What an issue with Spark permissions looks like
Spark ad previews won't load in Motion
You can't find a creator's post when building an ad in TikTok Ads Manager
A working Spark ad suddenly shows "no preview" or a placeholder
The wrong TikTok handle appears under Identity
The post is visible in the TikTok app but is missing from Ads Manager
Why this happens
TikTok Spark Ads need three things working together:
Business Center setup — Your TikTok account linked for ad delivery with the right permissions enabled
Identity configuration — The correct settings at the ad level in TikTok Ads Manager
Spark authorization — Valid, unexpired permission to use the content
When any of these break, your Spark posts disappear from TikTok Ads Manager and Motion has nothing to display.
The most common issues with Spark Ads and Motion
1. TikTok account not linked properly
The problem: Your TikTok account isn't set up as an ad delivery asset, it's not shared with the right permissions, or the QR code linking step wasn't completed.
The fix:
Go to Business Center → Accounts → TikTok accounts
Confirm your TikTok account is added. If it's not, click Add a TikTok Account → Link an existing TikTok account and complete the QR code scan from the TikTok mobile app
Under that account, check Ad delivery assets. Make sure it's linked to your ad account
Under Members/permissions, verify the ad account has:
Existing posts toggled on (this allows pulling organic posts for ad delivery)
Publish and manage new videos toggled on (this allows pushing new content)
About visibility sub-permissions: Under "Publish and manage new videos," TikTok offers two options: Show through ads only (videos get paid traffic but stay hidden from organic) and Show on TikTok profile and in ads (videos get both paid and organic traffic). Choose based on whether the creator wants the content visible on their profile.
2. Missing or expired Spark authorization
The problem: The creator never enabled ad authorization, the video code expired, or it was never applied in Ads Manager.
The fix:
Have the creator go to their post → … (three-dot menu) → Ad settings
Enable "Ad authorization"
Generate a code (ideally 365 days). TikTok offers 7, 30, 60, or 365 day durations
Apply the code in your Ads Manager under Tools → Creative Assets → Spark Ads posts → Apply for Authorization
3. Wrong Identity settings
The problem: Identity isn't configured for Spark Ads at the ad level.
The fix:
At the ad level in TikTok Ads Manager, find the Identity section
Turn on "Use TikTok account"
Choose either:
"Use Account Owned by You" (for your own posts from a linked TikTok account)
"Use Other Authorized Account or Post" (for creator content authorized via video code or Business Center)
Select the exact handle that owns the post
Never use "Custom Identity" for Spark Ads
Important: Custom Identity is being retired. TikTok is phasing out the Custom Identity option in early 2026. Going forward, all new campaigns must be launched from a verified TikTok profile. This makes it even more important to have your Business Center account linking and Identity settings properly configured. Learn more about the transition from TikTok.
4. QR code or account linking issues
The problem: The TikTok account isn't correctly connected to Business Center because the QR code linking step was missed or failed.
The fix:
In Business Center → Accounts → TikTok accounts, click Add a TikTok Account
Choose Link an existing TikTok account and select Send a QR code
Have someone logged into the TikTok account on the mobile app scan the QR code to authorize the connection
Verify the creator/brand has granted ad delivery authorization to your ad account
Confirm the account shows as linked (not pending) in Business Center
Privacy settings to watch for:
Private videos become public when used in campaigns (unless you use "Show through ads only" mode)
You can't edit captions after a post has been authorized as an ad
If you need the video to stay private, use "Show through ads only" when setting up the Spark Ad
Quick troubleshooting guide
"I can't find the post when building my ad"
Is the post missing from the Spark list? Here's what to do:
Confirm the TikTok account is linked and authorized in Business Center
If using a video code, have the creator:
Turn on Ad authorization in the post's Ad settings
Generate a fresh code (365 days works best)
Apply the code in Tools → Creative Assets → Spark Ads posts → Apply for Authorization
Make sure the post is public and hasn't been deleted or set to private
"My Spark ad used to work, now it doesn't"
This usually means the authorization expired:
Ask the creator to re-enable Ad authorization on the post
Have them generate a new code with a longer window (365 days recommended)
Re-apply the code in Ads Manager under Tools → Creative Assets → Spark Ads posts
"Wrong TikTok handle is showing"
Fix this in the Identity settings:
Turn on "Use TikTok account" at the ad level
Select the handle that actually owns the post
Avoid Custom Identity. It's for non-Spark ads only, and TikTok is retiring it in 2026
Still not working? If you've checked everything above and 1) the post appears in Spark Ads posts, 2) Identity is set correctly, and 3) Business Center permissions look good, but Motion still can't display the preview, reach out to us via chat.
Please include:
Your TikTok ad account ID
The ad ID and creative ID
Screenshots of:
Business Center ad delivery assets and permissions
Identity settings at the ad level
Your Spark Ads posts list showing the authorized video
Pro tips for smooth Spark Ads with Motion
For creators:
Always choose 365-day authorization windows
Don't revoke authorization or heavily edit posts mid-campaign
Make sure captions are finalized before generating the code (they can't be changed after authorization)
For advertisers:
Double-check Business Center permissions before launching (both "Existing posts" and "Publish and manage new videos" should be on)
Use longer authorization windows to avoid mid-campaign failures
Keep Identity settings consistent across similar campaigns
Use batch authorization (up to 20 codes) when working with multiple creators
For teams:
If one teammate can see a Spark post but another can't, check individual member permissions in Business Center
Different permission settings = different available posts
You can only grant permissions that your Business Center already has. If a permission is unavailable for a member, edit the Business Center's own permissions to the TikTok account first
Helpful TikTok resources
For more details on setting up and troubleshooting Spark Ads directly in TikTok, these official guides are useful:
Remember: Motion can only display what TikTok makes available. Once you've got TikTok's three pillars sorted (Business Center, Identity, and authorization), your Spark previews will be in Motion.