SignalShelf · Developer documentation

Tiktok · ad library/search

Search TikTok ads using the official Commercial Content API. GET /api/v1/tiktok/ad-library/search accepts your x-api-key header. This endpoint returns live public data; demo mode is unavailable.

Request parameters

Uses TikTok’s approved Commercial Content API (research.adlib.basic). Searches the EU/EEA countries supported by TikTok and defaults to the trailing 365 days because the source requires country and publication-date filters. Signed continuation cursors are bound to the original search. TikTok requires application approval; SignalShelf keeps production access blocked pending approval and review of paid redistribution. The adapter cannot reproduce every reference search field.

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
querystringNoAd search phrase (maximum 50 characters).
advertiser_namestringNoAlternate search phrase used when query is omitted.
adv_biz_idsstringNoOptional advertiser business ID to select a matching advertiser entity. Requires advertiser_name.
cursorstringNoSignalShelf continuation cursor from this same query.
freshnessstringNo24h (default), 1h, 7d, or live. Accepted cache hits are free; live forces refresh except simultaneous requests may share newly fetched data.

Code examples

Set SIGNALSHELF_BASE_URL and SIGNALSHELF_API_KEY on your server.

REQUEST EXAMPLE
curl "$SIGNALSHELF_BASE_URL/api/v1/tiktok/ad-library/search?" \
  -H "x-api-key: $SIGNALSHELF_API_KEY"

Response and pagination

The response contains data and meta. data includes platform, resource, sample:false, provider, and the public source payload. Lists return data.items; individual resources return data.data.

Author feeds include data.next_cursor. Return it unchanged in cursor for the next page. Feed entries can include reposts. Single-post lookups resolve the handle to a DID first. Deleted or moderated posts may be unavailable.

meta includes event_id, mode, cache, credits_charged, fetched_at, age_seconds, and duration_ms. A fresh successful result costs one credit; accepted cached results and failures cost zero.

Availability and failures

Implementation is not a continuous availability guarantee. Source rate limits, retention, deleted content, restrictions, and regional availability apply. This is an independent SignalShelf contract, not a drop-in competitor response format.

400: invalid parameters. 401: missing/revoked key. 402: insufficient credits. 404: missing public resource. 429: SignalShelf throttle. 502/503: upstream failure or rate limit, with credit restored.

Explore the API in your workspace. Sample results and accepted cache hits cost zero credits. Open the playground →