2. Why Is My Sample Request Low?

Normally, the expected sample request or outreach response rate is between 1%–10%. A rate above 4% is generally considered healthy.

If your sample request rate is lower than expected, it’s usually caused by one or more of the reasons below.

2.1 Understanding Creator Outreach Limits and GMV Requirements

TikTok Shop has implemented creator outreach limits based on your last 30 days of affiliate GMV (Gross Merchandise Value). These limits determine whether you can message or send collaboration invites to new creators.

For US Stores

For UK Stores

How to Check My Affiliate GMV and Weekly Outreach Limit

You can check this directly in your Seller Center:

1. Go to Affiliate

2. Click Target Collaboration

3. Select Check Rules

Initial GMV Requirements

If your account has $0 in affiliate GMV, you will not be able to message or send invites to unconnected creators.

You must generate some affiliate GMV before you can start creator outreach.

Breaking the $0 GMV Threshold

To start messaging creators, your store needs more than $1 in affiliate GMV.

You can do this by:

• Placing a test order from an existing affiliate video

  • Find an existing affiliate video for your product

  • Place an order through that video

  • Affiliate GMV will be effective to the outreach limit on Sunday

• Reach out to the Euka team for Creator Test Orders

2.2 Low Outreach Cap

If your store has a low TikTok Shop outreach cap, you may quickly hit your daily or weekly limit before reaching enough creators. This can significantly reduce your sample request volume, even if your product and messaging are strong.

Outreach caps are mainly determined by your affiliate GMV performance and account history, and they can take time to increase.

💡Best Practices

When your TikTok Shop outreach cap is limited, we recommend using Outreach → Email Campaigns in Euka.ai.

Email campaigns allow you to:

• Reach creators without being restricted by TikTok Shop outreach limits

• Contact creators who may not respond to in-app messages

• Continue scaling outreach while your GMV grows

For detailed instructions and best practices, refer to the Email Campaigns help page.

2.3 Product Lacks Trust Signals

Beyond the consumer point of view, it’s equally important to consider the affiliate’s perspective.

When launching a new product listing without reviews or sales history, creators may find it difficult to believe that promoting the product will generate profit for them.

💡Best Practices

• Reach out to the Euka team for Creator Test Orders

• Use a third-party app to sync reviews from your DTC store

• Review your product listing images to ensure they align with current TikTok trends

  • Check top competitors’ listings for reference and inspiration

2.4 Outreach Message Is Too General

One common issue is sending generic outreach messages, especially those starting with phrases like “We admired your work…”.

If the first line lacks a strong hook, it will appear in the message or target outreach preview and easily blend into the large volume of messages creators receive—especially for high-performing creators.

💡Best Practices

To make your message stronger and more eye-catching, highlight your key perks upfront, such as:

• High commission rates

• Earn $XX per sale

• Selling X units per day

• Proven viral product on Amazon

Leading with value helps your message stand out and increases the chance of a response.

2.5 Low Commission Compared to Competitors in the Same Category

Creators constantly compare commission rates across similar products. If your commission is lower than other products in the same category, creators are far less likely to request samples or respond to outreach.

Even a strong product may be ignored if another listing offers higher earnings for the same effort.

What Creators Compare

• Commission percentage

• Estimated earnings per sale

• Product price vs. effort required to promote

• Performance of similar products in the category

💡Best Practices

• Check competitor commission rates in your category through TikTok Shop

• Ensure your commission is competitive, especially during the early launch stage

• If you can’t raise commission long-term, consider:

  • Offering temporary higher commissions

  • Running limited-time incentive campaigns

  • Combining commission with bonuses or contests

• Clearly highlight commission details in your outreach message preview, so creators see the value immediately

A competitive commission signals confidence in your product and gives creators a clear reason to choose your listing over others.

2.6 Targeting the Wrong Creator Group

When using general category filters, it’s easy to reach creators who are technically relevant but not the right fit for your product. This could lead to low response rates and fewer sample requests.

💡Best Practices

Euka’s AI Creator Search allows you to build and refine creator personas instead of relying only on broad categories. For example, if your product is a face mask, relevant creator signals may include:

• Keywords like GRWM, skincare routine, night routine

• Visual content focused on skincare or self-care

• Spoken keywords detected through audio transcription

Euka can search creators based on:

• Creator profile

• Visual content

• Audio transcription

• This helps you discover creators whose content naturally matches how your product should be promoted.

• Use Social Intelligence to Find Proven Creators

  •   You can also use Social Intelligence → Top Selling → Brands/Products/Categories to identify creators already driving sales for similar products.

  •   Best ways to use this:

  • Review your top competitors’ creator lists

  • Explore creators promoting related products, not just direct competitors

  •   For example, if you’re selling a face mask, you can also look at creators promoting:

  • Collagen powder

  • Skincare supplements

  • Other skin-related beauty products

  •   These creators already have an audience that is receptive to skincare-related content, increasing the likelihood of sample requests and conversions.

2.7 Aiming Too High Too Early

Some sellers focus only on creators with very high follower counts or high last 30-day GMV. While these creators are valuable, they are often not the best starting point for a brand that has just launched on TikTok Shop.

When your product has little or no sales history and limited TikTok content, the priority should be building video volume and visibility, not only immediate conversions.

Early-stage content helps:

• Increase product visibility to consumers

• Build social proof on your listing

• Attract higher-performing creators later on

💡Best Practices

• Lower your “Last 30 Days GMV” filter when searching for creators

• Focus on creators with a posting rate above 50%, as they are more likely to publish content consistently

Scaling video volume first creates momentum and makes your product more attractive to high-performance creators over time.