In early 2026, TikTok will phase out Custom Identity — the option in TikTok Ads Manager that let advertisers run ads without linking them to an official TikTok profile. For media buyers and teams, this is not a small UI change. It shifts the operational “source of truth”: new campaigns will need to run from a verified profile. That means access control, sessions and login conditions become part of your risk management — not just creatives and budgets.
This guide breaks down what changes, why older “no public account” processes become fragile, and how to build clean login infrastructure (stable geography, consistent login conditions, separated work environments). The same approach also helps reduce anti‑fraud false positives in Meta/FB workflows.
What Custom Identity was and what TikTok is changing
In TikTok Ads Manager, “Identity” defines how your business appears in an ad. Historically, you could run ads as your own business account, as an authorized account/post (Spark Ads), or as a Custom Identity (a custom display name and avatar). Custom Identity made it possible to launch in‑feed ads without a visible organic profile and without a direct link to a real account.
TikTok has stated it will gradually remove Custom Identity starting in early 2026, and all new campaigns will need to be linked to a verified TikTok profile. The platform’s rationale is straightforward: more transparency about who is behind an ad, more trust, and less room for abuse. At the same time, TikTok is pushing a paid+organic model where Spark Ads become the default bridge between organic content and paid delivery.
- Before: you could launch without a visible profile (Custom Identity), test fast, and keep operations lightweight.
- Now: launches require a linked, verified profile; roles and permissions in Business Center matter more.
- Transition: the rollout is gradual, but some ad accounts may lose the option earlier — waiting until the last week is a bad plan.
What breaks: risks for “no public account” workflows
If your TikTok process relied on “we don’t need an organic account, just the ad account”, 2026 forces a redesign. The main risk is not the extra step of linking — it is the higher dependency on identity, permissions and account security.
- New campaign creation can be blocked or limited if you do not have a linked verified profile.
- More friction with reviews: when identity is mandatory, restrictions can hit at the profile/organization level, not just the ad level. In day‑to‑day operations, buyers often feel this as stricter TikTok moderation when logins look inconsistent.
- Team operations become fragile if everyone shares credentials and logs in from different countries/devices.
- The cost of mistakes increases: the verified profile becomes an asset you must protect from takeover and sloppy access control.
Important: this is not about bypassing rules. It is about building stable, compliant operations that do not collapse under routine security checks.
What “clean login infrastructure” means in practice
Clean login infrastructure is a set of repeatable, isolated conditions under which your team accesses ad accounts and business assets. Platforms do not publish their anti‑fraud signals, but the logic is consistent: sudden changes in login environment look like account compromise or unusual behavior.
You can build good login hygiene around three principles.
1) Stable geography: one “home base”
For both TikTok and Meta, consistency matters. If today you log in from Ukraine, tomorrow from Spain, and the next day from Vietnam, it looks like access sharing or a takeover. For teams operating around UA, a pragmatic approach is to make Ukraine the stable “home” geography for business logins and route remote team access through a controlled channel.
- Pick a primary geography for business logins (often the team’s operating country).
- Avoid jumping between countries unless necessary; travel should be planned with extra verification in mind.
- Do not mix sensitive logins with public Wi‑Fi or random VPN exits.
2) Consistent login conditions: device, browser profile, timing
Stability is not only about IP. It is also about how a login “looks”: the same browser profile, predictable login frequency, and fewer parallel sessions across devices. Agencies and multi‑buyer teams should formalize who logs in, where, and for what tasks.
- Assign dedicated browser profiles/environments to specific roles (admin, buyer, analyst).
- Use 2FA and password managers instead of sharing codes in chats.
- Keep an access log: who logged in, when, and why (especially for admins).
3) Separation of work environments: isolate projects
A common failure pattern is “everything on one setup”: one IP for many unrelated assets, one browser for multiple Business Managers, mixed roles and shared payments. Even if it used to work, it scales poorly and becomes risky when checks tighten.
- One environment should map to a specific set of assets: accounts/profiles, permissions, IP/session and browser context.
- Least privilege: each person gets only what they need for their tasks.
- Separate research from admin work: ad checks and browsing should not be mixed with admin logins.
Sticky vs Rotation for TikTok: when to keep a session and when to distribute
Proxy workflows typically split into two modes:
- Sticky session: you keep the same IP/session longer so the platform sees a stable user.
- Rotation: the IP changes frequently — useful for high‑volume, non‑sensitive requests, but a poor match for account management.
In proxy terms, a sticky session is essentially a sticky proxy: the same IP held for a defined period. If your operating geography is Ukraine, mobile proxy UA / UA mobile IPs can help keep sessions and geolocation consistent for routine business access.
For TikTok Ads in 2026, sticky sessions should be the default for anything that touches accounts and permissions:
- logging into Business Center / Ads Manager;
- linking profiles, managing roles and permissions;
- security steps and 2FA;
- daily operations: editing campaigns, creatives and budgets.
Rotation can make sense for non‑login tasks (trend research, public creative review, market checks). Practical rule: do not do admin logins on rotation. During a verified‑profile transition, it adds risk without real upside.
TikTok Ads 2026: a preparation checklist
Think in two tracks: (1) assets and verification; (2) operational discipline for access.
Track 1. Profiles and verification
- Prepare a business profile that will be linked to ads. Even a minimal organic “shell” helps reduce review friction.
- Complete business verification in Ads Manager or Business Center where required. Verification status can impact your ability to run ads.
- Do not submit false information. Trying to bypass verification is prohibited behavior and can lead to enforcement.
Track 2. Linking, roles and SOP
- Link the assets correctly: Business Center → ad account → TikTok profile. This supports Spark Ads and post‑transition delivery.
- Use role‑based access (admin/operator/analyst) and separate partner access for agencies or contractors.
- Write an SOP: how the team logs in, how confirmations are handled, what to do on suspicious login alerts, how access is restored.
Operational checklist: profiles, access, sessions, team
- Profiles: verified business profile, up‑to‑date contacts, recovery methods, dedicated 2FA setup where needed.
- Access: Business Center roles, least privilege, regular admin audits, clean offboarding.
- Sessions: sticky session per project/ad account, stable geography, consistent login environment.
- Team: password/2FA rules, onboarding/offboarding, incident plan for access loss.
- Documentation: a simple map “project → assets → proxy port/session” for fast troubleshooting.
CTA: Try Ukrainian mobile IPs for your TikTok workflow at turboproxy.store.
Meta/FB: fewer anti‑fraud false positives through IP hygiene
Meta continues to operate under intense attention around scam advertising and advertiser integrity. In buyer terms, this is why BM hygiene and a dedicated facebook proxy per project are discussed as operational hygiene — not as a way to bypass policy, but as a way to reduce false positives and keep access predictable. The practical takeaway for buyers is simple: chaotic logins and shared infrastructure increase the chance of extra checkpoints and restrictions — even for legitimate teams.
- frequent logins from different countries/cities in a short time;
- one IP reused across many unrelated assets;
- parallel sessions across devices and browsers;
- constant permission changes without a clear pattern.
How to separate “contours” in Meta: accounts, BM, payments, access, IP
The goal is not to “trick” Meta. The goal is to reduce risk coupling between projects.
- Accounts and Business Managers: avoid stuffing unrelated projects into one BM when you can structure them separately.
- Payments: where possible, avoid “one payment method for everything”.
- Access: role‑based permissions, minimal rights, visibility into changes.
- IP and environment: a dedicated access channel per project, with stable geography.
A practical rule: “one project — one proxy port — one session”
This rule forces discipline and makes incident response faster. For most ad‑account access tasks, you want a sticky session. Reserve rotation for non‑login research and external checks.
Common scenarios where login hygiene saves time
- Fast access to ad accounts for delivery checks and troubleshooting.
- Team work where logins remain consistent and predictable.
- Task separation: production access separate from research/analytics access.
- Incidents: isolate one project instead of “burning down” all assets.
CTA: Pick Ukrainian mobile proxies that match your team/project structure at turboproxy.store.
Conclusion
TikTok’s move to verified profiles in 2026 and Meta’s integrity pressure point to the same operational answer: build clean access infrastructure. Stable geography, sticky sessions and separated environments reduce random downtime and make team operations predictable.