TikTok’s “Nudge” feature first showed up in 2022, and by late 2025 it’s still very much part of the platform. Most people notice it when they see a small prompt asking a creator to go live. That’s the obvious use.
What’s less obvious is how Nudge has slowly expanded. It now appears in direct messages, and sometimes even after repeated profile views. Not everyone notices these changes right away, but together they turn Nudge into something more than a reminder button. It becomes a signal.
At a basic level, TikTok Nudge lets users say, “Now is a good time.” No comments. No guessing. Just a quiet push. For buyers, product teams, and sourcing agents, this matters more than it sounds. These nudges often show up before products are widely available, or before placing bulk orders. That timing makes them useful.
This article breaks down what TikTok Nudge really does, how it works in practice, how to recognize it, and why it matters from a sourcing point of view. The goal isn’t marketing theory. It’s understanding how early demand shows up in the real world, sometimes in small, easy-to-miss ways.
On TikTok, Nudge works like a quiet request. A viewer taps it to let a creator know there’s interest in a live session. No pressure, no public signal. Just intent.
Compared to likes or comments, nudges are more deliberate. Someone doesn’t tap it by accident. It usually means the viewer wants to see something explained, tested, or shown live. In many cases, it’s about a product category rather than the creator alone.
By 2025, TikTok added a few variations. Nudges can appear in DMs, encouraging replies when a chat goes quiet. In some cases, after repeated profile views, the app suggests starting a conversation. These features aren’t loud, but they add up.
For sourcing agents watching product trends, this is where it gets interesting. When multiple people nudge a creator who often talks about, say, kitchen tools or beauty devices, it usually points to a real question in the market. Viewers want to see something work. They want details. Sometimes they’re comparing options without saying it directly.
That kind of behavior often shows up weeks before suppliers feel the demand.
Using the Nudge feature itself is simple. No advanced settings, no paid tools.
1.Open the creator’s profile.
2.Tap the bell icon in the top-right corner.
3.If the account isn’t followed yet, TikTok may require following first.
4.Under LIVE notifications, find and enable the “Nudge” option.
After that, nudging becomes available whenever live content feels relevant.
TikTok has also added other small nudging actions:
When a nudge is received, TikTok sends a notification to the Inbox. It usually reads something like “wants you to go live,” along with the username.
There’s no requirement to respond. Creators can ignore it, reply later, or go live if timing works. Past nudges can be checked in notification history, though many creators don’t review them closely.
From a sourcing perspective, volume matters. One nudge doesn’t mean much. Ten nudges within a short time window usually does. That’s often when creators decide to go live, answer questions, or test products on camera.
Those sessions tend to be messy. Lighting isn’t perfect. Products fail sometimes. But that’s exactly why the feedback is useful. Viewers react honestly, especially when something doesn’t work as expected.
Nudge matters because it removes guessing. Instead of assuming interest, it shows it.
Creators often don’t know when their audience actually wants live content. Nudge answers that question directly. For sourcing teams, this creates a predictable window to observe real demand. Not after launch. Not after ads. Before large commitments.
When creators respond to nudges and start a live session, TikTok often pushes that content further. More viewers join. New questions appear. Sometimes the audience doubles in minutes.
For buyers, this wider exposure means more data points. Different opinions. Different objections. That’s useful when evaluating whether a product idea has depth or just surface interest.
TikTok rewards casual, unscripted interaction. Nudges encourage that. Viewers feel involved, and creators respond more openly. This back-and-forth builds trust, which often shows up later in buying behavior.
As TikTok continues adjusting its live features in 2025, Nudge has become an early step in demand discovery. Not formal research. But often more honest.
A: Nudges show when viewers actively want live explanations or demos. Watching how often they appear, and what questions follow, helps buyers judge interest before placing orders.
A: Follow relevant creators, watch for repeated nudges, and pay attention to live session comments. Pricing questions and repeated feature requests often say more than likes.
