Reputation+
TikTok gives you several ways to control which comments appear on your content. You can apply account-wide filters to catch spam and offensive language, turn off comments on individual posts before or after publishing, and adjust comment settings during a TikTok LIVE session.
In this guide, we'll walk you through each method step by step, covering regular posts and TikTok LIVE. We'll also explain how to hide specific comments using a third-party platform and why hiding is often a smarter choice than deleting.
Key takeaways
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Automated filtering: Use TikTok's "Privacy" settings to automatically filter spam, offensive content, or specific keywords.
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TikTok LIVE moderation: Manage comments during TikTok LIVE by using the side settings menu to mute users or block up to 500 keywords.
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Hide vs. delete: Hiding comments is safer than deleting because it prevents user retaliation while preserving valuable feedback data.
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Third-party tools: Since TikTok lacks a native "hide" button for individual post comments, AI-powered platforms like BrandBastion can fill this gap and understand nuance or sarcasm, as the same comment can be safe on one post but harmful on another.
How to filter comments on TikTok posts
Account-wide comment filters
TikTok offers several ways to manage comments, depending on how much control you want over the conversation.
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Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile at the bottom of the screen.
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Click on the Menu button located at the top.
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Select "Settings and privacy" from the menu.
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Tap on "Privacy" and then choose "Comments."
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Under "Comments", choose your preferences:
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Enable Creator Care Mode to filter comments that are inappropriate, offensive or contain profanity, as well as those from people whose comments were previously reported, deleted or disliked.
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Filter unwanted comments to automatically hide comments TikTok considers offensive or spam.
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Filter specific keywords by adding custom words or phrases you want flagged.
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Review filtered comments to approve or delete comments before they become visible.
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Turn off comments on individual posts
Before publishing: On the posting screen, toggle Allow comments off on the Privacy settings.
After publishing: Go to the video, tap the three-dot menu, select Privacy settings, then toggle Allow comments off.
How to hide comments on TikTok Live
As the host
- Before or during a LIVE video, tap on "Settings" on the side.
- Under "Comments", choose your preferences for the following settings:
- Allow comments: Turn comments on or off for viewers during the LIVE.
- Masked comments: Some TikTok LIVE experiences may include additional moderation or visibility controls, such as masked comments. Where available, these settings can limit who can see certain comments during a LIVE.
- Filter comments: Filter spam, potentially unkind, and community-flagged comments that others have blocked, muted, or reported. You can review these comments during the LIVE and approve or hide them.
- Mute duration: Mute comments for the entire duration of the LIVE or a selected time.
- Block keywords: Add keywords or phrases to block comments containing them during the LIVE. You can also block similar versions by enabling this option.
As a viewer
Viewers can hide the comment overlay during a TikTok Live by tapping and holding on an empty area of the screen or swiping to minimize the comments. This only affects your own display, not what other viewers see.
How to hide specific TikTok comments on posts
TikTok's built-in filters work at the account or keyword level, but they don't give you a way to selectively hide a single comment on a post while keeping the rest visible. For personal accounts, this may not be a big deal. For brands running multiple campaigns with thousands of comments flowing in daily, it's a real limitation.
That's where a third-party platform like BrandBastion comes in. BrandBastion aggregates all of your TikTok comments, including comments on TikTok ads, into one dashboard. Our AI analyzes each comment for tone, intent, and potential brand risk, then flags the ones that need attention.
From there, you can adapt moderation to the post context and customize it with brand-specific models, sensitivity levels, and comment categories. You control what gets hidden by platform, campaign, or post type. This gives you precise control over what's visible in your comment section without relying solely on blanket keyword filters.
Why hiding comments is better than deleting on TikTok
- Avoiding upset users: Hidden comments remain visible to the poster, reducing escalation risk. If you delete a user's comment on TikTok, they may notice and respond more negatively.
- Preserving important details: Deleted comments are lost permanently, making follow-up and issue tracking harder.
- Keeping the door open for dialogue: Hiding preserves the chance to respond constructively; deleting eliminates it.
- Retaining valuable insights: Hidden comments stay in your data for sentiment analysis and strategy refinement.
TikTok's native comment management tools give your brand a useful starting point, but for teams handling high comment volumes across paid and organic content, manual filtering isn't enough. A purpose-built solution like BrandBastion gives you the accuracy, speed, and control to protect your brand and keep your community healthy at scale. Ready to see how it works?