Troubleshooting for Scheduling and Publishing

TikTok Publishing and Upload Troubleshooting Guide

When a TikTok post fails to publish or doesn't behave as expected, it's usually due to one of these reasons: content type configuration, unmet file requirements, or TikTok API limitations. This guide covers the most common causes and how to fix them step by step.

Quick Reference: Problems and Solutions

Problem

Solution

Auto-publish button is disabled

Duplicate the post or use manual publishing

File upload error

Check format, size, and duration requirements

Content type mismatch error

Ensure the selected type matches your file

First comment empty from CSV

Use actual text, not boolean values

Need effects or special music

Use manual publishing

Repeated publishing errors

Reconnect your TikTok account

This guide covers publishing and upload problems. If your video was posted without text or sound, see the specific articles linked at the end of this page.

1. The Auto-Publish Button is Disabled

If you try to enable Auto-publish and the button appears disabled, it's usually because:

  • The scheduled time has already passed and Metricool already sent the manual publishing notification. In this case, auto-publish cannot be re-enabled.

  • The content includes features not supported by the API, such as effects, stickers, or music outside the Top 100 trending songs.

Solution:

  • If the time has passed: duplicate the post from the calendar and enable Auto-publish in the new version.

  • If you need effects or special music: disable Auto-publish and use manual publishing to finish the post in the TikTok app.

2. The Video or Photo Doesn't Meet Requirements

TikTok rejects content that doesn't meet its technical specifications. Check these points:

Video

  • Format: MP4 (recommended) or MOV

  • Size: up to 500 MB

  • Duration: 3 seconds to 10 minutes for auto-publishing

  • Resolution: from 540px

  • Audio: 128kbps recommended

  • Format: JPEG or WebP (PNG is auto-converted)

  • Size: up to 20 MB per image

  • Maximum: 35 images

  • Resolution: up to 1080p

If the file is too large, too short, or in an unsupported format, publishing will fail. Always verify these specifications before scheduling.

3. Error Due to Incorrect Content Type

This is one of the most frequent errors reported to support: the selected publication type doesn't match the file you uploaded.

Symptom: The post fails to publish with a generic error or simply doesn't send.

Cause: Metricool offers different content types (Video, Carousel). If you upload a video but configure it as a carousel, or vice versa, TikTok will reject the publication.

Solution:

  1. Go to the failed post in the calendar.

  2. Check the content type selected.

  3. If it's a single video, make sure it's marked as Video, not Carousel.

  4. If it's multiple photos, select Carousel.

  5. Reschedule the post with the correct type.

When you create a new post, Metricool automatically detects the file type, but if you change it manually or use CSV import, verify that the type matches your content.

4. The First Comment from CSV Doesn't Appear

If you use CSV bulk import to schedule TikToks and the first comment doesn't publish, it's usually due to a formatting error in the file.

Symptom: The post publishes but the first comment is empty or doesn't appear.

Cause: The first comment column contains incorrect values like false, FALSE, 0, or an empty cell. TikTok expects actual text.

Solution:

  1. Open your CSV file.

  2. Locate the first comment column (first_comment or similar).

  3. Ensure each cell contains actual text (the comment you want to publish).

  4. Remove any boolean values like false or TRUE.

  5. Re-upload the CSV and schedule.

Incorrect example:
first_comment
false
FALSE

Correct example:
first_comment
"What do you think? 👇"
"Tell us your experience"

5. TikTok Account Connection Error

If no posts are working and you're getting repeated errors, your TikTok account connection may have expired or the wrong account was connected.

Solution:

  1. Go to the connections section in Metricool.

  2. Disconnect TikTok.

  3. Reconnect the correct account using your TikTok credentials.

  4. If it still fails, try reconnecting from the Metricool mobile app.

6. The Content Requires Manual Publishing

TikTok doesn't allow auto-publishing all content types through its API. You'll need manual publishing if your post includes:

  • Effects, filters, or stickers native to TikTok

  • Music outside the Top 100 trending songs (only business accounts can add Top 100 music)

  • Visible location (the API doesn't support adding location to posts)

  • Duets or Stitches with other videos

For step-by-step instructions on manual publishing, see How to manually publish via notification.

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