How to repurpose TikTok videos to Reels and Shorts

Start from a clean master

Don't download the video from TikTok and re-upload it. The downloaded file carries a TikTok watermark, and other platforms may show less reach to content with another app's watermark. Keep the original edit, or export from your editor without platform overlays.

• Vertical 9:16, 1080x1920.
• MP4, H.264 video, AAC audio.
• Burned-in captions if on-screen text matters. Each platform's auto-captions look different.
• Licensed or original audio. A TikTok library sound may not be cleared for other platforms.

Platform specs that change the edit

If you want one file for all four, keep it between 3 and 90 seconds. That fits Facebook's window and every other platform's.

Rewrite the words, not the video

• TikTok: short caption, a few relevant hashtags. The hook is in the video.
• Instagram Reels: the first line shows before 'more'. Make it a reason to watch. Hashtags work in the caption.
• Facebook Reels: plain, conversational text works. Fewer hashtags.
• YouTube Shorts: the title matters for search. Write what someone would type. Put context and hashtags in the description.

In UGC API, caption is shared, tiktok.title and youtube.title can differ. If captions must differ completely, create one post per platform.

Timing

Posting everywhere at the same minute is fine technically. Many teams post TikTok first, then Reels and Shorts a few hours later, so they can pull a weak clip before it spreads. With UGC API, that means two posts with different scheduled_at values. Use DELETE /v1/posts/:id to cancel the second if the first flops.

One call, four placements

curl https://ugcapi.dev/v1/posts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ugc_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "accounts": ["acc_tt_01", "acc_ig_01", "acc_fb_01", "acc_yt_01"],
    "format": "video",
    "media": ["https://cdn.example.com/masters/m-310.mp4"],
    "caption": "I tested the viral blender so you do not have to #kitchen",
    "options": {
      "instagram": { "grid": true },
      "youtube": { "title": "Is the viral blender worth it? Honest test", "privacy": "public" }
    }
  }'

That is 4 credits, about 4 cents. Each account gets its own result. If Facebook rejects a long clip, the others still publish. See UGC video API and errors.

Track what works where

The same clip often performs very differently by platform. Save the published URL from each post.published webhook, then pull views from each platform's analytics after a few days. Over time you'll see which hooks travel and which only work on TikTok.

Slideshows too

Slideshows repurpose even more easily: TikTok photo posts and Instagram carousels are native on both. See the slideshow API. For Shorts specifics, read the YouTube Shorts upload guide.

A repeatable weekly routine

1. Monday: pick the TikToks from last week with the best watch time.
2. Re-export clean masters and write a YouTube title for each.
3. Schedule them as Reels, Facebook Reels and Shorts across the week, one per account per day.
4. Friday: compare views per platform and note which hooks travel.

Repurposing your best-performing clips, rather than every clip, keeps your Reels and Shorts feeds at the same quality bar as TikTok.