first ad in a user’s For You page, while Standard Feed delivers within the typical in-feed scroll.
Next, set your campaign schedule. TikTok requires that ad groups be created at least one day before the campaign starts, based on the target location’s time zone. If available, you may also use Dayparting to schedule delivery during specific hours of the day.
Step 3. Select your reservation purchasing basis
Under the Reservation section, choose how you want to reserve delivery:
- Fixed Budget: Best if you have a set amount to spend and want TikTok to maximize delivery with that amount.
- Fixed Impressions: Useful when your goal is to hit a specific number of impressions.
- Fixed Reach or Reach Percentage: Ideal for campaigns focused on unique user reach as the main KPI.
Step 4. Set audience, pacing, and sequencing
In the ad group settings, define your audience by location, age, gender, interests, and exclusions. You can also apply content and device filters.
Next, choose a frequency cap or target frequency to control how often users see your ad.
If using multiple creatives, go to the Ad Sequencing and Schedule module to set how they’re delivered – in a fixed order, rotated randomly, or scheduled by day.
Step 5. Reserve your campaign slot
Once you’ve finalized your forecast and ad group settings, click Purchase to secure your reservation. Or choose Tentative Reservation to temporarily hold your inventory without locking it in.
Then:
- Click Next
- Select email recipients to get notifications about ad group issues
- Click Submit to complete the reservation
Step 6. Upload creatives and finalize ad setup
After the reservation is complete, choose to either:
- Continue to Ad to upload your creatives right away, or
- View Your Campaigns to access them later
You can create up to 20 ads per ad group. Upload videos or images, set your call-to-action, and finalize details. Once everything is set, click Submit to send ads for review.
Step 7. Launch and let the system deliver
Once approved, TikTok will start delivering your ads based on your schedule. TikTok will evenly pace impressions, enforce frequency caps, and rotate or sequence creatives according to your settings
Step 8. Track performance and billing
You can monitor campaign results directly in Ads Manager. TikTok provides detailed reporting on reach, impressions, frequency, and CPM. Because you’ve paid for reserved delivery, your billing is based on booked impressions at a fixed CPM, not clicks or conversions.
>>> Read more: TikTok Focused View Ads: How to Convert Viewers to Customers
Best Practices to Maximize TikTok Reservation Ads
To get the most out of TikTok Reservation Ads, brands need more than just setting up campaigns. They need smart planning and precise execution. Below are the best practices to help you maximize the impact of TikTok Reservation Ads:
1. Publish Early to Secure Premium Slots
TikTok allows you to reserve Reach & Frequency campaigns up to 225 days in advance, giving you priority access to top placements like TopView or Top Feed. These premium slots are limited and often booked early for major campaigns or events. Hence, TikTok recommends booking at least 60 days in advance if you aim for 100% guaranteed impressions on launch day.
TikTok also reports that if you run your campaign for at least 3 weeks, you are likely to get over 50% audience reach and over 2 exposures per week. These settings increase the chance of boosting ad recall by up to 1.4 times, making early planning even more impactful.
2. Use Dayparting and Advanced Scheduling
In Ad Group settings, you can select a single time block (hourly) to deliver your campaign. This ensures your message hits when your audience is most active, such as lunchtime or evenings. TikTok advises creating these ad groups at least a day before the campaign starts and then using dayparting for precise delivery control.
Additionally, the Advanced Ads Delivery features let you choose how your creatives are sequenced, either in a fixed order, randomly rotated, or delivered according to a schedule. This creates a storytelling flow, or ensures content aligns with launch dates or events.
3. Plan Multiple Creatives Smartly
TikTok’s Reach & Frequency campaigns let you add up to 20 creatives per ad group and choose how they’re delivered using the Ad Sequencing and Schedule settings. You can:
- Sequenced: Show ads in a set order to tell a mini story across multiple videos. For example, a skincare brand launching a new routine might run a 3-part video series: Step 1 (cleanser), Step 2 (serum), Step 3 (moisturizer), guiding viewers through the full skincare journey.
- Standard (Random): Rotate creatives evenly, great for testing different messages. The same skincare brand could shuffle videos focusing on 3 different benefits like hydration, anti-aging, or acne treatment, to see which resonates most with the audience.
- Scheduled: Set each creative to run during specific days, perfect for timed launches or events. For this setting, a skincare brand could schedule the cleanser ad for Monday, serum mid-week, and moisturizer on weekends.
4. Reserve Using the Right Basis for Your Goals
TikTok offers three reservation bases to help you align delivery with your campaign goals – whether you’re working with a fixed budget, targeting a specific number of impressions, or aiming for maximum reach. Here’s how to choose the right one:
| Your Goal | Best Basis | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Stick to a strict budget | Fixed Budget | TikTok optimizes delivery across the available time frame |
| Need specific ad views | Fixed Impressions | Guarantees exact impression count |
| Maximize unique reach | Fixed Reach / % | Ensures audience size without oversaturation |
5. Monitor Pacing and Billing Post‑Launch
Once your Reservation Ad is live, TikTok Ads Manager gives you full visibility into how your campaign is delivering compared to your forecast. You can monitor actual impressions, reach, and average frequency against what was booked, helping you catch underdelivery early and stay within your frequency cap.
For example, if you booked 10 million impressions over 10 days, but only 3 million were delivered by day 5, that’s a sign you may need to adjust future planning or review ad approval timing. TikTok’s fixed CPM model also means you pay exactly what you booked, so monitoring ensures your spend is fully used and not left on the table.
Key Differences Between Reservation Ads and Auction Ads
So now that you know what TikTok Reservation Ads are, you might be wondering how they compare to the more common Auction Ads. Here’s a clear breakdown:
| Feature | Reservation Ads | Auction Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed cost based on impressions or time | Dynamic pricing based on real-time bidding |
| Budget flexibility | Requires a high minimum spend | Works with small or large daily budgets |
| Ad placement | Guaranteed placement in premium inventory | No placement guarantee |
| Best for | Brand awareness and reach campaigns | Performance, testing, and conversion goals |
| Buying method | Reserved through TikTok sales or partners | Set up directly in TikTok Ads Manager |
>>> Read more: TikTok Auction vs Reservation Ads: Fundamentals for Advertisers
Wrap Up
TikTok Reservation Ads help you reach the right people at the right time with guaranteed delivery and full control. With this full guide on the best setup and creative tips, you can make every impression count!
If you need further help on running reservation campaigns, you can reach out to Mega Digital, an official TikTok Marketing Partner, to explore how our TikTok advertising services can help you launch smoother and perform better!
