How to Post Photos on TikTok

Short answer: Yes. You can post photos on TikTok — one still, or a swipeable set. TikTok’s Content Posting API allows a photo post whose photo_images array contains up to 35 photo URLs, with a title of up to 90 UTF-16 runes and a description of up to 4,000. Through Status 200 Uploads you send one video, or a photo post of one or more photos. TikTok does not mix photos and a video in the same post. A photo post has a title of up to 90 characters and a description of up to 4,000. Two or more photos go out as a carousel; TikTok’s own limit, which we apply, is 35 photos in one post. Each image may be up to 20 MB. A larger JPEG is sent as a smaller copy (TikTok takes up to 1080 × 1920, or 1920 × 1080 wide); a PNG or GIF is sent as a JPEG copy. A photo we cannot make smaller is refused before anything is sent. Your original file is not changed. Sources: TikTok’s photo post API (last updated 27 October 2026) and Post and schedule TikTok videos and photos (checked 26 October 2026).

This is not a repeat of scheduling TikTok drafts (drafts already saved in the TikTok app).

Key Takeaways

Point	Details
Photos are a post type of their own	One photo, or a carousel of two or more, up to 35. You cannot mix photos and a video in one post.
Title and description, not one caption	A photo post has a title of up to 90 characters and a description of up to 4,000. TikTok’s API measures those caps in UTF-16 runes.
Images: 20 MB, 1080p, JPEG or WebP at TikTok	Official media guide: WebP or JPEG, at most 1080p, at most 20 MB each. Through us, a larger JPEG is sent as a smaller copy; a PNG or GIF is sent as a JPEG copy. A photo we cannot make smaller is refused.
Set who can see it	Privacy is Public, friends, followers or only you. Through the REST API, a post sent without tiktok.privacyLevel goes out as only you.
Optional music on photo posts	tiktok.autoAddMusic asks TikTok to add music to a photo post (photo posts only).

What TikTok allows for a photo post

TikTok’s photo post API, last updated 27 October 2026, is the official rule set for apps that post photos. media_type is PHOTO only. The source_info.photo_images list is “an array containing up to 35 photo content URLs.” photo_cover_index picks which photo (counting from 0) is the cover.

Text caps on that page: “The maximum length for photo posts is 90 in UTF-16 runes” for the title, and 4,000 UTF-16 runes for the description. privacy_level must be one of PUBLIC_TO_EVERYONE, MUTUAL_FOLLOW_FRIENDS, FOLLOWER_OF_CREATOR or SELF_ONLY, and it is required for a Direct Post. auto_add_music, when true on a Direct Post, “recommended music will be automatically added to photos, and users can later choose to change the post's music in TikTok.”

The Media Transfer Guide (last updated 4 August 2026) states the image restrictions: supported formats are WebP and JPEG; picture size is maximum 1080p; file size is maximum of 20 MB for each image.

We post through our own TikTok app, so you do not register a developer app. The next section is how we map these official fields.

What you can send through Status 200 Uploads

Post and schedule TikTok videos and photos (checked 26 October 2026) is the product page for this. You can post a TikTok video or a photo post, now or at a scheduled time (up to 365 days ahead), from the dashboard, the REST API, Python, n8n or an AI app such as Claude. You sign in on TikTok itself (OAuth). TikTok is on every plan, Free included. See pricing.

Post types:

Kind	What it is
Video	One video per post, up to 4 GB, with a caption of up to 2,200 characters. Duet, Stitch and the AI-generated label setting apply to videos.
One photo	A photo post with a title of up to 90 characters and a description of up to 4,000.
Carousel	“Send two or more photos in one post and TikTok shows them as a carousel people swipe through. TikTok's own limit is 35 photos in one post.” Each photo follows the same size rules as a single one.

“TikTok does not mix photos and a video in one post.” If you want a video and stills, that is two posts.

Image rules on the same page, also on platform file limits: images up to 20 MB; “Max 35 photos per post. A photo larger than 1080 × 1920 pixels is sent as a smaller copy and you are told; one we cannot make smaller is refused before anything is sent.” The platform page adds: TikTok takes photos up to 1080 × 1920 (1920 × 1080 wide); “a larger JPEG is sent as a smaller copy, and a PNG or GIF as a JPEG copy, and the answer says so each time.”

Settings that apply to a photo post (dashboard name, then the REST field):

Setting	REST field	What it does
Who can see it	tiktok.privacyLevel	Public, friends, followers or only you — only the levels TikTok offers the account. Through the REST API a post without one goes out as only you.
Comments off	tiktok.disabledComments	Nobody can comment on the post.
Your brand	tiktok.isYourBrand	Marks the post as promoting your own business, as TikTok asks.
Auto music	tiktok.autoAddMusic	TikTok adds music to the photo post. Photo posts only.
Photo title	tiktok.title	Up to 90 characters; a longer one is shortened at the end of a word.
Photo description	tiktok.description	Up to 4,000 characters. Photo posts only.

Duet, Stitch and the documented AI-generated label setting are videos only. TikTok’s own photo API also has an is_aigc flag for photos; our product page lists the AI-generated label as a video setting, so we do not claim it for photo posts through us.

Check a photo post with a dry run

The platform page documents a POST /api/v2/posts cURL (content.mediaID and tiktok.privacyLevel). The API docs add dryRun: true: every check a publish makes is run, nothing is sent, and a check is not counted toward your allowance.

This example is that documented request, with dryRun and an Idempotency-Key from the API docs, two mediaID values, and the photo-post fields:

curl -i -X POST 'https://status200uploads.com/api/v2/posts' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer rl_your_api_key' \
  -H 'Idempotency-Key: 8e03978e-40d5-43e8-bc93-6894a57f9324' \
  -d '{"dryRun": true, "post": {"accountId": "@yourprofile", "platform": "tiktok", "content": {"mediaID": ["YOUR_FILE_ID", "YOUR_SECOND_FILE_ID"]}, "tiktok": {"privacyLevel": "PUBLIC_TO_EVERYONE", "title": "Studio visit", "description": "Stills from the studio shoot.", "autoAddMusic": true}}}'

Set privacyLevel if the post should be public: without it, the REST API sends the post as only you. No authenticated request was sent to collect this package.

What we change, and what we don’t

When we change or flag something in a TikTok post, the answer (and History) names it with a code. Your original file is never changed.

For photos, the codes that matter are:

• converted_to_jpeg — “TikTok does not take PNG or GIF photos, so we send a JPEG copy of such a photo and say so.”
• resized_for_tiktok — “A photo larger than TikTok takes is sent as a smaller copy, and the answer gives both sizes.”
• title_shortened / description_shortened — a title or description longer than TikTok allows is shortened at the end of a word, and the answer says so.
• caption_over_limit — in a dry run or a scheduled post, a caption longer than TikTok allows is flagged. We send it as it is; TikTok may refuse it or cut it short.

A scheduled post that names its media by web address fetches the file when it goes out; keep that file online until then (media_url_not_kept). If another TikTok post of the same account is scheduled within 20 seconds, the answer warns you to leave at least a minute between them.

FAQ

Can you post photos on TikTok, or only videos? Yes, you can post photos. TikTok’s photo post API accepts media_type PHOTO and up to 35 photo URLs. Through us: one video, or a photo post of one or more photos — not both in the same post.

How many photos can one TikTok post hold? Up to 35. That is TikTok’s documented photo_images limit and the limit on our TikTok page and file-limits page. Two or more photos are shown as a carousel.

What’s the difference between the title and the description? A video uses one caption (up to 2,200 characters). A photo post uses a title (up to 90) and a description (up to 4,000). Official API caps are in UTF-16 runes. Through us, a title or description that is over the cap is shortened at the end of a word.

What image format and size should I use? TikTok’s media guide allows WebP or JPEG, at most 1080p, at most 20 MB each. Through us, images may be up to 20 MB; a larger JPEG is sent as a smaller copy (1080 × 1920 or 1920 × 1080 wide), a PNG or GIF is sent as a JPEG copy, and a photo we cannot make smaller is refused before anything is sent. Your original file stays as it is.

Will my photo post be public if I forget the privacy field? Not through the REST API. “Through the REST API a post without one goes out as only you.” Set tiktok.privacyLevel (for example PUBLIC_TO_EVERYONE) when the post should be public.

Can I schedule a TikTok photo post? Yes. Schedule up to 365 days ahead, or send it now. This is not the same as retrieving a draft already saved in the TikTok app; see Can You Schedule TikTok Drafts With Our API?.

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Sourced

• Photo — TikTok Content Posting API (last updated 27 October 2026): media_type currently only PHOTO; photo_images “an array containing up to 35 photo content URLs”; photo_cover_index from 0; title “90 in UTF-16 runes”; description “4000 in UTF-16 runes”; privacy_level required for Direct Post (PUBLIC_TO_EVERYONE, MUTUAL_FOLLOW_FRIENDS, FOLLOWER_OF_CREATOR, SELF_ONLY); auto_add_music on Direct Post adds recommended music. Opened 12 November 2026 (Europe/Ljubljana). Wayback 20261109155915 matches the same 35 / 90 / 4000 wording.
• Media Transfer Guide — TikTok (last updated 4 August 2026): image formats WebP and JPEG; “Maximum 1080p”; “Maximum of 20MB for each image.” Opened 12 November 2026. Wayback 20261110053628 matches.
• Post and schedule TikTok videos and photos (checked 26 October 2026): “One video, or a photo post of one or more photos. TikTok does not mix photos and a video in one post.” Title up to 90, description up to 4,000. “TikTok's own limit is 35 photos in one post.” 20 MB; 1080 × 1920 / 1920 × 1080; PNG or GIF sent as a JPEG copy; converted_to_jpeg, resized_for_tiktok, title_shortened, description_shortened, caption_over_limit. Privacy default on the REST API: “a post without one goes out as only you.” Auto music, photo title/description fields, 365-day schedule, TikTok on every plan (Free included), OAuth, documented cURL. Opened 12 November 2026; no Wayback snapshot returned today.
• TikTok API Guide: restates the official 35-URL array, 90 / 4,000 UTF-16 caps, WebP or JPEG, 1080p, 20 MB, and “TikTok does not mix photos and a video in one post.” Opened 12 November 2026; no Wayback snapshot returned today.
• Platform file limits: “Max 35 photos per post. A photo larger than 1080 × 1920 pixels is sent as a smaller copy and you are told.” Images 20 MB; videos 4 GB. Opened 12 November 2026. Wayback 20260715072441 exists; article uses live numbers (archive may differ).
• API documentation: dryRun: true runs every publish check and sends nothing; idempotency key. Opened 12 November 2026. Wayback 20260715080314 exists; dry-run claims follow the live page (archive may differ).
• Can You Schedule TikTok Drafts With Our API?: linked to distinguish app drafts from photos you provide. Opened 12 November 2026.