TikTok Pulse Core ad creative: what the video needs to book

A Pulse Core ad is a Reach and Frequency in-feed ad, so the creative specs of that format apply: a 5 to 60 second video, 9:16 at 540x960 or larger, at least 2,500 kbps, with sound and no watermark. TikTok's Pulse setup page says the Reach and Frequency creative specs apply, and the reservation page lists the numbers. You can also run a Spark Ad in a Pulse ad group, in which case the post's own file is used. Sume can cut and resize the clip, but it cannot set a bitrate, so that one number you check on your side.

What does the Pulse setup page require?

The setup page (last updated September 2026) says Pulse is bought with the Reach objective and the Pulse campaign type. Each ad group holds one lineup type: Max Pulse (the default), Category, Seasonal or Custom. The reservation method can be Budget, Impressions, Reach or Reach Percentage.

Pulse Core's own page says the Pulse Score refreshes daily and that the lineup covers the top 4% of content. Ads can be In-feed Spark or non-Spark.

What are the video specs for a non-Spark Pulse ad?

For a non-Spark ad the Reach and Frequency page gives the file rules. Spark creative follows the sparked post, which has its own 10 minute cap on TikTok's Spark page.

How do you conform a clip with Sume?

Video trim cuts a range from a Sume-hosted clip for $0.02 per job. Give it start plus exactly one of end or duration (0.2 to 900 seconds). Set precision to exact (the default, which re-encodes with libx264 and yuv420p) and pass an output of width and height from 256 to 2160 with fps 24, 25, 30 or 60. The source can be up to 1800 seconds and the output up to 900.

An Idempotency-Key header is required. The example below cuts a 15 second ad from a longer cut at 1080x1920 and 30 fps.

curl -X POST https://api.sume.com/v1/video-trim \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: pulse-core-15s-001" \
  -d '{
    "video_url": "https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_demo/master.mp4",
    "start": 4,
    "duration": 15,
    "precision": "exact",
    "audio": "keep",
    "output": {"width": 1080, "height": 1920, "fps": 30}
  }'

Spark or non-Spark: which path suits a Pulse booking?

Both are allowed in a Pulse ad group, and the choice changes what you have to produce. A non-Spark ad is a file you upload, so every number in the table above is your responsibility, including the watermark rule and the rule that the ad must not mimic the TikTok interface. A Spark Ad reuses a post from an account, so the file was already published and TikTok's Spark page lists no ratio, resolution, file type, bitrate or size limits beyond the 10 minute maximum on a sparked video.

That does not make Spark free of review. The ad still has to pass the general ad policy, including audio, legibility and caption consistency. If the post was cut for the feed rather than for a reservation, check the first seconds and the sound before you spend a booking on it. Pulse Core also offers an In-feed Spark option on the lineup page, so a creator post that already performs organically is a natural candidate.

For a team that cuts many versions, the practical approach is one master edit and several conformed outputs: a 15 second cut at 1080x1920, a 30 second cut, and a 60 second cut for the longest slot. Trim jobs are $0.02 each, so three cuts cost six cents.

What does Sume not check for you?

The trim doc has no bitrate field, so the 2,500 kbps floor is something to read from your encoder or export. Video inspect returns probe facts and, with frames: false, no stills; the doc names probe.has_audio, so run it first to confirm the clip carries sound before you book. Sound is required, and so is a clean frame with no TikTok watermark.

Plan the dates too. The ad group has to exist at least a day before delivery, and a Seasonal lineup caps frequency at 4 per day. A clip that fails review late costs you the booking window, so conform and inspect it before you create the ad group.