Skip to main content

TikTok Data Limitations: Rounded Metrics and GMV Availability

Understanding TikTok API constraints affecting engagement metrics precision and GMV data

Anne Buzzi avatar
Written by Anne Buzzi
Updated this week

TikTok Data Limitations: Rounded Metrics and GMV Availability

When working with TikTok content in Archive, you may notice some differences in how metrics are displayed compared to other platforms. These limitations come from TikTok's API and affect all third-party tools, not just Archive.

Rounded Engagement Metrics

TikTok's public API returns engagement metrics (views, likes, comments, shares) as rounded approximations rather than exact numbers.

What This Means

Metric Range

How TikTok Rounds

Under 1,000

Exact numbers

1,000 - 10,000

Rounded to nearest 100

10,000 - 1M

Rounded to nearest 1,000

Over 1M

Rounded to nearest 10,000+

Example

A video with exactly 15,847 likes may display as 15.8K or 16K in Archive, because that's the precision TikTok provides.

Impact on Reporting

  • Trend analysis remains accurate—you can still identify top-performing content

  • Exact comparisons between similar-performing videos may be imprecise

  • Exported data reflects the rounded values from TikTok

GMV Not Available Per Video (TikTok Shop)

For brands using TikTok Shop, Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) data is not available at the individual video level through TikTok's API.

Current Limitations

  • GMV is only available as aggregate data at the shop/account level

  • Individual video attribution for sales is not exposed via API

  • This affects all third-party analytics tools, not just Archive

Workarounds

  • Use TikTok's native Seller Center for video-level GMV insights

  • Track GMV trends at the campaign or time-period level in Archive

  • Correlate high-engagement videos with GMV spikes manually

Why These Limitations Exist

TikTok's API policies prioritize:

  1. User privacy — Approximate numbers reduce fingerprinting risks

  2. Platform control — Detailed commerce data stays within TikTok's ecosystem

  3. API performance — Rounded values reduce data transfer overhead

What You Can Still Do

Despite these limitations, Archive provides valuable TikTok insights:

  • Identify top-performing content by relative engagement

  • Track creator performance over time

  • Compare content performance across campaigns

  • Monitor brand mention volume and sentiment

  • Manage usage rights and Spark Codes

Did this answer your question?