How to Credit a Creator on TikTok: 3 Ways

Trendsetters are the backbone of the TikTok community, and you should credit them when using their ideas. Here's how to do it.

Every day, we're exposed to viral social media posts online and in our chats with friends. But we don't always know who's responsible for the trends we appreciate because the originators of those trends aren't always credited.

You can play your part in ensuring that creators get acknowledged for their work by crediting those that inspire you on TikTok. Continue reading to find out how to credit a creator on TikTok, why this is important, and what to do if you don't know who to credit.

Why It's Important to Credit Creators on Social Media

There's a lot that goes into creating a post for social media. Between idea generation, planning, production, and post-production—content creation is a lot of work. That's why it's important to give creators credit for their posts that inspire you.

But there are even bigger implications to consider. Black TikTok creators have been vocal about their White counterparts not crediting them for trends they've started and the platform amplifying that content.

This is important because a video can go viral and land on TikTok's coveted For You Page (FYP), which exposes it to thousands of people. And with cross-platform sharing, viral content can be viewed by millions of people online.

When that happens, the creators responsible for trends can miss out on bragging rights, opportunities to grow their accounts, and even campaign and sponsorship opportunities.

Morally speaking, creators should be acknowledged and celebrated for their content, whether it goes viral or not. There are three ways to credit a creator on TikTok. Let's look at what they are.

How to Credit a Creator in Your Post Caption

This is the most straightforward way to credit a creator. Follow the steps below to get started.

1. Open the TikTok app on your phone, and take a video or upload one by tapping the Record or Upload button.
2. Edit your video, then tap Next in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
3. Type the creator's handle in the Caption, or tap @mention and look for their handle in the Search bar. Consider adding variations like the words "Inspired by", "Thanks to", and "Credit:" when tagging a creator.
4. Tap Post in the bottom-right corner to upload your video. The creator will be notified of your tag, and everyone who sees your video will know who inspired it.

Your audience can easily tap the originator's handle to go to their account if they want to find and watch the original video.

The following methods involve TikTok adding the creator's handle to the caption for you, rather than manually adding it yourself.

How to Credit a Creator by Tagging Their Video

Follow the steps below to tag a creator's video in your post with TikTok's creator-crediting feature.

1. Follow the steps in the previous section to upload your media.
2. Once on the Post page, tap Videos. If this is your first time using this crediting feature, TikTok will tell you more about it. Tap Continue.
3. TikTok will show you videos you've engaged with, videos you've posted, and videos that used the same sound you've added to yours. Tap the video you want to tag.
4. The video you've chosen will now be added as a mention in your caption.

This method works if you've liked or favorited the original video, especially if you can't remember the original creator's handle.

How to Credit a Creator Using TikTok's Stitch Feature

Simply put, TikTok's Stitch feature allows you to incorporate another creator's video into your own, thereby "stitching" your videos together. When you use TikTok Stitches, the app adds the originator's handle to your stitched video, thereby crediting them automatically.

Check out our article on how to create a video using TikTok's Stitch feature to learn more.

What to Do if You Can't Find the Source of a TikTok Trend

Sometimes, it's hard to find the video that inspired you, especially if it's a viral video. In such cases, you can mention in your video or caption that you don't know who started the trend and invite your audience to help you find them.

In many cases, this method works, as there is a high chance that someone has seen or will come across the viral video you've mentioned. When you find out who the original creator is, you can tag them in a comment under your video.

This keeps you in good standing with that creator, with fellow creators, and with the TikTok community at large. That's because your audience needs to trust that the content you post is original unless you tell them otherwise. This sense of community is one of the reasons why TikTok is such a great app.

Help TikTok Create a Culture of Credit

TikTok wants its creators to create a culture of credit by tagging trend originators in their posts. You can play your part by being intentional about crediting the creators that inspire you. Doing this could go a long way in increasing exposure and opening up doors of opportunity for originators.