While scrolling through TikTok is a 24/7 activity for many users—who devote an astonishing 34 hours per month to the platform on average—determining the best time to post on TikTok requires a more strategic approach.
For content creators and business owners investing time into creating TikTok content, maximizing visibility isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. After all, producing quality TikTok content demands considerable effort, making it crucial to optimize when you share your creations.
That’s why we’ve analyzed data from over 1 million videos, carousels, photos, and text posts to identify the optimal times to post on TikTok for maximum engagement. This comprehensive guide walks you through proven posting strategies to help your content reach For You Pages worldwide.
Is There Truly a Best Time to Post on TikTok?
According to our data analysis, yes—certain posting times consistently outperform others.
Our resident data scientist meticulously analyzed the median views of 1 million posts published via social media management tools, revealing distinct patterns in high-performing post times versus those with lower engagement. These patterns give us valuable insight into the best time to post on TikTok in 2025.
However, before diving into the specifics, two important caveats deserve mention:
First, there’s no universal perfect time that guarantees success for every TikTok. Your ideal posting time depends on your specific target audience—their location, time zones, and browsing habits. We’ll cover how to analyze your own TikTok data to determine optimal posting times for your particular audience later in this article.
Second, we’re monitoring potential shifts in platform engagement related to regulatory developments. Any significant changes will be promptly reflected in updates to our recommendations.
With those considerations in mind, the timings outlined below provide an excellent starting point to maximize your content’s potential while building your following.
The Best Times to Post on TikTok
Based on our comprehensive data analysis, the best time to post on TikTok is Sunday at 8 p.m., followed by Tuesday at 4 p.m., and Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Videos, carousels, and text posts shared during these specific time slots consistently achieved the highest view counts of the week, though several other time slots showed strong performance as well.
As a general observation, view counts tend to increase later in the day, with peak engagement typically occurring from 1 p.m. onward.
The heatmap above breaks down the week into hourly segments. The darkest blocks represent time slots with the highest views (optimal posting times), while lighter blocks indicate periods with lower engagement (times best avoided).
TikTok presents a fascinating case study in posting optimization. Unlike platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram, which demonstrate more predictable patterns in content performance and audience behavior, TikTok’s engagement patterns are less consistent. This likely reflects TikTok’s younger user demographic—35% of TikTok users in the US fall between 18-24 years old, the platform’s largest age group—who typically maintain less structured daily routines.
Note on time zones: Our data scientist has applied mathematical normalization to make these recommended times universally applicable. There’s no need for conversion—whether you’re in EST, PST, or IST, these times are relevant to your local time zone.
The Best Time to Post on TikTok at a Glance
- Monday: 7 p.m.
- Tuesday: 4 p.m.
- Wednesday: 5 p.m.
- Thursday: 5 p.m.
- Friday: 4 p.m.
- Saturday: 5 p.m.
- Sunday: 8 p.m.
Day-by-Day Breakdown of Optimal Posting Times
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Monday
The optimal posting time on Monday is 7 p.m., closely followed by 6 p.m., then 5 p.m., according to our data analysis.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Monday: 7 p.m.
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Tuesday
Tuesday’s best posting time is 4 p.m. Videos posted at 8 p.m. received the second-highest median views, with 2 p.m. taking third place.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Tuesday: 4 p.m.
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Wednesday
On Wednesdays, aim to post at 5 p.m., with 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. as strong alternatives. Worth noting: Wednesday emerged as the strongest day overall for TikTok posting, making it an essential part of your content calendar.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Wednesday: 5 p.m.
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Thursday
Thursday’s prime posting time is 5 p.m. Content shared at 1 p.m. achieved the second-highest median views, followed closely by 3 p.m.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Thursday: 5 p.m.
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Friday
For Friday content, 4 p.m. is optimal, with smaller engagement spikes at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Friday: 4 p.m.
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Saturday
While Saturday shows lower overall engagement compared to other days, key posting windows still exist. The best time is 5 p.m., followed by 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Saturday: 5 p.m.
Best Time to Post on TikTok on Sunday
Sunday’s prime time of 8 p.m. ranks among the most effective posting times throughout the entire week. Other strong options include 5 p.m. and 4 p.m.
⏰ When to post on TikTok on Sunday: 8 p.m.
This is where social media scheduling tools prove invaluable. Systematically testing these recommended times while tracking performance metrics allows you to identify the most effective posting schedule for your specific audience.
The Best Day of the Week for TikTok Posting
Our data conclusively identifies Wednesday as the strongest day for TikTok posting. Content shared on Wednesdays consistently demonstrated superior performance metrics across various content types.
Thursday and Friday tie for second place in overall effectiveness.
Interestingly, Saturday shows the most significant engagement drop, making it generally the least optimal day for sharing TikTok content.
The Most Effective Content Types for TikTok
As a supplementary insight to our timing analysis, we’ve examined which content formats perform best on the platform. While the results may seem predictable—video remains king—the performance gaps between formats were surprisingly narrow.
Videos achieve only 18% more views than text posts and just 7% more than photos or carousels. Meanwhile, photos and carousels outperform text posts by 11%.
This relatively small performance difference between formats highlights TikTok’s successful evolution from a video-only platform to a more diverse content ecosystem that accommodates various creative expressions.
How to Discover Your Personalized Best Posting Times
While our data provides excellent starting points, every TikTok audience behaves uniquely. I strongly recommend taking these recommended times with appropriate context and adapting them to your specific situation.
TikTok offers valuable audience insights that can help refine your posting strategy. Here’s how to leverage these tools:
1. Analyze When Your TikTok Followers Are Most Active
Navigate to your TikTok profile, then:
- Tap your profile picture to access your profile, then select “TikTok Studio” just below your bio (you can also download the TikTok Studio app for an enhanced experience).
- In the overview screen, tap the “View all” link adjacent to the Analytics box.
- From the Analytics section, select the “Followers” tab at the top, then scroll down to “Most active times.”
This provides a retrospective view of when your followers were most engaged during the past week (data beyond 7 days isn’t available).
Why does this matter? When you publish content, TikTok initially serves it to a sample of your followers, evaluating their response. Metrics like complete video views, carousel engagement, likes, comments, and shares signal content value to the algorithm. Particularly significant is watch time—a critical metric in TikTok’s algorithmic assessment.
Strong engagement signals prompt the algorithm to distribute your content to a broader audience with similar interests, potentially placing it on more For You Pages and extending its reach.
While TikTok only displays follower activity, it’s reasonable to assume that potential new followers—your target acquisition audience—likely share similar browsing habits with your existing followers. They may well be active during comparable timeframes.
The key insight: Posting when your target audience is most active—or shortly before that peak period—maximizes your content’s algorithmic potential.
2. Identify Patterns in Follower Activity
Study your followers’ most active times across several days, looking for recurring patterns:
- Do weekdays show similar activity spikes?
- Is weekend behavior distinctly different?
- Does one particular day consistently outperform others?
These insights provide a personalized framework for determining your optimal posting times.
I recommend scheduling posts slightly before your followers’ peak activity periods, especially if those windows align with our general best-time recommendations mentioned earlier.
3. Consider Your Own Production Capacity
Creator burnout is a genuine concern. While consistent posting is valuable, quality should never be sacrificed for quantity.
When determining not just when but how often to post on TikTok, ensure your content calendar remains manageable and sustainable.
Creating truly engaging, informative, and thought-provoking content requires creative energy and inspiration. Prioritize your wellbeing by establishing reasonable content production expectations and taking breaks when needed.
Developing a structured posting schedule or comprehensive social media calendar can alleviate pressure while maintaining consistency. This organizational approach facilitates advance planning, batch content creation, and efficient workflow management.
4. Experiment Methodically
With insights from both our aggregate data and your audience analytics, it’s time for strategic experimentation.
Test various posting times, meticulously tracking performance metrics to identify what works best for your specific content and audience. If posting during optimal windows proves challenging due to time zone differences or scheduling constraints, social media management tools can automate posting at ideal times.
Many platforms also offer notification-based posting features for TikTok, sending alerts when it’s time to post and streamlining the process of transferring captions and other elements from your scheduling tool to TikTok.
5. Analyze Performance Comprehensively
Maintain your experimental posting schedule for several weeks to gather sufficient data.
TikTok provides robust analytics to evaluate performance. Focus on these key metrics when assessing posting time effectiveness:
- Views: Raw reach and visibility
- Average watch time: Critical for algorithmic prioritization
- Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and other interaction metrics
- Follower growth: Particularly important for account expansion (note that high-view videos don’t necessarily drive proportional follower acquisition)
6. Refine and Iterate
If clear patterns emerge indicating optimal posting times, prioritize those windows in your ongoing strategy while continuing to test new options periodically.
If no definitive patterns appear, either continue your current schedule to gather more data or adjust your approach (potentially incorporating content quality improvements as well).
For identified high-performing times, maintain consistent posting while periodically introducing experimental slots. TikTok’s algorithm and user behaviors evolve constantly, making regular testing essential for sustained growth.
Conclusion: Elevate Your TikTok Strategy
Finding your optimal posting times represents just one dimension of TikTok success, but it’s a powerful lever for increasing content visibility and engagement.
By combining industry benchmarks with personalized audience insights and methodical experimentation, you can develop a posting strategy that maximizes your content’s potential, expands your reach, and strengthens your community.
Remember that consistency, quality, and audience alignment remain the foundation of successful TikTok engagement—optimal timing simply amplifies these fundamentals.
