How to Search on TikTok

With millions of videos out there, finding the kind of content you want on TikTok can be a bit of a minefield. In today’s toolkit, we’ll show you how to search on TikTok.

Posted last year

Written by

Julia Cohen

Posted last year

If you had a dollar for the number of times people mention a TikTok video in a day, you’d probably be pretty rich—because there are so many videos, trends, and users that are completely embedded in pop culture by the platform. With millions of videos out there, finding the kind of content you want on TikTok can be a bit of a minefield. In today’s toolkit, we’ll show you how to search on TikTok.

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How to search on TikTok
How to search by trend on TikTok
How to search by sound on TikTok
How to search for a user on TikTok
How to search hashtags on TikTok
How to search for help or recommendations on TikTok
How to appear in searches on TikTok

How to search on TikTok

To search on TikTok, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Make sure you are on the Discover page, which you can get to by clicking the home icon at the bottom of your screen. The app usually opens on this page.
In the top right-hand corner of your screen, click the magnifying glass icon.
Start typing in the video, user, trend, sound, general keyword, etc. that you’d like to search for. Be as specific as you can!
Select search and you’ll be able to choose from “Top” which displays accurately selected videos based on your term: “Videos,” “Users,” “Sounds,” “Shop,” “LIVE,” and “Hashtags.”
If you don’t know what to search for, TikTok will suggest search terms in the ‘You may like’ section.

As you can see in the steps above, there are different methods when it comes to how to search on TikTok. Here are our tips for each one:

How to search by trend on TikTok

Sometimes trends will have names like the “Ice Bucket Challenge” or “Main Character Trend,” but most of the time they won’t.

If you remember what happens in a TikTok trend you’ve seen but can’t remember the sound it uses, describe the video as accurately as possible in your TikTok search.

e.g.: “Trend where man is singing over a POV”

@haleyybayleeNot gonna lie… I’m still kinda into this filter tho 😂😂😂♬ original sound – 🙁

How to search by sound on TikTok

If you know the name of the song you’re searching for, this one is easy. Most trends are set to a sound or song and this is how users find them. However, if you can’t remember the sound name, you can get a little stuck. When searching for the sound, try describing it or the trend that uses the sound if you can’t remember its name.

TIP: If you see a trend on TikTok while you are scrolling that you want to recreate, make sure to save the video, so you can come back to it later instead of relying on memory.

@thesavbananas TW: emotional ‼️ #savannahbananas #baseballboys #baseball #ceilings #fypシ #trending #reels #parody #musicvideo #mlb #ceilingslizzymcalpine ♬ original sound – xxspeed.up.audiosxx

How to search for a user on TikTok

If you’re looking for a specific user whose content you like, all you need to do is type in their name or username to find them in the search.

However, if you can’t remember, try and describe their content or the last video you saw of theirs.

e.g.: “Girl who makes seagull noises.” TikTok is usually accurate enough to point you in the right direction with its keyword search.

@ilovespicey #scargirl #fakescar #scargirlexposed #scargirlannie #scargirlvideo ♬ Forever – Labrinth

How to search hashtags on TikTok

This one is particularly useful if you want to see whether or not a hashtag you’d like to use on your video is trending. By searching hashtags, you’ll be able to see the number of views they have, as well as how popular the category is likely to be.

@theproductpirate Some cool finds for under $30! 🌵 #tiktokmademebuyit #homeandliving ♬ Made You Look – Meghan Trainor

How to search for help or recommendations on TikTok

Maybe you’re not looking for a specific video or maybe you don’t know quite what you’re looking for yet. You can also search for topics on TikTok, which will then suggest videos based on your search.

As an example, let’s say you’re looking for book recommendations in the true crime niche. Type “true crime books” or “true crime book recommendations” in the search bar and you’ll discover lots of videos based around that niche with recommendations.

@truecrimecaitlyn Replying to @tamowen1710 @tamowen1710 my true crime book recommendations! let me know if you want recommendations for fiction crime books too!⤵️ #fyp #foru #truecrimebook #truecrimeuk #uktruecrime #ukcrimes #tedbundy #jonestown #elizabethsmart #chriswatts #truecrimebooks #crimebooks #booktok ♬ prolly my spookiest beat (slowed + reverb) – prodby668

How to appear in searches on TikTok

Now you know how to search on TikTok, let’s talk about how you can actually appear in searches. Unlike Instagram, TikTok can be a little tricky when it comes to a “magic formula” for making sure your content is seen—often it can feel quite random as to which videos end up going viral or becoming popular. There are a few tricks you can use to better your chances of appearing in specific searches.

Use the right hashtags

By categorizing your videos with hashtags that are trending and match the niche of your content, people who are interested in your content will find your videos easier. Look at the type of video you are posting or which niche you are in, and find hashtags that are trending around these topics.

Be more descriptive with your caption

Captions can be treated like “keywords” on TikTok. If your caption describes your video or the trend you are jumping on, it will be more likely to appear in a search as TikTok will know exactly what your video is about.

Use closed captions

This is a great one especially if your video largely consists of you talking to camera or using a voiceover. You essentially get free searchable keywords in the form of closed captions, which likely describe your video as they take into account what you are talking about. This also helps let TikTok know exactly what your video is about and how it should appear in searches.

Make sure your video has a topic

This can be hard when you are creating a video based on a specific trend, but if your content has a searchable topic, it makes it a lot easier for it to appear in search results.

Use a trending sound

As with most TikTok content, sounds are quite integral to going viral. Whether your video is taking part in a trend or you’re just creating a normal piece of content, make sure to use sound/music. If you’re talking in your video, lower the sound volume so that your voice can still be heard, but you’ll still appear in searches for the sound.

Flick’s tip: Trying to find trending sounds on TikTok? Click here to learn how to find the best ones for your content.

Create original content

TikTok penalizes content that is reposted, so be sure to create original videos on your account.

Stitch a popular video

Another great way to make sure you are appearing in searches on TikTok is by stitching or dueting a popular video to create a reaction or response. That way when people search for that video, it’s likely that yours could come up too.

We hope today’s article gave you some food for thought, and actionable tips when it comes to searching for TikTok content and appearing in searches on the platform. To explore how you can maximize your social reach, click here to learn more. Be sure to make the most out of your content by clicking the banner below to start a free trial with Flick and get all the insights and tips into the analytics of your social accounts.