TikTok Scheduling API
Schedule TikTok video posts for a future time via API.
By André LugTikTok’s Content Posting API has no native scheduling — PostGate adds it on top. Send the same POST /api/posts request as an immediate TikTok post and include an ISO 8601 scheduled_at timestamp; PostGate holds the post and submits it to TikTok at that instant. Recurring slots use schedule templates with kind: "cron" or "slots".
TikTok's own Content Posting API has no native concept of a future publish time — it accepts a post and delivers it now, or drops it into the creator's inbox for them to post whenever they open the app. Scheduling is something PostGate adds on top: hold the post, and submit it to TikTok at the instant you asked for, using the exact same request shape as an immediate post.
Add scheduled_at to the same request
Everything from a normal TikTok post stays the same — the only addition is an ISO 8601 scheduled_at timestamp. PostGate holds the post and submits it to TikTok at that instant instead of immediately.
curl -X POST https://postgate.studio/api/posts \
-H "Authorization: Bearer pg_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: launch-video-482" \
-d '{
"post": {
"body": "New drop, out now.",
"scheduled_at": "2026-09-02T13:00:00Z",
"options": { "tiktok": { "mode": "inbox" } }
},
"profiles": ["pro_tiktok123"],
"media": ["med_01JXYZ"]
}'Why does a stable Idempotency-Key matter more for scheduled posts?
A scheduled post sits queued for hours or days before delivery, which is exactly the window where a retried creation request is most likely to slip through unnoticed. Send the same Idempotency-Key on any retry of the create call; PostGate honors it for 72 hours and returns the original scheduled post unchanged instead of creating a duplicate one for the same TikTok account.
Recurring TikTok schedules use a template, not a live post
For a recurring slot — the same weekday upload every week, for example — create a schedule with kind: "cron" or kind: "slots" and a template.post body instead of calling the post endpoint directly each time. Each materialization still needs its own media reference, since TikTok cannot reuse a video across multiple posts.
Editing or canceling before delivery
A scheduled TikTok post can be updated or canceled with PATCH/DELETE on /api/posts/{id} right up until PostGate submits it to TikTok. Once TikTok has accepted it, the target moves into TikTok's own processing pipeline and can no longer be recalled from your side.
TikTok’s posting caps apply at delivery time, not creation time
Scheduling does not exempt a post from TikTok's per-creator daily posting ceiling or your app's active-user cap — those are evaluated when PostGate actually submits the post, not when you created the schedule. A batch of TikTok posts all scheduled for the same minute across many creators can still hit a cap at delivery time. See TikTok API rate limits and automating TikTok posting at scale before you build a bulk-scheduling feature.
Frequently asked questions
Can I schedule TikTok posts natively through TikTok’s API?
No. TikTok’s own Content Posting API has no native concept of a future publish time — it accepts a post and delivers it now, or drops it into the creator’s inbox for them to post whenever they open the app. Scheduling is something PostGate adds on top of that API.
Can I edit or cancel a scheduled TikTok post?
Yes — a scheduled TikTok post can be updated or canceled with PATCH/DELETE on /api/posts/{id} right up until PostGate submits it to TikTok. Once TikTok has accepted it, the target moves into TikTok’s own processing pipeline and can no longer be recalled from your side.
How do recurring TikTok schedules work?
Create a schedule with kind: "cron" or kind: "slots" and a template.post body instead of calling the post endpoint directly each time. Each materialization still needs its own media reference, since TikTok cannot reuse a video across multiple posts.
Do TikTok’s posting limits apply to scheduled posts?
Yes, but at delivery time, not creation time — the per-creator daily posting ceiling and your app’s active-user cap are evaluated when PostGate actually submits the post. A batch of TikTok posts all scheduled for the same minute across many creators can still hit a cap when they deliver.
