Receiving inappropriate comments on TikTok sucks the joy out of creating and publishing content.
You’re putting yourself out there, connecting with your audience, and building a community, only to be hit with rude, hateful, or inflammatory comments from trolls behind a screen.
But don’t let inappropriate TikTok comments derail your enthusiasm for the platform. Even when trolls, haters, and online bullies cross the line, you have the power to set boundaries and protect your space.
Here are some tips and best practices for handling inappropriate comments on TikTok.
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What are inappropriate comments on TikTok?
Inappropriate TikTok comments are pretty self-explanatory. But to handle them effectively, a proper definition is necessary to provide clarity and context.
Inappropriate comments on TikTok are written remarks that make you or others feel uncomfortable and hurt. An inappropriate comment can take many forms, including hate speech, harassment, offensive language, spam, or any remark that creates a negative experience for users.
It goes without saying, but yes, inappropriate TikTok comments violate the platform’s Community Standards
Perhaps it’s fair to say that the inappropriateness of TikTok content varies in intensity, from mildly offensive remarks to severely harmful comments.
The tricky part is deciding what action response is appropriate for each situation. Most inappropriate comments are best ignored, but some may be too offensive or harmful to warrant a deletion, block, or report — or even legal action in extreme cases.
Why it’s important to handle inappropriate comments on TikTok
Protect everyone’s well-being
Inappropriate comments, especially those involving hate speech and harassment, can be hurtful and emotionally damaging.
As with every content creator with a platform, you have the responsibility to create an environment that protects everyone’s well-being. Left unchecked, inappropriate comments can harm not just your mental health, but that of others.
In fact, studies show that individuals exposed to hate speech experience symptoms similar to PTSD, including pain, anxiety, and nightmares.
Stop misinformation/disinformation from spreading
Trolls get a kick out of lying and exaggerating. They will say anything to rile people up and get a response. Granted, you and most of your followers know better than to believe these lies, but fake news, even the most outrageous ones, have a tendency to spread.
While you and most followers know better than to believe these lies, some people will believe anything (there are people who drank bleach in the hopes of curing their COVID symptoms, after all).
The worst part is that even well-intentioned commenters also spread fake news. In fact, well-intentioned spreaders (users who spread fake news without the intention to mislead) are five times more likely to share fake news than intentional spreaders. So, yes, even your good-natured aunt may be posting inappropriate TikTok comments without your knowledge.
The best way to handle comments that spread misinformation is to use the opportunity to educate. For example, if a commenter shares a myth or false claim, you can politely correct it or provide a credible source to clarify.
Foster a positive, inclusive community
When I write for social media management platforms, one of my key pieces of advice is to focus on building a strong brand community.
You can keep publishing social media posts until your face turns purple, but they won’t translate to brand loyalty (and by extension, conversions and sales) if you’re not forging meaningful connections with your audience.
But just when people start rallying around your brand, trolls and haters will always pop up to take the wind out of your sails.
If left unchecked, inappropriate comments can ruin your community building efforts in many ways. They create divisiveness, damage your brand’s reputation unfairly, and cause your audience to disengage.
If you can handle inappropriate TikTok comments, you can improve the quality of the interactions in a way that fosters a positive and inclusive community.
Best practices for dealing with inappropriate comments on TikTok
Ignore inappropriate comments
Sometimes, the best way to handle inappropriate comments is to ignore them.
When I find myself being targeted by trolls or haters, I find that ignoring them is the best way to win a flame war. Let them choke on their own words, so to speak.
Besides, responding to negativity not only gives the comment more visibility, but it also invites more interaction, which could encourage TikTok’s algorithm to push it further. In most cases, it also pushes your TikTok video into more people’s feeds (which is a good thing, ironically).
If you feel that a comment is too harmful or crosses a serious line, it’s best not to ignore it. In those cases, you can take action by deleting the comment, blocking the user, or reporting them to TikTok.
Respond thoughtfully
Sometimes, a thoughtful response can help defuse the situation.
When you find your video and community the target of trolling and hate, you can address the comment directly and in a calm, measured way.
Killing them with kindness (so to speak) shows you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself or your community. By showing you won’t sink to the troll’s level, you’re telling your followers that you’re serious about maintaining a positive environment.
Farm content out of it
Believe it or not, inappropriate comments can sometimes be turned into valuable content. Instead of letting trolls get under your skin, you can flip the script and use their negativity as fuel for your creativity.
That’s right, you can turn an annoying situation into an opportunity for engagement.
If someone leaves a snarky or sarcastic comment, create a funny video response that pokes fun at the comment in a lighthearted way. This not only shows that you can take things in stride but also engages your audience and gives them a reason to stick around.
Showing you’re able to roll with the punches (and even make content from it) can actually boost your reach. Just be careful not to come across as mean-spirited. The goal is to keep it fun and light while making sure you stay true to your voice
If you’re stumped on how to farm content out of inappropriate TikTok comments, here’s @drewafualo to show you how it’s done.
@drewafualo Replying to @JJ J. damn you think?? 😓 LMFAOOOOOOOOOO
♬ original sound – Barstool Sports
Make it a teachable moment
Instead of letting rude or hurtful remarks get to you, turn them into a teachable moment for your community (and yourself).
Let’s say you’re running a fitness brand and someone leaves this comment, “No one wants to see your flabby arms. If you really cared about fitness, you wouldn’t post those photos.”
Wow, that stings. But instead of snapping back, you can reply with something like this:
“Body shaming has no place in our community. Fitness isn’t about fitting into a specific mold; it’s about feeling strong and healthy in our own skin.”
How’s that for shutting a troll down? The best part is it reaffirms your commitment to positivity and inclusivity.
You can also take it a step further and tie your response into something you’re offering. To use the recent example, you can use the moment to highlight a fitness tool or supplement that supports your audience’s well-being and confidence.
How to manage inappropriate comments directly in the TikTok app
Thankfully, the TikTok app offers the tools and features you need to keep inappropriate comments at bay.
To maintain a welcoming and growing community, use these features judiciously and in a way that applies the best practices we’ve discussed earlier.
Just make sure your approach aligns with your brand’s values and keeps the conversation respectful.
Without further ado, here are ways to handle inappropriate TikTok comments using the app’s built-in tools.
Filter keywords to block inappropriate comments
You can block comments within the TikTok app by filtering out words, terms, and phrases trolls, haters, and troublemakers are likely to use. That way, you can keep inappropriate comments at bay even when you’re sleeping or getting busy with real life.
You can filter words typically used to incite hate or threaten or harass others. You can also block spammy phrases like “click here,” “DM for promo,” or “follow for follow,” to ward off bots or users just trying to push their own agenda.
Here’s how to filter keywords on TikTok:
Step 1: Launch the TikTok app and tap Profile at the bottom.
Step 2: Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then choose Settings and privacy.
Step 3: Go to Content preferences and select Filter keywords.
Step 4: Tap Add keyword, type in a word or hashtag you want to filter, and choose which feeds you’d like to apply the filter to. You can add up to 100 keywords.
Hide all comments until you approve them
Or you can simply hide all comments until you approve them. That way, you can manually check all comments and make sure only comments that fit your community guidelines are visible to your audience.
Here’s how to hide TikTok comments for your approval:
Step 1: Launch the TikTok app and tap Profile at the bottom.
Step 2: Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then choose Settings and privacy.
Step 3: Go to Privacy.
Step 4: Under Interactions, tap Comments.
Step 5: Toggle on Filter all comments to activate the feature.
Step 5: Tap Save to confirm.
Filter unwanted comments
TikTok makes it super easy to block unwanted comments with its automated filters. Under Comment filters, you’ll see the option Filter unwanted comments. This enables you to control the kind of comments that can appear on your content.
You can choose from three options:
- Inappropriate or offensive content
- Profanity and curse words
- Advertisements and spam
Once you’ve selected the types of comments you want to filter, adjust the settings for each one. You’ll be able to choose between three levels of filtering: Basic, Moderate, and Strict.
Choose who can comment on your TikTok posts
Or you can prevent unwanted interactions by restricting commenting to only your followers, people you follow.
To choose who can comment on your TikTok videos, do this:
Step 1: Launch the TikTok app and tap Profile at the bottom.
Step 2: Tap the Menu ☰ icon at the top, then choose Settings and privacy.
Step 3: Go to Privacy.
Step 4: Under Interactions, tap Comments.
Step 5: Click Allow comments from, and then choose from the following options: Everyone, Friends, No one.
Turn on or off comments for individual posts
If an individual TikTok video’s comments section has become unmanageable (or you feel it’s about to), you can simply turn off comments for that individual post.
Step 1: Go to the video you want to moderate comments in.
Step 2: Tap Privacy settings at the bottom of the video.
Step 3: Turn the Allow comments setting on or off.
How NapoleonCat helps you manage inappropriate TikTok comments
Make no mistake, TikTok’s built-in features for handling inappropriate comments are pretty slick. But as your following grows, so do the trolls. When managing inappropriate comments becomes overwhelming, especially if you have multiple accounts, TikTok’s native tools won’t be sufficient anymore.
That’s where NapoleonCat comes in. Instead of juggling between different menus and settings to handle comments across multiple accounts, NapoleonCat’s Social Inbox lets you manage all your social media comments in one place. Suddenly, staying on top of things is that easy.
NapoleonCat’s TikTok management tools for business lets you filter, tag, and respond to TikTok comments – both from organic posts and ads – in one customizable dashboard – even if you run multiple TikTok accounts.
You’ll see new comments (i.e., the ones that nobody’s handled yet) in the “New” tab, so you can easily focus on what matters.
You can take things a step further by tagging users (e.g., “troll”) and comments (e.g., “bullying”)—these tags are customizable, so organize your interactions based on what makes the most sense for your brand.
You can also mark the sentiment of the comment (e.g., “inappropriate”), which helps prioritize your responses. You can also turn on AI-powered automatic tagging.
The best part? You can hide, reply, like, or even archive the comment, all from one dashboard.
Social media customer service becomes more effective when backed by a solid team. With NapoleonCat, your team collaborates on handling comments in real time. Simply assign moderators so they can quickly respond to comments, manage interactions, and translate foreign comments or replies automatically.
See how it all works in this short video tutorial:
As you can see, NapoleonCat makes community building on TikTok a fun and easy exercise. Better yet, it gives you more time to focus on what you love—creating and engaging with your community.
We highly recommend you test NapoleonCat completely for free – no credit card required 😉
TikTok management tool for teams
Schedule your TikToks, manage TikTok comments (organic and ads), and analyze your performance – from one place – with a simple tool designed for teams.
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