A Spark Ad runs from the creator's own published TikTok post. If the creator never publishes, there is no post to boost, so the content cannot be used as a Spark Ad.
When a TikTok campaign has posting set to optional or not allowed, the platform shows a warning in the campaign task details. Treat that warning as a flag: content from that campaign will not be available as a Spark Ad.
If Spark Ads are part of your plan, set the campaign so creators publish on TikTok. Decide this before you brief, because it changes what creators agree to.
If posting stays optional, you can still use the content as a brand only ad from your own account. In that setup the creator is not visible as the sender, so you lose the creator handle and the credibility that comes with it.
When a creator shares their TikTok post, they add the video's Spark Ads code in the same step, and we check the code with TikTok before the post is connected. Once it's in, the deliverable in Content Approval shows Spark Ads approved, post can now be used in TikTok ads. Click Copy code to use it when you set up the Spark Ad in TikTok.