When TikTok first introduced GMV Max ads, we were cautiously positive but also pointed out their limitations. At the time, the product was immature, performance was uneven, and results were not directly comparable to other campaign types.

Only a few months later, things have changed meaningfully. GMV Max is now the only ad format available for TikTok Shop sellers — and more importantly, the product has evolved. With most of the brands we work with, ROI has now matched or even exceeded the ROAS they were getting from their previous campaigns.

That doesn’t mean GMV Max is perfect, or that ROI is a straightforward apples-to-apples replacement for ROAS. In fact, one of our main critiques remains: GMV Max includes organic sales in its ROI calculation. That inflates the numbers compared to other ad products, which don’t take credit for those sales. But even when you account for that, the trajectory is clear — performance is improving, and for many brands, GMV Max is now an engine worth investing behind.

Key Product Improvements

Several changes in the past few months have made GMV Max a stronger tool for brands:

ROI Bid vs. Max Delivery

One of the challenges early on was the “cold start problem.” If a brand didn’t have enough historical data, the algorithm simply couldn’t optimize effectively, and campaigns stalled. TikTok has since introduced a Max Delivery mode that allows brands to push spend aggressively, building the performance dataset needed to train the algorithm. We’ve found this particularly useful not only for new brands, but also when launching new products — or even when creative direction shifts and the system needs to learn again.

Breaking the “Local Optimum” Trap

Another quirk of GMV Max is that the algorithm tends to double down on the same high-performing assets. That’s efficient in the short term, but it often prevents new creatives from being tested. In practice, this means the algorithm can miss out on assets that may outperform over time. The workaround is simple but important: sometimes you need to manually boost an asset you believe in, so it accumulates enough data to catch the algorithm’s attention.

Manual Asset Selection (Fill All 50 Slots)

By default, GMV Max will draw from all available assets. You can override this by creating a manual selection, limited to 50 videos — and we recommend filling all 50 slots. This still gives the algorithm enough variety to optimize, but lets you keep control over what’s being promoted.

The reason to pick manually is brand protection. GMV Max only looks at clicks and GMV; it doesn’t care about how your brand is represented. Sometimes a video might make excessive claims about a product, or highlight a promotion that’s no longer live. Once the “sponsored” label is attached, the brand is associated with that message. Watching every video you allow into GMV Max ensures ads not only drive clicks, but also build the brand the way you want.

Getting the Most Out of GMV Max

Beyond product mechanics, we’ve seen two strategic choices consistently improve outcomes:

1. Maximize Video Eligibility
   The more videos available to GMV Max, the more chances it has to find what works. That means securing as many authorizations and spark codes as possible. At Trendio, we use AI agents to automatically request usage rights across every collaboration and detect spark codes the moment they come in — ensuring nothing gets left on the table.
2. Run Campaigns by Product
   Organizing campaigns at the product level gives you clearer visibility and finer control over spend. We’ve found this structure not only helps identify where ROI is strongest, but also enables tactical budget shifts that maximize efficiency.

The Bottom Line

GMV Max started as an experimental product with mixed reviews. It is now the default ad format for TikTok Shop — and, to TikTok’s credit, it has gotten better. For brands, the opportunity is no longer just whether to test it, but how to master it.

That means using Max Delivery to solve the cold start problem, knowing when to push new creatives past the algorithm’s blind spots, and being intentional with asset selection to protect brand voice. It also means building the right foundations: maximizing video access and structuring campaigns in a way that gives you both visibility and flexibility.

Our take: GMV Max has matured into a performance engine that can deliver meaningful growth, but it’s not “set and forget.” Brands that approach it with a strategy — blending algorithmic scale with human oversight — will be the ones who win.