Short answer: creators see your invite next to dozens of others, and they can sort them by commission, store rating and free samples. If yours doesn't stand out on those three, or if it reaches creators who don't sell in your category, it gets ignored. Invite fewer, better-matched creators; offer more than your open rate plus a free sample; write a specific message; and follow up once by direct message.
Sending hundreds of invites a day and hearing nothing back is one of the most common complaints from new TikTok Shop sellers. Before sending more, it helps to see your invite the way a creator does.
What creators see when you invite them
From TikTok Shop's guide for creators (Collab Invites for Creators, US Seller University; the UK experience is broadly the same, but check in your own Seller Centre):
- Invites land in the TikTok Shop inbox and in the Creator Center, grouped into “Featured invites for you”, “Best products from invites” and “All collab invites”.
- Creators can filter invites by store rating and commission rate, and tags such as higher commission and free products make some offers stand out.
- Each invite shows your message and the products you chose for them.
- Accepting means adding your products to their showcase. There's no decline button: an ignored invite simply goes nowhere, and creators can save it for later.
So you are competing in a list that creators sort by money, reputation and free product. Your message only gets read if the offer gets you noticed first.
Why creators don't reply
- Your commission is lower than the alternatives. Creators can filter by it. An invite at your open-collaboration rate offers nothing extra.
- No free sample. “Free products” is one of the tags that highlights an invite. Without it, creators who'd need to try the product first move on.
- A new store with no rating or reviews. Creators filter by store rating too, and they don't want to promote a product their audience won't trust.
- The creator doesn't sell in your category. Mass invites to everyone with followers mostly reach people your product doesn't suit.
- A generic message. “We'd love to collaborate!” reads like every other invite in the list.
- Too many products, or the wrong one. A long list with no clear hero product makes the decision harder.
- You invited them recently. Repeated invites to the same people get the same silence.
How to get more replies
- Invite fewer, better-matched creators. In Find Creators, filter by the product category they've promoted, revenue and units sold in the last 30 days, follower age and gender, and “Not invited in past 90 days” (How to use Find Creators). See how to find TikTok Shop creators who actually sell.
- Make the offer visibly better than open collaboration. A targeted rate above your open rate, plus a free sample. A targeted rate always overrides your open rate for that creator, so never invite at less. Work out what you can afford in what commission to offer UK creators.
- Lead with one hero product. Pick the product most likely to sell on their channel and put it first.
- Write a specific message, using the template below: why them, the one problem the product solves, the offer, and what you'd like them to make.
- Follow up once by message. After setting up the invite you can message the creators or copy the invite link (How to set up a target collaboration). A short, personal note a few days later is more noticeable than another invite.
- Fix the store before scaling outreach. A product with no reviews loses both creators and buyers. Get genuine early reviews first.
- Test and measure. Try two versions of your message or offer on similar groups of creators and compare how many accept. Keep the winner.
Message templates
Invite message
Hi {name}! Your {recent video or topic} is exactly how we'd love {product} shown. It {the one problem it solves}. We're offering you {commission}% (above our open rate) and a free sample. If you're up for it, we'd love {format, e.g. an honest 7-day review}. Brief attached.
Follow-up, 3–5 days later
Hi {name}, just making sure our invite for {product} didn't get lost: {commission}% and a free sample, here's the link: {invite link}. Happy to answer any questions!
FAQ
Where do creators see TikTok Shop collab invites?
In the TikTok Shop inbox inside the TikTok app and in the Creator Center, where they can filter invites by commission and store rating.
How do creators accept an invite?
By adding your products to their showcase from the invite. There's no decline button, so an unanswered invite usually means they passed.
Should I invite creators every day?
Daily outreach helps only if it reaches the right creators. Use filters such as category, recent sales and “Not invited in past 90 days” rather than inviting everyone.
Do higher commissions get more replies?
They help, because creators can sort invites by commission, but only up to what your margin allows. A free sample and a good category fit matter as much.
Related guides
Invite the creators who are likely to say yes. GMVize searches the creator marketplace by category, sales and audience, and sends targeted invites in batches from your shortlist.