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Footnotes on TikTok • How to enroll as a Footnotes contributor • How to add a footnote • How to rate a footnote • How to report a footnote
Footnotes on TikTok
Footnotes allow eligible members of the TikTok community to provide additional context to any public post on TikTok, except ads. Footnotes draw on the knowledge of our community by adding detail to information that has less consensus or that could be better understood with diverse points of view.
Footnotes are written and rated by eligible contributors and must comply with our Community Guidelines. The Footnotes program is powered by a system that finds a broad level of agreement between people who usually have different opinions. Footnotes display on short-form videos if they meet the threshold for "helpful."
How to enroll as a Footnotes contributor
If you'd like to contribute to Footnotes on TikTok, you can apply to become a contributor through our webform. We may also notify you in the app on how to sign up.
To become a Footnotes contributor, you must:
• Be based in the U.S.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have used TikTok for at least 6 months.
• Have a valid email address or U.S. phone number.
• Have no Community Guidelines violations within the past 6 months.
Keep in mind that contributors remain anonymous to protect their privacy, which helps ensure that a footnote is judged based on its content, instead of the identity of the contributor who wrote it.
How to add a footnote
After you're enrolled as a contributor, you can begin writing footnotes. Footnotes may be most helpful for posts that could benefit from additional context, such as a video that discusses a complex STEM-related topic.
We recommend that you write clear and concise footnotes that include a source link, such as a trusted news site. Footnotes should remain respectful and neutral to inform people on TikTok.
To add a footnote:
1. In the TikTok app, go to the public post you want to add a footnote to.
2. Press and hold the post, then tap Add footnote.
3. Enter the information, then tap Submit at the bottom.
Important things to know about adding footnotes:
• Footnotes can only be added to public posts, but remain visible on formerly public posts made private.
• After you submit a footnote for review, it'll be rated by other contributors. If the footnote is published, the creator can't delete the footnote from their post.
• Footnotes can't be added to advertisements on TikTok.
• Posts with added footnotes still qualify for the Creator Rewards Program.
How to rate a footnote
Ratings help ensure that only the most helpful footnotes appear on TikTok. Contributors can access a Footnotes feed to review and rate pending footnotes before they're published. Posts with at least one pending footnote are displayed in the Footnotes feed. After a footnote is published, it can be rated directly from the For You feed by contributors and other people on TikTok.
To rate a footnote from the Footnotes feed:
1. In the TikTok app, enter Footnotes in the search bar.
2. Tap Get started to access the Footnotes feed.
3. Tap Helpful or Not helpful at the bottom.
4. Select a reason, then tap Submit. You can select all reasons that apply.
Keep in mind that only eligible contributors can rate pending footnotes from the Footnotes feed.
To rate a footnote from the For You feed:
1. In the TikTok app, go to the post with the footnote you want to rate.
2. Tap the footnote at the bottom, then tap the Helpful or Not helpful button.
3. Select a reason, then tap Submit. You can select all reasons that apply.
How to report a footnote
You can report a footnote if you believe it violates our Community Guidelines.
To report a footnote from the Footnotes feed:
1. In the TikTok app, tap View at the bottom. If there's more than one pending footnote, tap View all.
2. Tap the More options ... button, then tap Report.
3. Select a reason, then tap Submit at the bottom.
Keep in mind that only eligible contributors can report pending footnotes from the Footnotes feed.
To report a footnote from the For You feed:
1. In the TikTok app, tap the footnote.
2. Tap the More options ... button, then tap Report.
3. Select a reason, then tap Submit at the bottom.