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`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou - Newsroom | TikTok
`Case 6:20-cv-00810-ADA Document 1-5 Filed 09/02/20 Page 2 of 7
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`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou
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`TikTok's mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. We're building a global community where you
`can create and share authentically, discover the world, and connect with others. The For You feed is
`part of what enables that connection and discovery. It's central to the TikTok experience and where
`most of our users spend their time.
`When you open TikTok and land in your For You feed, you're presented with a stream of videos
`curated to your interests, making it easy to find content and creators you love. This feed is powered
`by a recommendation system that delivers content to each user that is likely to be of interest to that
`particular user. Part of the magic of TikTok is that there's no one For You feed – while different
`people may come upon some of the same standout videos, each person's feed is unique and
`tailored to that specific individual.
`The For You feed is one of the defining features of the TikTok platform, but we know there are
`questions about how recommendations are delivered to your feed. In this post we'll explain the
`recommendation system behind the For You feed, discuss how we work to counter some of the
`issues that all recommendation services can grapple with, and share tips for how you can
`personalize your discovery experience on TikTok.
`The basics about recommendation systems
`Recommendation systems are all around us. They power many of the services we use and love
`every day. From shopping to streaming to search engines, recommendation systems are designed
`to help people have a more personalized experience.
`In general, these systems suggest content after taking into account user preferences as expressed
`through interactions with the app, like posting a comment or following an account. These signals
`help the recommendation system gauge the content you like as well as the content you'd prefer to
`skip.
`What factors contribute to For You?
`On TikTok, the For You feed reflects preferences unique to each user. The system recommends
`content by ranking videos based on a combination of factors – starting from interests you express
`as a new user and adjusting for things you indicate you're not interested in, too – to form your
`personalized For You feed.
`Recommendations are based on a number of factors, including things like:
`User interactions such as the videos you like or share, accounts you follow, comments you
`post, and content you create.
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`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou - Newsroom | TikTok
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`Video information, which might include details like captions, sounds, and hashtags.
`Device and account settings like your language preference, country setting, and device type.
`These factors are included to make sure the system is optimized for performance, but they
`receive lower weight in the recommendation system relative to other data points we measure
`since users don't actively express these as preferences.
`All these factors are processed by our recommendation system and weighted based on their value
`to a user. A strong indicator of interest, such as whether a user finishes watching a longer video
`from beginning to end, would receive greater weight than a weak indicator, such as whether the
`video's viewer and creator are both in the same country. Videos are then ranked to determine the
`likelihood of a user's interest in a piece of content, and delivered to each unique For You feed.
`While a video is likely to receive more views if posted by an account that has more followers, by
`virtue of that account having built up a larger follower base, neither follower count nor whether the
`account has had previous high-performing videos are direct factors in the recommendation system.
`Curating your personalized For You feed
`Getting started
`How can you possibly know what you like on TikTok when you've only just started on the app? To
`help kick things off we invite new users to select categories of interest, like pets or travel, to help
`tailor recommendations to their preferences. This allows the app to develop an initial feed, and it
`will start to polish recommendations based on your interactions with an early set of videos.
`For users who don't select categories, we start by offering you a generalized feed of popular videos
`to get the ball rolling. Your first set of likes, comments, and replays will initiate an early round of
`recommendations as the system begins to learn more about your content tastes.
`Finding more of what you're interested in
`Every new interaction helps the system learn about your interests and suggest content – so the best
`way to curate your For You feed is to simply use and enjoy the app. Over time, your For You feed
`should increasingly be able to surface recommendations that are relevant to your interests.
`Your For You feed isn't only shaped by your engagement through the feed itself. When you decide to
`follow new accounts, for example, that action will help refine your recommendations too, as will
`exploring hashtags, sounds, effects, and trending topics on the Discover tab. All of these are ways to
`tailor your experience and invite new categories of content into your feed.
`Seeing less of what you're not interested in
`TikTok is home to creators with many different interests and perspectives, and sometimes you may
`come across a video that isn't quite to your taste. Just like you can long-press to add a video to your
`favorites, you can simply long-press on a video and tap "Not Interested" to indicate that you don't
`care for a particular video. You can also choose to hide videos from a given creator or made with a
`certain sound, or report a video that seems out of line with our guidelines. All these actions
`contribute to future recommendations in your For You feed.
`Addressing the challenges of recommendation engines
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`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou - Newsroom | TikTok
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`One of the inherent challenges with recommendation engines is that they can inadvertently limit
`your experience – what is sometimes referred to as a "filter bubble." By optimizing for
`personalization and relevance, there is a risk of presenting an increasingly homogenous stream of
`videos. This is a concern we take seriously as we maintain our recommendation system.
`Interrupting repetitive patterns
`To keep your For You feed interesting and varied, our recommendation system works to intersperse
`diverse types of content along with those you already know you love. For example, your For You feed
`generally won't show two videos in a row made with the same sound or by the same creator. We
`also don't recommend duplicated content, content you've already seen before, or any content that's
`considered spam. However, you might be recommended a video that's been well received by other
`users who share similar interests.
`Diversifying recommendations
`Diversity is essential to maintaining a thriving global community, and it brings the many corners of
`TikTok closer together. To that end, sometimes you may come across a video in your feed that
`doesn't appear to be relevant to your expressed interests or have amassed a huge number of likes.
`This is an important and intentional component of our approach to recommendation: bringing a
`diversity of videos into your For You feed gives you additional opportunities to stumble upon new
`content categories, discover new creators, and experience new perspectives and ideas as you scroll
`through your feed.
`By offering different videos from time to time, the system is also able to get a better sense of what's
`popular among a wider range of audiences to help provide other TikTok users a great experience,
`too. Our goal is to find balance between suggesting content that's relevant to you while also helping
`you find content and creators that encourage you to explore experiences you might not otherwise
`see.
`Safeguarding the viewing experience
`Our recommendation system is also designed with safety as a consideration. Reviewed content
`found to depict things like graphic medical procedures or legal consumption of regulated goods, for
`example – which may be shocking if surfaced as a recommended video to a general audience that
`hasn't opted in to such content – may not be eligible for recommendation. Similarly, videos that
`have just been uploaded or are under review, and spam content such as videos seeking to
`artificially increase traffic, also may be ineligible for recommendation into anyone's For You feed.
`Improving For You
`Developing and maintaining TikTok's recommendation system is a continuous process as we work to
`refine accuracy, adjust models, and reassess the factors and weights that contribute to
`recommendations based on feedback from users, research, and data. We are committed to further
`research and investment as we work to build in even more protections against the engagement bias
`that can affect any recommendation system.
`This work spans many teams – including product, safety, and security – whose work helps improve
`the relevance of the recommendation system and its accuracy in suggesting content and categories
`you're more likely to enjoy.
`Ultimately, your For You feed is powered by your feedback: the system is designed to continuously
`improve, correct, and learn from your own engagement with the platform to produce personalized
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`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou - Newsroom | TikTok
`Case 6:20-cv-00810-ADA Document 1-5 Filed 09/02/20 Page 5 of 7
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`TikTok congratulates The Weeknd, BTS, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, and
`other VMA winners on their big night
`
`TikTok Small Gestures is back with new offers to give back to the community
`
`https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you
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`Product
`Jun 18, 2020
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`Community
`Aug 31, 2020
`The TikTok community sends warm congratulations to The Weeknd, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, BTS, and
`the rest of the winners at last night’s MTV VMA Awards. As a major launching pad for new artists
`Community
`Aug 27, 2020
`recommendations that we hope inspire creativity and bring joy with every refresh of your For You
`feed.
`Note: At the TikTok Transparency Center in Los Angeles, invited experts will have the opportunity to
`learn how our algorithm operates along with reviewing TikTok source code, which will be made
`available at the center for testing and evaluation.
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`9/1/2020
`
`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou - Newsroom | TikTok
`Case 6:20-cv-00810-ADA Document 1-5 Filed 09/02/20 Page 6 of 7
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`TikTok & Jaden Smith join forces to celebrate the release of CTV3: Cool Tape
`Vol. 3 with exclusive new co-branded merch collection and global LIVE stream
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`Download now
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`In April of this year, we launched 'Small Gestures' as a way for our user community to stay connected with
`friends and family at the height of social distancing with over 350,000 gifts being redeemed
`Community
`Aug 28, 2020
`The unique partnership between TikTok and Jaden comes complete with new co-branded merch, a global
`LIVE stream with Addison Rae, and TikTok-exclusive audio-visual content TikTok breaks new ground wit
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`9/1/2020
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`How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou - Newsroom | TikTok
`Case 6:20-cv-00810-ADA Document 1-5 Filed 09/02/20 Page 7 of 7
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