TikTok is rolling out a new advertising tool to measure user behavior after they leave the app without using pixel technology, ADWEEK has learned. The new tool, called Engaged Session, will allow advertisers to target users who spend at least 10 seconds on a website or retailer landing page after clicking an ad.
According to an email sent to buyers, TikTok said the new tool is designed to “bring high-intent users to your website” while providing insights into engagement metrics like Total Engaged Sessions and Cost per Engaged Session, metrics that “align closely with third-party analytics like Google and Adobe Analytics.”
The feature is set to become available to all advertisers on July 31, according to three media agency executives who received early announcements of Engaged Session.
A representative for TikTok did not respond to requests for comment.
The launch of Engaged Session marks TikTok’s latest effort to offer advertisers deeper insight into post-click behavior, a common blind spot in social media advertising where clicks don’t always translate to meaningful site engagement. Regulation and other privacy restrictions have made pixel-based tracking more difficult for platforms like TikTok, Meta, and Google, which have previously relied on the technology to target and track users.
Meta recently made a similar move by rolling out Google Analytics integration, linking advertiser data with its ad platform to enhance insights into post-click user actions.
This comes at a key moment, as Gen Z increasingly ditches traditional search platforms like Google Search in favor of TikTok. According to the marketing platform Soci, 34% of Gen Z uses TikTok for search and discovery, while 40% of U.S. adults aged 18–24 use social networks like TikTok to look up information about local businesses.Â
With this new tool, brands will be able to target people who stay longer on their websites—making it easier to reach the right audience and move them closer to buying, said Lauren Kramer, director of social media solutions at Basis Technologies.
Engaged Session is available under TikTok’s Traffic Objective, which helps advertisers reach people who visit their website after seeing an ad. The tool can be toggled on for all TikTok ad placements, including Search Ads.