TikTok Shop moderation has rolled out an update: the platform has launched an automated catalog scanner. Algorithms now check product cover images, and if an image has distorted proportions or AI-generated flaws, the product is demoted in search results, and ads for it cannot be launched.
Uploading images generated in Midjourney without editing will no longer work. Previously, shops freely filled their storefronts with raw renders featuring distorted lettering and models with strange hands. Now bots check the graphics even before a product is published.
The platform's main requirement — a clean 1:1 square with a resolution of at least 1000×1000 px. If the image is stretched, blurry, watermarked, or the product gets lost against a busy background, the listing gets banned: it remains on the profile, but organic reach and advertising are disabled.
What the platform penalizes listings for:
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Rectangular 16:9 or 9:16 formats instead of a square;
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Generation flaws: blurred outlines, distorted text, and artifacts;
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Low resolution and degraded screenshots from other marketplaces;
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A small item in the center that blends into the background;
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Third-party watermarks, frames, and other brands' labels.
To pass moderation, source images have to be edited manually: set the canvas to at least 1000×1000 px, place the product on a proper contrasting background, and add real photographs to the gallery.
For those running e-com through Spark Ads or standard conversions, the rules have become stricter. A shop's trust level is now directly tied to storefront quality: rack up rejections — and the ad account immediately raises CPM, while combos stop delivering properly.
