If you’ve submitted a TikTok promotion and later realized you need to stop or change it, you may wonder how to cancel a TikTok promotion under review. TikTok’s Promote tool allows creators and businesses to boost their videos, but once a promotion enters the review stage, options become more limited. Still, there are a few steps you can take depending on the promotion’s status.
Below is a clear, detailed guide to understanding the review process and what you can or cannot do while a promotion is under review.
TikTok’s Promotion Review Process
When you submit a promotion, TikTok puts it through an automated and manual review to ensure:
- The video follows TikTok’s Community Guidelines
- The ad content complies with advertising policies
- The targeting and objective meet platform standards
This review process typically takes a few minutes to a few hours, but in some cases, it can take longer.
During the “Under Review” stage, TikTok locks some features to prevent changes that could affect the approval process.
Can You Cancel a TikTok Promotion While It’s Under Review?
The short answer: No, TikTok does not currently allow users to cancel a promotion that is still under review.
While the promotion is still being reviewed, the following actions are restricted:
- You cannot cancel it
- You cannot edit the budget or duration
- You cannot modify targeting
- You cannot switch the video being promoted
However, you can take action once the review is complete — whether approved or rejected.
What You Can Do While the Promotion Is Under Review
Even though you can’t cancel it immediately, you have a few options:
- Wait for the Review to Finish
The easiest approach is to wait. As soon as the promotion is approved and becomes Active, you can cancel it immediately.
- Delete or Make the Video Private (Not Recommended)
Some users attempt to cancel the process by deleting the video or switching it to private. This can sometimes force the review to fail, but:
- It may lead to errors in your Promote dashboard
- It can affect your account’s promotion history
- TikTok may still charge for promotions already processed
Use this method only as a last resort.
- Contact TikTok Support
You can request support to cancel it on their end, though resolutions are not guaranteed.
To contact TikTok support:
- Go to Profile
- Tap the Menu (☰)
- Select Settings and Privacy
- Tap Report a Problem
- Choose Creator tools > Promote > Other > Still have a problem
- Submit your request
This route is slower but may help if the promotion is stuck or reviewing unusually long.
How to Cancel Your Promotion After It’s Approved
Once your promotion leaves the review stage, you can cancel it immediately.
Here’s how:
- Open TikTok
- Go to your Profile
- Tap the Menu (☰)
- Select Creator Tools
- Tap Promote
- Find the active promotion inside your Promotions dashboard
- Select the promotion
- Tap End Promotion
This stops the promotion instantly, and any remaining unused balance will not be spent.
What Happens After You Cancel a Promotion?
When you cancel an approved promotion:
- The promotion ends right away
- Any unused coins or monetary balance remains in your Promote account
- You can reuse the balance for future promotions
- Your video stays on your profile unless you delete it manually
If you used coins, there are no refunds, but unused coins stay available to use.
Tips to Avoid Mistakes When Submitting a Promotion
To prevent having to cancel promotions in the future:
- Double-check your video content
- Confirm targeting settings
- Review your budget carefully
- Verify goals (website visits, followers, views, etc.)
- Make sure your video doesn’t violate any guidelines
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