Hey there video fan! Are you feeling stuck in an algorithm trap on TikTok, seeing the same old dancing and comedy bits over and over? Or maybe you‘re dying to easily find that amazing woodworking or makeup tutorial you glimpsed once but haven‘t come across again?
I totally get it. Which is why I put together this guide to really mastering search on TikTok. With over 1 billion monthly users now, there‘s a goldmine of content hiding just under the surface.
By stepping beyond your "For You" feed and harnessing TikTok‘s incredibly powerful (yet often overlooked!) search capabilities, you can dig up practically any type of video. All it takes are a few simple search tweaks and strategies.
I‘ll walk you through exactly how to log in to customize results, craft targeted keyword queries, filter by duration or quality, and more. Read on to unlock the world of videos waiting to be discovered!
What Makes TikTok Search So Powerful?
Before we get to the step-by-step guide, it‘s helpful to understand why TikTok search opens up so many possibilities compared to the standard For You recommendations.
TikTok serves up your main feed based on complex AI algorithms analyzing your interests and behavior on the app. The goal is to immediately show you relevant stuff you‘ll probably like.
But algorithms have limits. They often get us stuck in "filter bubbles" and miss more niche topics we care about.
This is where search comes to the rescue! TikTok actually allows digging through a much wider range of video content than what that algorithm selects.
Search helps break out of our personalized recommendation bubbles. Some eye-opening numbers:
- Over 49 million videos posted per day – Way more than anyone sees in their feed
- 400+ million monthly active users in US alone – So much user-generated content
- 26 categories from comedy to cooking to pets – Tons of niche communities
See what I mean about tapping into a goldmine? Now let‘s get to the step-by-step for how to hit search and start uncovering those hidden gems.
Step 1: Log In to Your Account
First things first – log into your TikTok account via the mobile app or by heading to the website on your computer at TikTok.com.
Logging in does a couple really helpful things for search:
- Connects your TikTok ID to track watch history
- Personalizes results based on your likes, follows, engagement
- Saves your discoveries to easily find later
If you don‘t already have an account (what are you waiting for?!), just enter an email and password to sign up instantly. No need to enter any other info.
Step 2: Tap That Magnifying Glass 🔍
You can get to TikTok‘s search feature in seconds from wherever you are in the app or site.
On mobile, just tap the magnifying glass icon up top:
On desktop, use the search bar at the very top of the screen:
This pulls up a search box where you can now type, talk, or paste anything to search across over a billion TikTok videos!
Step 3: Enter Your Search Keywords
The key to search is finding the right keywords. You‘ll get the best results matching your query by:
- Using natural phrases instead of single words
- Adding descriptive terms like numbers, years, brands
- Enclosing exact matches in quotation marks
Let me give you some examples…
Instead of:
dances
Try:
"top 10 TikTok dances 2022"
Rather than:
Food
Search for:
Quick family dinner recipes under 30 minutes
See how adding those extra descriptors zeroes in on more precisely what you want? Now you give it a try! Think about a video topic you‘re interested in and craft a descriptive search phrase or sentence.
Step 4: Filter Down Even Further
Base keyword searches are just the start. You can also add advanced filters to drill down by video duration, quality, language, and more.
Tap the filters icon while browsing search results to tweak what you see:
| Filter | Best For |
|---|---|
| Duration | Limiting to shorts under 60 secs or 10+ minute tutorials |
| Quality | Just high-def, crisply edited content |
| Language | Your native language videos |
| Caption | Clips with text captions |
I always use filters to narrow into very specific subsets of videos. Like try:
3 minute tips "acrylic painting techniques" in English HD
Feel free to mix and match filters to nail exactly what you need!
Diving Deeper with Sounds & Hashtags
Beyond keyword searches, I wanted to highlight two other awesome ways to uncover a constant stream of new content.
Tap into Trending Sounds
Catch a clip with a hot song or audio you like? Tap the sound at the bottom to instantly see thousands of other videos featuring it.
This is perfect for finding the latest meme sounds and song remix trends!
Follow Hashtags Down the Rabbit Hole
See a video using an interesting hashtag category? Click directly on that hashtag (usually above the caption) to explore the massive niche community around it.
I can‘t tell you how many unique subcultures I‘ve discovered just clicking hashtags! Each one houses an endless fountain of videocontent you‘d never otherwise come across.
So sound and hashtags are your tickets to perpetually fresh video gold from broad and niche topics.
Take Your TikTok Discoveries Further
As I‘m sure you can tell by now, I could talk for hours about the strategies and tips for unlocking TikTok‘s search superpowers!
But I wanted to wrap up by touching on what to actually do once you start finding great videos. Here are some of my top recommendations:
- Like videos you find helpful, funny, or interesting to better tune TikTok‘s recommendations to match your taste
- Follow creators whose content resonates with you to catch more of their latest uploads
- Share top videos with friends who might also appreciate them
- Bookmark favorites into private collections to easily find them again later
Leveraging options like these means you benefit from TikTok search long after that first view. So dive in fearlessly, then leverage what you uncover!
I hope breaking down TikTok search removes some of the mystery behind discovering brand new content daily. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions popping up along your search journey!
