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App development overview

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This page provides an overview of the typical steps in the development process for a TikTok Shop application. Reach out to the Partner Development and Management team or open a ticket on Partner Center if you have questions about the steps in this process.

Note: There are caveats to development process based on your developer type. For example, if you're a TTS seller developer or a system integrator creating a custom solution for a single seller, your app won't need an app review, go-to-market plan, or beta testing. Refer to Developer Onboarding to determine your developer type.

Step 1: Design your app

Plan and design your solution using your preferred methodology. As you design your solution, we recommend that you:

  • Review our APIs and use cases to determine which features to integrate into your app.
  • Explore the TikTok Shop Seller Academy for comprehensive insights into TikTok Shop Marketplace policies. A solid understanding of these policies often contributes to the success of developers building apps that cater to seller needs.
  • Create seller and buyer test accounts within our Development Shop (Sandbox) environment. These test accounts will allow you to test the seller and buyer experience firsthand.

Note: TTS offers design review support for TTS app developers or system integrators creating public apps. Contact your partner manager for more information.

Step 2: Create your app in Partner Center

By creating an app in the Partner Center, you are establishing a workspace and obtaining the resources necessary to integrate your code with TTS services. This process includes:

  1. Determining the type of app you are building (public vs. custom).
  2. Specifying basic information for your app, like category, target market, app name, etc.
  3. Obtaining your app key and secret required to use TTS services.
  4. Setting up TTS APIs and configuring webhooks for your app.

Learn more: Refer to Creating your app for information about the app creation process. In addition, we recommend consulting our developer guides:

Step 3: Test your app

Once you've created your app in Partner Center and built your code, you should test your app to ensure it functions as intended with TTS services. If you haven't already, create seller and buyer test accounts in production with our Sandbox tool to test your solution. Sandbox allows you to simulate various seller workflows without impacting real shop data.

Notes:

  • We require the testing phase for all public apps, no matter your developer type. We do not require testing for seller developers or system integrators creating custom solutions for a single seller. However, we always recommend developers test their apps whether they are public or custom.
  • You can only use the test seller accounts you create via Sandbox to test your unpublished app.

Learn more: Refer to Test your app for information on how to test your app. In addition, refer to Development Shop to learn more about how to use Development Shop to test your app.

Step 4: Initiate reviews and launch your app

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Launching an app involves publishing, or going live, and listing it on the App and Service Store so it is discoverable for sellers. The requirements for launching your app differs depending on your developer and app type. All public apps and some custom apps (depending on app category and target market(s)) require several reviews by the TTS platform team before you can publish and list it on the App and Service Store. You must complete and submit the necessary forms to initiate reviews as necessary. Once we approve your app, you can launch it to your target market(s).

The following processes describe how launching differs depending on your developer and app type.

Typical launch for public apps

  1. Initiate and pass app review.
  2. Initiate and pass language listing reviews for each market where you intend to list the app.
  3. Pass compliance and legal review.
  4. List your app on the TTS App and Service Store.

Typical launch for custom apps

  1. Publish your app.
  2. Distribute your app privately with the Authorize link.

Learn more: Refer to the App Launch Overview for information on how to publish your app. In addition, refer to the following topics to learn more about our review processes:

Next Steps

Continue to Creating your App to create your app in Partner Center.