Free Sample Guide for Sellers

This article will teach you everything you need to know about Free Samples from a Seller's standpoint. Free Samples can be used in both the Seller's Open Collaboration and Target Collaboration programs. In this article, we will go over how to add Free Sample offers to both of these Collaborations along with Shipping out your Free Samples to Creators.
To start off, we will introduce what Free Samples are and the benefits they provide to you as a Seller.

What are Free Samples?

Free Samples are products you can provide to Creators to boost their content's effectiveness in selling your products.

Open Collaboration Free Samples

For creators to request free samples, you still need to enable free samples for a product via Open Collaboration in Seller Center. However, the rules and limits (stock, SKU eligibility, creator eligibility, and approval settings) are managed centrally on the Sample Settings page.
Once you've added your desired products to the new Open Collaboration, you will see a column that indicates Free Sample.

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1. Products that do not offer free samples will display “Not Offered” in the free sample section. Click Edit to go to the setup page and enable free samples. In the pop-up window, turn on the Offer free samples option for the product. Once enabled, creators can begin requesting free samples.
   
   
2. You can further set up the criteria and rules for the free samples you offer. By setting it, only creators who fits the criteria will be able to request the sample and get approved. Set this up in sample settings page. Learn more here.
   

Target Collaboration Free Samples

Sellers can also provide Free Samples for their Invited Creators in Target Collaboration. The added benefit of the Target Invitation can increase the amount of Creators that will approve the partnership.
To go through the process of Target Collaboration, read the feature guide here. For this guide, we will focus on the Free Sample step.

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Once you have added your Creators and Products for your Target Invitation, it is now time to set up your Free Samples. Click on the button beside Offer free samples to activate the option.
Activating the free sample option will automatically add it under the Benefits section of your Target Invitation (This is a preview of what your invited Creators will see on their end).
When creating or editing a Target Collaboration, click Check settings to view the current sample rules and quota for the selected product without leaving the page.
You have two options for Target Collaboration free sample approvals:

• Approve everyone in this invitation

Choosing this option will automatically approve all Free Sample requests you will receive from your invited Creators. Before turning it on, you will receive a pop-up to confirm your switch to Auto-approval.

• Use my existing sample strategy

Use product level sample settings (default selected).
Only creators who meet your defined criteria will be able to request and receive free samples. You can configure the rules and eligibility criteria on the Sample Settings page. Click here to learn more.

Free Sample Settings Setup

How to Access Sample Settings

Sample Settings is now centralized in a dedicated Sample Settings page, where you can manage all your free sample rules and limits in one place.
Getting there:

• Navigation bar: In Affiliate Center, select Sample Settings from the left navigation bar (look for the New tag).
• Sample Requests page: You can also access Sample Settings directly from the Sample Requests page.
• Existing pages: The entry points on your Open Collaboration and Target Collaboration pages remain available. Click the prompt there to go to Sample Settings and manage your rules and limits.

On the Sample Settings page, you can further set up the criteria and rules for the free samples you offer. You can configure the following:

• Free Sample Stock. Set and manage the available sample stock for each product. Inventory will be deducted whenever a creator requests a sample through either open collaboration or target collaboration.
• Manage free sample availability at the SKU level. Select which SKUs are eligible for samples and exclude any that you do not want to offer.
• Creator Eligibility Criteria. Define the requirements creators must meet to request a sample. Only eligible creators will see the sample request option on their side. Once a request is submitted, you can begin reviewing it.
• Auto-Approval Settings. Enable automatic approval for sample requests based on at least one criteria, and set a cap on the number of requests that can be auto-approved. Requests that do not meet the auto-approval conditions will require manual review and approval.
  

What You Need to Know

• These settings apply to free sample requests from both Open Collaboration and Target Collaboration.
• Any free sample settings you have previously set on the Open Collaboration and Target Collaboration page are migrated to the Sample Settings page. You don't have to reconfigure the settings.
• It is important to keep free sample stock available, since creators can only request samples when inventory is in stock. Sample stock is also integrated with the product’s overall inventory, so when a sample request is submitted, the quantity is deducted from the product’s total inventory.
• Creator Eligibility Criteria and Auto-Approval Settings are optional. When enabled, they help ensure that sample requests align with your expectations and make the approval process more efficient.
• Check the sample status column for anything marked "Paused". This can mean either (1) you manually paused the product’s free samples, or (2) there’s a product-level issue (such as out of stock, quota limits, or removal for not meeting platform thresholds). You can address the issue, or resume free samples, directly from this page.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these settings you can configure:

Sample Quantity

You can choose to use all available inventory or set a stock limit for each product.
When setting your sample quantity, the system will automatically validate against your available inventory—you cannot set a quantity higher than your current stock.

Manage Free Samples by SKU

Within a product's edit view, open SKU preference to choose which SKUs are eligible for samples and remove any you want to exclude, such as high-cost variants.

Creator Eligibility Criteria

Define the requirements creators must meet to request a sample. Only eligible creators will see the sample request option on their side.

• Indefinite: Creators can request the Free Sample as long as there is still sample quantity
• Terminable: Creators can also request the Free Sample within the dates set by the Seller

• Product category: This filter targets Creators who have generated revenue or promoted products in your chosen category in the last 30 days. Additionally, it can filter Creators who have added a product to their showcase in the last 90 days.
• Fans number: A Creator's total number of Followers
• 30-day sales volume: Filters the GMV produced by each Creator in the past 30 days
• Average views per video: Filters the average views of all the Creator's videos

• Sample quantity: Amount of products a Seller is willing to provide to Creators as a Free Sample
• Request period:
• Set up samples by SKU: Choose whether samples should be offered for every SKU of the product
• Threshold: Set a limit on which Creators can request for your product's Free Sample Offer. These limits are explained below:

Auto-Approval Settings

Auto-Approval Settings reduce the number of sample requests you need to review manually. This helps creators gain access to your free samples faster, so they can create content sooner and with less risk of their requests being cancelled. There are two types of automatic approval you can use:

1. Rule based auto approval
   

Enable automatic approval for sample requests based on at least one criteria. Requests that do not meet the auto-approval conditions will require manual review and approval.
What you can set up:

• Set a quota to cap the total number of samples that can be auto-approved using this method
• Define your creator criteria for who gets automatically approved. You at least need to set one criteria. You can define criteria based on:
  • Product: Product price
  • Creator:
    • 30-day GMV
    • Estimated sample post rate
    • Product categories the creator promotes

If a creator misses even one of your set criteria, or if your shop quota is already maxed out, the sample request automatically moves to the standard manual approval section for your personal attention.
Example:
A seller sets an auto-approval quota of 2 sample requests. Each request must meet the criteria for product price, creator GMV, and post rate to qualify for auto-approval. Four requests arrive in this order:

• Request A meets all criteria → Auto-approved
• Request B only meets the product price criteria → Manual approval
• Request C meets all criteria → Auto-approved
• Request D meets all criteria → Manual approval, because the auto-approval quota has already been used up

You'll see a notification on the Sample requests page when your shop quota is satisfied (or when it’s running low, such as when it hits 5 or fewer remaining).
Creators who meet your criteria will see a "100% approval tag when they apply for your samples! This helps them understand your expectations, encourages them to engage, and results in more targeted requests coming your way.
Tips

• Control the number of samples you wish to provide for this product across collaborations. Requests stop when this quantity runs out.
• Use 30d gmv strategically to make sure you're consistently reaching creators who are proven performers in your category
• If you sell a wide range of products, use the price limit setting to prevent the system from auto-approving samples for your highest-cost items

2. Auto Optimize Samples
   

• Determine your target ROI and the platform will match your products with creators that are most likely to post content and generate sales to meet your goals
• The higher you set your target ROI (ROI = GMV / average retail price), the more selective the platform will be when matching you with creators that are likely to hit your ROI goals. Setting your target ROI at 0 will match you with a broader group of creators, while a target ROI of 3 will match you with a very select group of creators.
  

Managing and Approving Free Sample Requests

Approve sample requests on Affiliate Marketing > Sample Request. In the 'To review' tab, you can process creators' requests either individually or in batches. You have 7 days to review free samples to avoid automatic cancellation by the platform.
Once the chosen Free Sample requests are approved by the system, the requests will change it's status to "Ready to Ship".

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Filtering Sample Requests

Under Sample Requests, you can filter all the Sample Requests you have received.
Once you click on Filter, you can see the different ways you can pinpoint the perfect list of Creators that can receive your samples. We'll start with Creators.
Under Creators, you have the option to filter them out using:

• Product category: This filter targets Creators who have generated revenue or promoted products in your chosen category in the last 30 days. Additionally, it can filter Creators who have added a product to their showcase in the last 90 days.
  
• Follower count: Filter your requests according to the size of each Creator's followers
• Content type: This option chooses Creators who used Videos, LIVE or both to promote products in the past 30 days
• Creator agency: Filter your Creators if they are managed by an Agency or if they work indepently
• Past collaborations: You have the option to filter the Creators who have worked with
  

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The second filter option is for Followers:

• Follower Age: Filter your Creators using Age ranges. Once applied, the filter will put the Creators with the most followers on top of the list
  
• Follower Gender: Filter your Creators based on the gender of their Followers. You can set a ratio of each gender.
  

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For Performance, you can filter how well the Creator is doing in terms of revenue they bring in, video views and viewers per LIVE:

• GMV: Filters the GMV produced by each Creator in the past 30 days
• Average views per video: Filter the average number of views each video the Creator releases, you have the option to only track the videos they create for Affiliate
• Average viewers per LIVE: Filter the average number of viewers each LIVE session the Creator releases. You have the option to only track the LIVE sessions they create for Affiliate
  

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Lastly, the Sample requests option allows you to filter the requests you received based on their expiry date and if the sample requests will be automatically rejected if left unchecked for 30 days.

• From reliable Creators: This option provides you with the top 20% of Creators based on their ratio of received samples and posted content.
  

Feel free to explore all the available filtering options to get all the best requests for your products!

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Multi-SKU Sample Request

This feature allows creators to select more than one product variation (SKU) from a single product listing (PID). By requesting multiple variations of your products, creator can create content for each version which could help improve conversion and content diversity for your product.

1. When a creator visits a product page to request a sample, they can return to the Get Sample page multiple times to select different product variations.
2. A creator can only request the same SKU again after submitting content for their previous request of that SKU.
3. When you view sample requests in Affiliate Center, you will see all the different SKUs requested by the same creator for a single product. Since this is a repeat sample application against the same PID and creator, these requests need a manual review. You will see a new "Repeat request" tag to clearly identify these multi-SKU requests. This ensures you maintain control over which variations are sent out and avoids auto-approval for repeat requests.
4. Once the sample request is approved and delivered, the creator should post unique content for each SKU they receive, encouraging them to create multiple pieces of content for the same product.
   • For example: if a creator requests samples for three shades of lipstick, they are tracked to ensure they produce three unique pieces of content. You can view the details for each SKU in the "Sample Request" page to easily differentiate them and track fulfillment.
5. All products with free samples enabled can be requested multiple times by creators. No additional settings are required to allow multi-SKU sample requests.

Note: Currently, only some creators can request multiple SKUs for a single PID FAQs

• Do I have to approve multiple SKUs?

Multi-SKU sample requests will be pushed into manual review, so you'll always be able to decide which SKUs a creator will receive.

• What if I want to automate it so creators are auto-approved for multi-SKU requests?

Auto-approval will be limited to the creator's first SKU request only.

• Can creators request samples for products they've already worked with in the past?

Yes. If they previously collaborated on a PID (product ID) and new variations (SKUs) have been launched or they want to show a different color, they can request or purchase that new SKU.

• Does multi-SKU sampling also work for Sample Coupons?

Yes. This feature works across all sample methods in the Affiliate Center to maximize the high-impact content they produce for you.

• Can a seller set a cap on number of variants a single creator can request?

No. At the moment sellers cannot set a cap at a creator level. You can opt for manual approvals to manage this.

Shipping Your Free Samples

1. After you have approved the sample requests, click on 'Arrange shipment.' The system will automatically direct you to Seller Center, where you can ship free samples just like regular orders.

For any requests under Ready to Ship tab, you will be able to see a guide that prompts you to print shipping documents on Seller Center, ensuring easier navigation.
❗️Important: Starting on October 9th 2023, you can now send free samples via Seller Center. The option to ship free samples through Affiliate Marketing will be discontinued.
If you have received any free sample requests before October 9th 2023, please remember to arrange shipments through the Affiliate Marketing page. These requests will be labeled as "Ship in Affiliate".

2. Within the Seller Center, you can arrange free sample shipments on the Manage Orders page. You can easily filter the order tags and select 'Free Sample from Seller.'
   
3. Prepare and arrange shipments as you would for regular orders. Print the packing list and shipping label, and hand them over to the logistics provider as usual. You can find detailed steps on how to ship an order in this feature guide.
4. Once you have completed the shipment arrangements, you can also track your shipments and view shipping information on Affiliate Marketing > Sample Request under 'Shipped' tab by clicking on 'View Shipping.'
   

Combine Sample Orders to Save on Shipping Costs

• Ship smart and save: No more managing tons of tiny sample orders. Combine sample requests from the same creator and warehouse to save on shipping.
• Unlock a simpler workflow: Forget about manual workarounds and complex third-party tools. Grouping sample requests can now happen inside TikTok Shop.
• Stay in control: You can still approve samples at the creator or sample level. Approved samples within a five-minute window get auto-combined, giving you the benefit of combined samples, while still giving you the flexibility to approve more samples in the future.

How It Works:

1. This feature is enabled by default. You can manage it anytime from the Sample Requests page using the “Combine sample orders” toggle.
2. Sample requests from the same creator that can be fulfilled from the same warehouse will be automatically combined.
3. You can choose to approve the creators' requests by checking the box next to the creator's name, or only approve specific samples for that creator.
4. If you approve a single sample, you have a 5-minute window to approve any other sample requests from the same creator. The system will hold onto these requests, getting ready to combine them for you.
   • In unique cases where a product may be out of stock or there are new creator violations, then the sample orders will not be combined and you will see the request again on the Sample request page. There will be an alert associated with it, and you can also use our filter options to identify these "failed" cases.
5. The system does the rest. Once the 5 minutes are up (or if you don’t have any other samples to approve for that creator), the system will automatically group all of the approved samples into a single order ID.
   • Tips: Keep an eye on the status. After you approve a request, you might see a "pending order" status. Don't worry, that just means the system is working its magic to combine the orders. The "Ship in Seller Center" button will be disabled during this short time, so you know exactly what’s happening.
6. Ship one combined order. Now, you can ship all the samples for that creator in a single package. This means you only need one tracking ID and you get to save on shipping costs!
   • One order to rule them all. Even though the system combines the samples into one order ID, each sample application will still show up as its own line item in the Sample Request page. This way, you can easily see every single item that’s part of the larger group.

FAQ

1. What happens if I approve one sample and then a few minutes later I approve another from the same creator?

When you approve the first sample, a 5-minute countdown begins. If you approve another sample from the same creator within that window, both samples will be automatically grouped into a single order.

2. What happens if an order fails to generate?

If a sample request fails during the order generation process, it gets returned to the "To review" tab. You'll see a banner at the top of the page telling you which applications failed, and you can try to approve them again.

3. Can I still approve samples one by one?

Totally! You can choose to use the default group setting or you can turn off the "combine orders" toggle if you want to create a unique order ID for each sample.

4. Does this work for all types of samples?

This feature currently works for manual free samples. It doesn’t apply to refundable or mixed requests (where a creator may have both bought from your brand and requested samples).

Monitoring Your Creators

Creators are given 14 days to create the promotional content (LIVE or short video) using the sample they received. They need to fulfill the task by adding the product link of the sample to their content and keeping the Short Video public for at least 3 days or doing the LIVE Session for at least 10 minutes. During this time, the status of the sample request will be in 'Content Pending'.
After creator finishes the task, the status will turned into 'Completed' and you will be able to check the Promotional Content's metrics by clicking on histories.

Notifying Creators to Post Content for Samples

If a creator hasn't posted content within five days of receiving their sample, you can send them a reminder notification. This can be done through the Sample Request > In Progress tab.
Sending reminders helps you:
✅ Boost the ROI of your sample program
✅ Save time with quick, one-click notifications
Note:

• You can only send one reminder notification per creator.
• If no creators are eligible, the Notify button will be disabled.
• Hover over a creator to see why they cannot be notified (e.g., already reminded, appealed, or not yet eligible).
  

Rate Creator's Free Sample Content

Once the creator receives the sample or completes their sample request by creating the content, you can give them a rating and review to provide feedback. This could help improve future collaborations, and guide other sellers when selecting creators to collaborate with.
You can review all sample requests coming from Open Collaboration or Target Collaboration with the following criteria:
You will not be able to review sample requests that you cancelled or were incomplete due to issues in your shop such as product delisted, received violations, is out of stock or were not delivered. Collaborations that are campaign-funded or sponsored by TikTok Shop are also not eligible for seller ratings or reviews.

How To Rate Free Sample Content?

Now, follow these steps by step to rate the sample applications:

Where Can You Find The Rating?

Your ratings and review will appear on multiple pages in the Affiliate Center to help you discover creators who are great collaborators and consistently complete their sample applications:
By clicking the rating, you can see the detailed breakdown of the creator's rating and review given out by other sellers.