TikTok announced on October 5, 2026 that its Search Ads campaign now runs on Smart+, its automation suite. On October 30 it also added ready to use keyword packs inside its suggestion tool. For small and medium businesses, the automated keywords feature is on by default, and TikTok does not notify you when it adds a new keyword. As a TikTok advertising agency, we believe anyone advertising in the platform's search should review their account this week, and here we explain how.
What changed in TikTok Search Ads?
TikTok's Search Ads campaign now runs on Smart+, which automates keywords and creatives. According to The Keyword, the advertiser still manages keyword targeting, bidding, and search budget within the same buy. TikTok presented it at Advertising Week New York, along with other news we covered in our blog on the TikTok Ad Network.
The creative side is automated too. Smart+ Creative Selection brings together, in a single approval workflow, the assets you upload, those created with the Symphony AI, and creator content. The system recommends creative groups based on the business and the objective, and the advertiser decides what goes live, according to The Keyword.
On objectives, the sources differ a little. The Keyword mentions traffic, sales, lead generation, and app promotion. The help page for automated keywords lists traffic, lead generation, and sales. It is worth checking which objectives you see in your account.
What are automated keywords and are they on in my account?
They are keywords that the system generates from your creatives (video, images, text, and product information) and from the keywords you already have in the ad group. They help your ads appear in more searches, including high intent queries you had not anticipated. They work alongside your manual keywords.
According to TikTok's help page, the feature is off by default for key accounts and on by default for small and medium businesses. If you are a small or medium business, you have to turn it off yourself to stop using it. For the expansion to trigger, at least one manual keyword is needed.
The most delicate point is that you receive no notification when a new keyword is added. The help page itself recommends regularly reviewing search term reports. That report is, in practice, the only way to know what you are buying.
How do those keywords show up in reports?
Campaign reports show all automated keywords on a single aggregated line. A dropdown shows the ten with the highest spend. This limits analysis, because you cannot see each term separately except for the top ten.
In addition, some matches appear as "unknown." This happens when the ad matched a query on general relevance, without a specific keyword triggering it. That reduces attribution clarity. TikTok's help suggests moving the terms that work to your manual keyword list.
There is also a priority rule. According to the availability help page, if a query matches a keyword in your campaign, the Search Ads campaign takes priority over automatic search placement. Queries that match no keyword can still be captured by automatic placement, if they are relevant to active ads.
What are the keyword packs TikTok added on October 30?
They are curated, ready to use groups of keywords that TikTok's suggestion tool can now recommend. According to Search Engine Journal, which reported it on November 2, there are brand packs and category packs. They can be previewed and added with the same workflow as keywords suggested one by one.
TikTok says pack suggestions are refreshed daily using metrics such as search volume, cost per click, and competition. It also states they are backed by its machine learning models. These are TikTok's claims and there is no independent verification.
Questions remain unanswered. Search Engine Journal found no coverage beyond TikTok's post and its Search Ads overview. It is also unknown in which markets or accounts they are available, how the terms in a brand pack are chosen, or how brand and category packs differ in practice. That source advises reviewing brand terms in the preview before adding a pack.
What results does TikTok promise and what is not confirmed?
TikTok states, on its help page, that its internal tests showed about 10% more incremental conversions while meeting cost per acquisition goals, and 12% more campaigns passing the learning phase. The Keyword adds another figure attributed to TikTok: 20% more conversions, on average, when combining search with In-Feed ads, with a similar or better cost per acquisition. None of these figures has been independently verified.
There are also doubts about the timeline. The Keyword indicated on October 6 that TikTok had given no rollout date. However, TikTok's help already documents automated keywords as available in the United States and in markets with Search Ads. The most likely explanation is a gradual rollout, but TikTok has not clarified it.
On availability by objective, TikTok's help indicates that lead generation in Search Ads is for the United States only. Web conversions and traffic are available in a wider list of countries, among them the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
How do you keep control of your TikTok search campaigns?
These are recommendations from our TikTok advertising agency, not TikTok instructions. First, open your search ad groups and check the automated keywords switch. Decide whether you want it on in each campaign. Second, add negative keywords before spending, because they are your main brake against off topic terms.
Third, review the search term report every week. Add negatives, move to manual what converts, and note any drift. Fourth, start with real terms, taken from your internal site search, sales calls, and TikTok's suggestions. Fifth, if you use a keyword pack, review the preview and remove what does not fit your offer, especially brand terms. Sixth, measure with your actual sales or leads and not only with clicks.
Consider a typical case, not real data but an example of how it might look. A carpet cleaning company in Denver launches a lead generation campaign in TikTok search with four manual keywords. Its team leaves the automated ones on, reviews the report after a week, and finds that two new terms attract job seeking queries, not customers. It adds them as negatives and moves to manual the two that bring quote requests.
When does it make sense to work with a TikTok advertising agency?
When your business depends on capturing leads or sales and you cannot review every week which terms the platform is buying. A TikTok advertising agency can set up the keywords, maintain the negative lists, and cross the platform data with your CRM. It can also tell you whether TikTok search fits your product or whether your spend performs better in another channel. If you want us to review your TikTok account, you can contact the JP Director team.
This topic connects with others we have published. To see another announcement from the same presentation, read our analysis of the TikTok Ad Network. And to protect your account from an unexpected pause, review our blog on TikTok Ads account suspensions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are TikTok Search Ads with Smart+?
They are ad campaigns in TikTok search that use Smart+ automation to expand keywords and choose creatives. The advertiser still manages bids and search budget.
Are automated keywords turned on?
For small and medium businesses, yes. According to TikTok's help, they are on by default for small and medium businesses and off for key accounts. They are turned off with a switch in the ad group.
Does TikTok notify me when it adds a keyword?
No. The help page indicates that no notification is sent when automated keywords are added, and it recommends regularly reviewing search term reports.
What are keyword packs?
They are groups of brand and category keywords, ready to add from TikTok's suggestion tool. According to the platform, they are refreshed daily. It is not yet known where they are available or how brand terms are chosen.
Last updated: November 3, 2026. This article will be updated if TikTok clarifies the availability of keyword packs, the rollout timeline for Smart+ in search, or publishes verified performance data.
