TikTok is leaning harder into search, and its 2026 update hands creators real control over it. You can now manually add custom keywords to a video to influence how it's surfaced in search — and block auto-generated keywords you don't want — alongside a Creator Search Insights shortcut that shows what your audience is actually looking for.
More and more people use TikTok like a search engine, so this is a genuine discovery lever, especially for videos stuck in low-view cycles. Here's how it works and how to use it.
What's new
On a video, tap the three dots and open Manage Keywords. There you can remove auto-generated keywords that don't fit and add your own custom terms — telling TikTok what your video is about and which searches it should show up for. Paired with the Creator Search Insights shortcut in the app menu, you can see trending and relevant queries and create content that answers them.
It's TikTok acknowledging what creators already knew: search is now a major way videos get found, not just the For You feed. Treating each video as a searchable answer to a real query opens a second, more durable source of views.
How to use it
Think keywords, not just hashtags. Check Creator Search Insights for terms your audience searches, then work those phrases into your spoken words, on-screen text, caption — and now the Manage Keywords field.
- Open Creator Search Insights to find real queries in your niche.
- Add specific, accurate custom keywords via the three-dots → Manage Keywords.
- Remove auto keywords that misrepresent the video.
- Say your target keyword out loud and put it in on-screen text — TikTok reads both.
Keywords help discovery — watch time still decides reach
Keywords get the right people to your video; they don't replace the signals that make TikTok push it further. Once someone lands on your clip, watch time, rewatches, shares and saves still determine whether it spreads. Search optimisation widens the front door; the content has to keep people inside.
And the engagement that drives that distribution has to be real. Genuine viewers who watch and interact are what turn a keyword-found video into a viral one — which is exactly why BoostHill only delivers real-account TikTok engagement, never bots.
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