How to Go Live on TikTok (and Set It Up to Sell)

Step 1: Start the stream

Mobile only for starting: open TikTok, tap the + (Create) button, swipe the bottom bar to LIVE (between Photo and Templates). Add a title — this is the single line viewers see while browsing lives, so make it a hook, not a label. 'Liquidating last season's jewelry, 60% off tonight' beats 'Jewelry live'.

Optionally set a topic to help TikTok distribute to interested viewers, choose a cover image, then tap Go LIVE.

Step 2: Set up selling BEFORE you talk

Pin products from your shop catalog before your energy goes into performing — fumbling for SKUs mid-stream is the #1 beginner tell. Decide your product order in advance: hero product first, bundles in the middle, scarcity item last.

Enable Q&A so viewer questions queue visibly — answering named questions is what separates a live from a video, and it's what keeps people watching.

Step 3: Session settings that move the algorithm

Duration: 60–90 minutes. Under 30 minutes, the distribution algorithm never gets going; over 2 hours, host energy drops and conversion drops with it.

Frequency: 3–5 sessions per week minimum. TikTok's live distribution rewards recency and consistency — five 60-minute sessions beat one 5-hour marathon.

Timing for US audiences: 7–10 PM EST on weekdays, 2–5 PM EST on weekends. Announce your next session at the end of every stream — returning viewers are the strongest ranking signal you have.

Step 4: The 5-minute loop (what to actually say)

Viewers arrive continuously, not at the start — a 200-viewer stream may turn its entire audience over every 20 minutes. Structure your content in 5-minute loops: hook new arrivals in the first 30 seconds, demo the hero product, answer comments, state the offer, tease what's next.

This loop structure is the core of how mature live-commerce markets run streams. Our full breakdown — with word-for-word openers per category — is in the scripts section.