TikTok will divide its more than 600 approved agency partners into two certification tiers — Agency Partner and Premier Agency Partner — under an update to its partner program announced Oct. 1, 2026.

The badges are designed to signal each organization's depth of experience and demonstrated understanding of TikTok ads, giving marketers a clearer basis for choosing an agency.

"The Agency Partner badge represents an established mark of platform excellence, awarded to qualified agencies that demonstrate exceptional performance, operational capability, and certified team expertise," TikTok explained.

The Premier Agency Partner badge sits above it. TikTok described the top tier as "an exclusive honor" reserved for a select group of top-performing partners worldwide.

"As the highest level of recognition within the agency program, Premier status celebrates partners that consistently demonstrate excellence on TikTok through proven business results, deep platform expertise, and an unwavering commitment to TikTok-first marketing," the company said in its announcement.

TikTok positioned the two designations as a vetting signal for brands weighing agency options. Both certifications offer assurance that an agency has met the platform's partnership requirements, the company said.

"Whether collaborating with a badged Agency Partner to launch and scale performance campaigns or aligning with a Premier Agency Partner for a large-scale specialized activation, brands can operate with total confidence, knowing they are working with vetted, high-performing platform specialists," TikTok said.

The program has scaled considerably since its launch in 2020. TikTok's partner directory now lists more than 600 approved partners spanning creative, marketing technology and measurement specializations.

For brands, the tiered badges add a new filter to the agency selection process: standard partners for performance campaign work, and Premier partners for large, specialized activations. For agencies, Premier status now stands as the top credential to pursue within TikTok's ecosystem.