Troubleshooting

TikTok Account Still Shows as Linked After Unlinking

The unlink finished, but the account or ad account still behaves as if it is connected.

Is this your situation?

You completed the steps to unlink a TikTok account from an ad account and the confirmation appeared, but the old link still shows. You expect the restrictions tied to the previous link to be gone, and they are not.

The short answer

Unlinking a TikTok account from an ad account revokes the ad account's permission to use that account's identity and content for campaigns. Existing ads that were using the unlinked TikTok account's identity may be affected after unlinking, which can look like the link is still active. After unlinking, the ad account can no longer select that TikTok account as an identity for new campaigns.

What you see, and why

Symptom	Cause
You see an existing ad still showing the old account identity.	Existing ads using the unlinked TikTok account's identity may be affected after unlinking.
You cannot pick the account for a new campaign and assume the unlink did not take.	After unlinking, the account can no longer be selected as an identity when creating new campaigns.
You expected the Only show as ads setting to toggle off and it has not.	Members assigned the Only show as ads permission cannot toggle off that setting in Ads Manager when creating Spark Ads.

Check these first

Check whether you had Admin access when you unlinked. Unlinking requires the member to have Admin access to the Business Center.Verify: Confirm your role shows Admin access.
Check the ad account entry for the account you unlinked. To unlink a TikTok account, a user clicks View in the column for that TikTok account.Verify: Look for the ad account no longer listed.
Check whether existing ads were created before the unlink. Existing ads using an unlinked TikTok account's identity may be affected after unlinking.Verify: Review any live ads running before you unlinked.

How TikTok handles this

Unlinking a TikTok account from an ad account revokes the ad account's permission to use that account's identity and content for campaigns.
Unlinking is a necessary step when a project ends, a partnership changes, or advertising operations need to be restructured.
After unlinking, the ad account and any members accessing it can no longer select the unlinked TikTok account as an identity for new campaigns.
Existing ads that were using an unlinked TikTok account's identity may be affected after unlinking.

Which path applies to you?

Is the issue limited to ads created before you unlinked the account? Existing ads that were using the unlinked identity may be affected after unlinking, separately from new campaigns.
Are you trying to select the account for a new campaign? After unlinking, that account can no longer be selected as an identity for new campaigns.
Did you complete the unlink steps with Admin access? Unlinking a TikTok account from ad accounts requires the member to have Admin access to the Business Center.

Step by step: finding the cause

Confirm you had Admin access when you unlinked. Unlinking a TikTok account from ad accounts requires the member to have Admin access to the Business Center.Confirm: Check your role under Business Center Users for Admin access.
Go to the Accounts menu. In TikTok Business Center, a user clicks Accounts in the left-hand menu as part of unlinking a TikTok account from ad accounts.Where: TikTok Business Center → AccountsConfirm: Check that the Accounts menu has expanded.
Find the TikTok account in the list. To unlink a TikTok account, a user must find the TikTok account in the TikTok account list.Confirm: Check that the account name appears in the list.
Check who owns the ad account. Only the ad account owner can remove a Business Center's access to that ad account.Confirm: Check the Advertiser accounts tab for the ownership listed.
Remove the ad accounts you no longer want linked. A user clicks Remove next to the ad accounts they want to unlink from the TikTok account.Confirm: Check that the ad account no longer appears in the list.
Confirm the removal. A user clicks Confirm to finalize unlinking a TikTok account from an ad account.Confirm: Check for the confirmation message after clicking Confirm.

Common mistakes

Assuming unlinking removes an existing ad's identity. Existing ads that were using an unlinked TikTok account's identity may be affected after unlinking, not automatically cleared.Why it happens: The unlink step governs new identity selection, not ads already created.
Trying to unlink without Admin access. Unlinking a TikTok account from ad accounts requires the member to have Admin access to the Business Center.Why it happens: Without Admin access, the unlink action cannot be completed from that Business Center.
Expecting the account to still appear as linked for delivery. After unlinking, the ad account and any members accessing it can no longer select the unlinked TikTok account as an identity when creating new campaigns.Why it happens: The removal applies to identity selection for new campaigns specifically.

Quick reference

Situation	What applies
New campaign creation	After unlinking, the account can no longer be selected as an identity for new campaigns.
Existing ads	Existing ads using the unlinked identity may be affected after unlinking.
Who can unlink	The member must have Admin access to the Business Center.
Finding the account	The user finds the TikTok account in the TikTok account list.
Removing the link	The user clicks Remove next to the ad accounts to unlink.
Finalizing the unlink	The user clicks Confirm to finalize unlinking.
Effect on permission	Unlinking revokes the ad account's permission to use the TikTok account's identity and content.

Keeping track of who has access

Delvia keeps a clear record of what is linked where, so you are never left unsure whether a connection you diagnosed as unlinked still has reach.

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