Common symptoms
Spark ad previews don’t load in Motion
You can’t find the post when setting up an ad
A preview that worked yesterday is now gone
TikTok handle in ad identity is incorrect
Post is visible in TikTok, but not in Ads Manager
Root causes
Here are the most likely reasons your Spark ad isn’t showing correctly:
Missing Business Center permissions – TikTok handle hasn’t been added to BC or shared to the ad account with ad delivery rights
No authorization code applied – The creator never generated a code, or it has expired
Wrong Identity toggle – Identity in ad setup is set to a custom identity instead of the correct handle
Code revoked or expired – Authorization is temporary and can be revoked at any time
TikTok account not linked – Motion can’t preview a post it doesn’t have full access to, even with ad account permissions
Expired or revoked permissions – These can break previews, even if they were previously synced.
🔧 Step-by-step fix
✅ Step 1: Make sure the TikTok account is added and shared in Business Center
Go to your TikTok Business Center
Navigate to Assets → TikTok Accounts
Confirm the TikTok handle is added
Under Assets → Ad Accounts, ensure the TikTok account is shared to your ad account with Ad Delivery permission
If not shared correctly, Spark ads will fail to show—even if everything else looks right.
✅ Step 2: Apply the correct Spark authorization code
Ask the creator to open the TikTok App
Go to the post → Tap “…” > Ad Settings
Toggle on “Allow promotion”
Tap Generate code – choose a longer expiration window if possible
In Ads Manager, go to Creative Library → Spark Ads Posts → Apply code
Note: If the code expires or is revoked, the post preview will disappear from Motion.
✅ Step 3: Double-check the Identity toggle
When building a Spark ad:
Make sure Identity is set to the correct TikTok handle
Do not select Custom Identity, even if it looks similar
If the wrong handle is selected, the post will not appear in preview
✅ Step 4: Refresh Motion access
Once all permissions are set, perform a hard refresh to clear cached data and reload with updated access:
Mac:
Command + Shift + RPC:
Ctrl + Shift + R
🔍 Still not working?
Try the following:
Re-generate the code – Sometimes, creators generate the code with too short a window, or it’s been revoked
Check Business Center permissions again – You may need to remove and re-add the TikTok handle
Set Identity again – Even if it looks correct, check that the selected identity is accurate
Contact Motion Support – We can help figure out deeper access issues
🔄 Common issues & fixes
🔥 Issue | 😬 What Went Wrong | 🧯 Fix |
Can’t find post | Code wasn’t generated or expired | Ask creator to generate new code with longer duration |
Wrong TikTok handle showing | Identity not set properly | Set Identity to correct TikTok handle in ad creation |
Preview worked, now it’s gone | Code expired or was revoked | Re-authorize post + reapply code in Ads Manager |
Post shows in TikTok only | BC never shared TikTok account to ad account | Fix in BC → Assets → TikTok Accounts → Share to ad account |
✅ Role-based checklist (who does what)
👤 Role | 💪 Responsibilities |
Creator | In TikTok App: Post → “…” → Ad Settings → Toggle "Allow Promotion" → Generate Code |
Advertiser | In Ads Manager: Creative Library → Spark Ads → Apply Code |
Org Admin | In BC: Add TikTok Account → Share to Ad Account with Ad Delivery permission |
Media Buyer | In ad creation: Set Identity = correct TikTok handle (not Custom Identity) |
TL;DR cheat sheet
Problem | Likely Fix |
Can’t see Spark preview | Apply valid code + Set correct Identity |
Preview disappeared | Re-authorize and reapply code |
Can’t find post in Creative Library | Ask creator to regenerate code + confirm BC sharing |
TikTok handle not showing | Set Identity to handle, not Custom Identity |