GMV Max Becomes the Default (and Only) TikTok Shop Ad Format: What Brands Need to Know — & How to Prepare

Starting this summer, GMV Max will replace every other Sales-objective ad format on TikTok Shop. You’ll need one primary ad account, refreshed creative, a bigger focus on CPA, and (good news!) a new ROI-protection safety net. Here’s the full breakdown—plus the migration checklist we’re using with our clients at Agital.

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1. The Timeline (and the Date Confusion)

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• July 15, 2025 – Seller Center banners now list this as the first cut-over date.
• Late July 2025 – TikTok’s public Help Center confirms GMV Max as the only Sales-objective campaign type “beginning July 2025.” TikTok Ads
• August 5, 2025 – Internal TikTok partner comms (shared with agencies) indicate this is when enforcement locks in globally. Existing Video Shopping, Live Shopping, or Product Ads will finish delivery but can’t be edited or duplicated.

Takeaway: treat July 15 as the start of the freeze and August 5 as the no-turning-back date.

2. Why TikTok Is All-In on GMV Max

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GMV Max is TikTok’s machine-learning “growth engine” for commerce: it hoovers up every creative signal (your organic posts, affiliate videos, livestream clips) and automatically allocates budget to whichever piece it believes will drive the most incremental shop revenue. Edward Wong TikTok says this unified model consistently outperforms piecemeal campaigns, so they’re retiring the old formats to concentrate dev resources—and ad dollars—on one product. TikTok Ads

3. The Big Changes at a Glance

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What’s NewWhat It Means for YouMandatory migrationSales-objective campaigns must be GMV Max. No edits or duplicates for PSA/VSA/LSA going forward. TikTok AdsOne ad account per shopTikTok will pause GMV Max campaigns if you switch the “primary” ad account on a shop. Plan migrations carefully. TikTok AdsCreative automationGMV Max auto-tests approved organic, affiliate, and live content. You choose what’s in or out via bulk creative exclusion filters. Edward WongTikTok AdsBlended attributionReports roll all GMV—including organic sales—into a single number. Expect refinements, but for now judge success on CPA and new-shopper volume. RedditROI ProtectionIf a GMV Max campaign underperforms (drops below 90 % of your ROI target), TikTok credits back part of the spend automatically. TikTok AdsAudience exclusions (rolling out)TikTok is adding exclusion lists (shop activity, web pixel, etc.) so you can spend only on net-new eyes—eligible now for shops spending ≥ $30k last 30 days, rolling to all accounts. (Agency rep confirmation; feature in phased release.)Max Delivery toggleOpt-in budget surge that pushes extra spend if the algo predicts profitable incremental GMV. Good when stock, margin, and fulfillment can handle the lift.Keyword Search & Video Views w/ Shop TagsTwo lighter-CPM campaign types you can layer on for upper-funnel volume while still driving shopable clicks.

4. How GMV Max Works Under the Hood

1. Full-funnel creative mix
   The algorithm pulls from every approved asset—affiliate unboxings, live replays, UGC reviews—and auto-spins them into ads across Feed, Shop tab, Search, and Live. Edward Wong
2. Budget + ROI target
   You set a daily or lifetime budget and the minimum ROAS (or target ROI). GMV Max tests, spends, and reallocates accordingly.
3. Daily re-calibration
   It re-scores creatives and audiences every ~15 minutes, throttling poor performers and scaling winners.
4. Attribution window
   7-day click / 1-day view by default. Keep this in mind when comparing to older PSA/LSA data.
5. Safety net
   ROI Protection credits back the difference if you dip below 90 % of target and followed best practices. rankster.co

5. Risks & Watch-Outs

• Inflated ROAS – With organic GMV lumped in, platform numbers look rosier than they really are. Build in a shadow metric (net-new CPA or contribution margin) until TikTok rolls out organic vs. paid splits.
• Creative fatigue – Automation is only as good as the content you feed it. A stale creative pool = throttled scale.
• Reporting gaps – No native cohort or LTV view yet. Export raw order data to a BI tool (or Shopify) for deeper insights.
• Single-account fragility – Accidentally flipping “primary” ad accounts can pause campaigns. Document owner changes in your SOP. TikTok Ads

6. Our Migration Game Plan (Steal This)

1. Audit & tag
   • Map every active PSA, LSA, VSA: which SKUs, creative IDs, budgets, ROI targets.
   • Export top-performing creatives; label for easy exclusion/inclusion later.
2. Spin up parallel GMV Max
   • Duplicate winning products into a fresh GMV Max campaign.
   • Run side-by-side for ~2 weeks at 20-30 % of prior daily spend.
3. Set realistic targets
   • If your PSA averaged 2.5× ROAS, start GMV Max at 2.2–2.3×. Scale once volume stabilizes.
4. Feed the beast
   • Upload/approve 5-10 new organic or affiliate videos per product each week.
   • Use the bulk exclusion filter to kill under-2 % CTR assets every Friday.
5. Layer upper-funnel
   • Launch Video View campaigns with shoppable product tags at <$1 CPM to seed cheap discovery traffic.
   • Build keyword-search audiences and re-hit them with mid-funnel VV or WCA campaigns.
6. Monitor CPA & new-shopper rate
   • Pull daily order exports; flag new vs. returning.
   • Adjust ROI targets if blended CPA > 10 % above margin floor.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I keep my old Product or Video Shopping ads alive after August 5?
A: Yes—but you can’t edit, duplicate, or restart them. Any pause or product change will require a brand-new GMV Max campaign. TikTok Ads

Q: What happens if a creator reposts an old video I don’t like?
A: Use Bulk Creative Exclusion to block the asset from paid traffic. (Rollout is partial; ask your rep if you don’t see it yet.)

Q: Does ROI Protection cover brand-new shops?
A: TikTok hasn’t published a minimum spend, but early tests show coverage activates once you hit ~20 orders/day at stable spend. PPC Land

8. Next Steps

1. Check your ad account & shop linkage – Verify your “primary” account now to avoid an auto-pause surprise.
2. Refresh your content pipeline – More videos = more algo fuel. Line up affiliates and creators now.
3. Book a strategy call – Want a hands-on walkthrough or creative brief? Hit reply (or book a slot on my calendar) and let’s get you GMV-Max-ready before the rush.

About the Author

Ethan Kramer is Division President at Agital and a long-time TikTok Shop partner specializing in multi-million-dollar social-commerce scale-ups. Follow him on LinkedIn for more live-shopping and growth-marketing insights.

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