Data study · 10 min read
Best time to post on TikTok in 2026
No single hour is the best time to post on TikTok. In 92,950 public videos from 3,373 English-language creators (Jan–Nov 2026), no hour went viral (5x the creator's median views) clearly more or less often than those creators' usual. The day mattered a little: Monday videos went viral 6% less often, and weekend videos about 3% more often.
If you want one default, post Tuesday to Sunday at an hour you can keep up. Video length moved the odds more than any hour: videos over 3 minutes went viral 19% more often than usual.
Joschua Sünneke·$1 for 7 days · Cancel anytime
- TikTok videos
- 92,950
- Creators
- 3,373
- Went viral
- 11,314
- 5x the creator's median views
- Posted
- Jan–Nov 2026
Source: public profiles of English-language TikTok creators, collected November 2026, aggregated.Download the data (CSV)
Key findings
- No hour of the day clearly beat the creators' usual. Every hour landed between −6% (10pm ET) and +8% (4am ET), and all 24 ranges cross zero. Each hour holds 1,956 to 6,523 videos, enough that an hour 15% better than usual would have shown up.
- Monday is the one clearly weak day. Monday −6% (95% range −9% to −2%). Every other day was within 3% of usual. Monday stayed below usual in all 8 versions of the analysis (−10% to −4%).
- Weekends did slightly better. Saturday and Sunday together: +3% (95% range 0% to +6%), above usual in all 8 versions (+3% to +5%). These are relative changes, not percentage points: at the sample's 12.2% viral rate, +3% would mean about 12.5% of videos going viral instead of 12.2%.
- Late evening was the weakest stretch of the day. Videos posted from 9pm to midnight ET came out at −5% (95% range −10% to +1%). That is below usual in every version (−6% to −2%), but its own range touches zero.
- The busiest hours aren't better or worse. 54% of videos go out between 9am and 6pm ET, and together those hours come out at usual (−1%).
- Longer videos went viral more often. Over 3 minutes: +19% (95% range +10% to +30%). 91 seconds to 3 minutes: +5%. 15 to 30 seconds: −4%.
- Videos without a caption did worst of any group. No caption: −37% (95% range −48% to −26%). A caption under 50 characters: −12%.
The best time to post on TikTok, by hour
Share of posts sent
Viral posts vs the creators' usual
Times are US Eastern (EDT for 93% of the sample). The creators post from many time zones, so the hours mark when videos went out; they say nothing about anyone's local time. Hollow bars: the 95% range crosses zero.
Show the numbers
| Hour (ET) | Share of posts | Viral posts vs usual | 95% range | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12am | 2.1% | +3.4%−7.1% to +14.0% | −7.1% to +14.0% | 1,988 |
| 1am | 2.1% | +4.7%−6.0% to +15.1% | −6.0% to +15.1% | 1,956 |
| 2am | 2.1% | −2.5%−12.8% to +8.1% | −12.8% to +8.1% | 1,961 |
| 3am | 2.4% | +2.7%−7.4% to +12.5% | −7.4% to +12.5% | 2,194 |
| 4am | 2.5% | +7.6%−2.5% to +17.8% | −2.5% to +17.8% | 2,297 |
| 5am | 2.9% | −0.3%−8.9% to +8.8% | −8.9% to +8.8% | 2,681 |
| 6am | 3.6% | −2.8%−10.9% to +5.3% | −10.9% to +5.3% | 3,333 |
| 7am | 4.0% | +2.5%−4.9% to +10.6% | −4.9% to +10.6% | 3,685 |
| 8am | 4.6% | +4.0%−3.9% to +11.8% | −3.9% to +11.8% | 4,234 |
| 9am | 5.5% | +3.2%−3.7% to +10.5% | −3.7% to +10.5% | 5,097 |
| 10am | 6.2% | −2.0%−8.2% to +3.8% | −8.2% to +3.8% | 5,800 |
| 11am | 6.6% | −2.7%−9.1% to +3.6% | −9.1% to +3.6% | 6,159 |
| 12pm | 7.0% | −1.2%−7.0% to +4.9% | −7.0% to +4.9% | 6,523 |
| 1pm | 6.7% | +4.1%−2.6% to +10.4% | −2.6% to +10.4% | 6,205 |
| 2pm | 6.2% | −2.1%−8.7% to +3.7% | −8.7% to +3.7% | 5,779 |
| 3pm | 5.9% | −1.3%−7.7% to +5.6% | −7.7% to +5.6% | 5,502 |
| 4pm | 5.4% | −3.8%−10.7% to +3.1% | −10.7% to +3.1% | 4,991 |
| 5pm | 4.9% | −3.0%−10.3% to +5.1% | −10.3% to +5.1% | 4,540 |
| 6pm | 4.4% | +5.8%−1.6% to +13.9% | −1.6% to +13.9% | 4,114 |
| 7pm | 3.7% | −0.5%−8.5% to +7.5% | −8.5% to +7.5% | 3,480 |
| 8pm | 3.3% | +3.9%−4.9% to +12.4% | −4.9% to +12.4% | 3,057 |
| 9pm | 2.9% | −5.7%−14.0% to +3.0% | −14.0% to +3.0% | 2,698 |
| 10pm | 2.7% | −6.1%−16.5% to +3.6% | −16.5% to +3.6% | 2,542 |
| 11pm | 2.3% | −2.0%−12.2% to +8.7% | −12.2% to +8.7% | 2,134 |
A raw count of viral videos per hour mostly shows when people post. 12pm ET is the busiest hour (7.0% of videos), so it would come out on top of any count. Compared with each creator's own usual, no hour stands out: every bar in the chart is hollow, which means its range crosses zero.
Each hour holds thousands of videos, and our X study, run the same way, did find hours that clearly beat usual. On TikTok, the hour you post shifts your odds by a few percent at most.
By time of day
Show the numbers
| Time (ET) | Viral posts vs usual | 95% range | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12–3am | +1.9%−4.2% to +7.2% | −4.2% to +7.2% | 5,905 |
| 3–6am | +3.2%−2.6% to +8.9% | −2.6% to +8.9% | 7,172 |
| 6–9am | +1.4%−3.2% to +5.9% | −3.2% to +5.9% | 11,252 |
| 9am–12pm | −0.8%−4.1% to +2.7% | −4.1% to +2.7% | 17,056 |
| 12–3pm | +0.3%−3.1% to +3.6% | −3.1% to +3.6% | 18,507 |
| 3–6pm | −2.6%−6.2% to +1.2% | −6.2% to +1.2% | 15,033 |
| 6–9pm | +3.2%−1.4% to +7.6% | −1.4% to +7.6% | 10,651 |
| 9pm–12am | −4.8%−10.0% to +0.4% | −10.0% to +0.4% | 7,374 |
Grouped into 3-hour blocks, the day looks flat too. Evenings from 6pm to 9pm ET came out highest (+3%, 95% range −1% to +8%) and late evenings lowest (−5%). If you post in the evening, posting before 9pm ET is the safer side of that, but neither block is clearly different from usual.
The best day to post on TikTok
Show the numbers
| Day (ET) | Viral posts vs usual | 95% range | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | −5.5%−9.4% to −1.7% | −9.4% to −1.7% | 14,110 |
| Tuesday | +1.1%−3.0% to +5.3% | −3.0% to +5.3% | 13,026 |
| Wednesday | +1.1%−3.2% to +5.2% | −3.2% to +5.2% | 13,702 |
| Thursday | −2.8%−6.4% to +1.0% | −6.4% to +1.0% | 13,749 |
| Friday | +1.2%−3.1% to +5.3% | −3.1% to +5.3% | 13,700 |
| Saturday | +2.6%−1.9% to +7.1% | −1.9% to +7.1% | 12,337 |
| Sunday | +3.1%−1.2% to +7.5% | −1.2% to +7.5% | 12,326 |
Monday is the only day whose range sits wholly below usual. Fewer videos go out at the weekend (27% of the sample, against two sevenths, 29%, if posting were even), and weekend videos did a little better. If you post five times a week, moving the Monday video to Saturday or Sunday is the cheapest change this study supports.
Best day and time together
We checked all 56 day-and-time blocks (7 days × 8 three-hour blocks, 820 to 2,856 videos each). 3 came out clearly different from usual: Saturday 6–9pm (+17%), Friday 12–3pm (+10%), Sunday 9pm–12am (−16%). Chance alone puts about 3 of 56 blocks outside a 95% range, so we don't recommend any single slot from this. Every block, with its range, is in the CSV below.
What matters more than the time you post
By hour, results ran from −6% to +8%, and none of it was clear. What's in the video ran wider, from no caption (−37%) to videos over 3 minutes (+19%). For what makes posts travel on every network, see what makes posts go viral.
Video length
Caption
Captions were stored cut at 72 characters, so longer captions all fall in the last group.
Show the numbers
| Video | Viral posts vs usual | 95% range | Posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 seconds | −0.8%−3.6% to +1.9% | −3.6% to +1.9% | 21,761 |
| 15–30 seconds | −3.5%−6.3% to −0.7% | −6.3% to −0.7% | 22,565 |
| 31–60 seconds | −0.4%−3.0% to +2.3% | −3.0% to +2.3% | 26,450 |
| 61–90 seconds | +2.8%−0.9% to +6.5% | −0.9% to +6.5% | 12,308 |
| 91 seconds–3 minutes | +5.4%−0.3% to +10.7% | −0.3% to +10.7% | 7,164 |
| Over 3 minutes | +18.6%+9.6% to +29.6% | +9.6% to +29.6% | 2,366 |
| No caption | −36.9%−47.6% to −26.3% | −47.6% to −26.3% | 1,877 |
| 1–50 characters | −12.1%−15.2% to −8.8% | −15.2% to −8.8% | 13,605 |
| Over 50 characters | +2.6%+2.1% to +3.2% | +2.1% to +3.2% | 77,468 |
Video length
Because the comparison is within each creator, this isn't big accounts posting longer videos: creators' own long videos beat their own short ones. Videos over 3 minutes did best, but only 2,366 were that long, so the range is wide (95% range +10% to +30%). It stayed above usual in every version of the analysis (+13% to +25%). Under 15 seconds came out at usual (−1%).
Captions
Videos with no caption went viral 37% less often than the same creators' other videos, and captions under 50 characters 12% less often. Longer captions came out slightly above usual (+3%). Only 1,877 videos had no caption, so treat its size as rough; the direction held across the analysis.
How to find your own best time to post on TikTok
This study averages 3,373 creators. Your audience keeps its own hours, so test them:
- Start from the data. Skip Monday, put one video on Saturday or Sunday, and post before 9pm ET. Shift by your audience's time zone if it isn't mostly in the US.
- Set posting slots. Add the times you want to test as weekly slots in Postel, and each post you queue lands in the next free one. Postel posts TikTok videos too. Until TikTok finishes reviewing Postel, they go out as Only me, from a private account.
- Post at a mix of times for 3 to 4 weeks. Aim for at least two videos a week in each slot, so each time has enough videos to compare.
- Compare videos with your own usual, not raw views. Take your median views over the last month from TikTok's own analytics. A video with 5x that went viral by this study's measure, whatever its total.
- Keep what beats your usual and drop the rest. If no time clearly wins after a month, that matches this study: pick the times you can keep and spend the effort on the videos.
Turn these times into your schedule
Add your best times as weekly slots and Postel posts your queue into them on X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Until TikTok finishes reviewing Postel, TikTok videos go out as Only me. For You writes posts in your voice from what's going viral on your topics.
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Who this data fits
Best for: English-language creators who post several times a week and want to know if their posting time is costing them views. The median video in the sample had 2,291 views, so these are working accounts, not only the very biggest.
Not a fit for: accounts whose viewers are all in one time zone outside the US (shift the hours, or test your own), LIVE, and other networks (this is TikTok data only).
Methodology
- Source. Public TikTok profiles: the latest 30 or so videos on each profile, collected on November 5, 2026 for Postel's research into what goes viral on short video. That gave 177,052 videos; 127,661 were from creators whose captions are mostly English. 92,950 passed every filter below.
- Filters. Videos posted January 1 to November 2, 2026, so every video had at least two days for views to settle before collection. A creator's oldest videos are dropped when they are more than 30 days older than the next one, since those are usually pinned (124 videos). Each creator needed at least 20 videos in the sample, so each usual rate rests on enough videos. That left 3,373 creators (a median of 28 videos each) with a median of 2,291 views per video. 73% of the videos were posted from September on, because each profile shows its latest videos.
- Viral. A video went viral when it got at least five times its creator's median views. 11,314 videos (12.2%) did.
- Compared with each creator's usual. "Usual" on this page always means the creator's own viral rate across all their videos, not their views. For a group of videos (an hour, a day, a length), we compare the viral videos it got with what those creators' rates predict. 0% means as expected; +10% means 10% more viral videos than those creators usually get, a relative change: at the sample's 12.2% rate it would mean about 13.4% of videos going viral instead of 12.2%. A creator who posts a lot at 6pm only lifts 6pm if their 6pm videos beat their own usual. This is the same method as our best time to post on X study.
- Time zone. TikTok timestamps are UTC. We converted them to US Eastern Time, accounting for daylight saving, as in the X study. 93% of the sample was posted under EDT. The CSV also has the UTC hours.
- Uncertainty. The 95% ranges come from resampling creators 1,000 times, for every group on the page, the day-and-time blocks included. Groups whose range crosses 0% aren't clearly different from usual.
- Checks. We reran the study 8 ways: with the window ending a day later (November 3) or four days earlier (October 29), with "viral" at 3x or 10x the creator's median instead of 5x, from August only, with creators of 10 or more videos, and with likely pinned videos kept. The pattern held in all of them: Monday below usual (−10% to −4%), weekends above (+3% to +5%), 9pm to midnight ET below (−6% to −2%) and videos over 3 minutes above (+13% to +25%). The best and worst single hour moved around between versions, which is what you'd expect when no hour differs much.
Limitations
- TikTok only. For X, see the X study.
- Not a random sample of TikTok. These are creators found through Postel's research into viral videos: a broad mix of topics, heavier on tech, AI and gaming than TikTok as a whole. Very small and very large accounts may see a different pattern.
- Time zones are unknown. Creators post from everywhere, so Eastern Time here only marks when videos went out; it says nothing about where viewers were.
- Views are a snapshot. We read views once, on November 5, 2026. Videos from the last week before that had less time to collect views than older ones. The check that ends the window on October 29 found the same pattern.
- Captions were stored cut at 72 characters, so we can only tell no caption, short captions and longer ones apart, and we didn't study hashtags.
- Correlation, not cause. Creators may post their weaker ideas on Monday. The within-creator comparison removes who is posting, not what they chose to post when.
Download the data
The aggregates behind every chart are free to use under CC BY 4.0, with a link to this page: best-time-to-post-on-tiktok-2026.csv. Each row is one group (an hour in ET or UTC, a 3-hour block, a day, a day-and-time block, a video length or a caption length) with its video count, creators, viral videos, the viral videos expected from those creators, the difference in percent with its 95% range, and median views against the creators' usual. Plain columns (hour, day, block start, seconds, caption characters) make it easy to sort and join. No captions, video links or creator names are included.
To cite this study
Sünneke, J. (2026, November 12). Best time to post on TikTok in 2026 [Data set and analysis]. Postel. 92,950 videos from 3,373 creators. https://www.postel.app/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok
Frequently asked questions
Updated November 12, 2026, with videos through November 2, 2026.
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
No single hour. In our study of 92,950 videos from 3,373 creators, no hour of the day went viral clearly more often than the same creators' usual (every hour fell between −6% and +8%). Tuesday to Sunday, before 9pm ET, is a safe default; then test your own times.
What is the best day to post on TikTok?
Saturday or Sunday, by a small margin. Weekend videos went viral 3% more often than usual (95% range 0% to +6%). Monday was the worst day: its videos went viral 6% less often (95% range −9% to −2%).
What is the worst time to post on TikTok?
Monday, and late evening. Monday videos went viral 6% less often than usual. Videos posted from 9pm to midnight ET came out at −5%, below usual in every version of the analysis, though not clearly on their own.
Does the time you post on TikTok matter?
Very little. By hour, how often videos went viral ran from −6% to +8% against each creator's own usual, and no hour was clearly different. The day mattered a bit more (Monday −6%), and the video itself mattered most: length and caption moved the odds by up to 37%.
How long should a TikTok video be?
Longer than you might think. Videos over 3 minutes went viral 19% more often than the same creators' shorter videos (95% range +10% to +30%), and 91 seconds to 3 minutes 5% more often. Videos of 15 to 30 seconds came out slightly below usual (−4%).
Do captions matter on TikTok?
Yes. Videos with no caption went viral 37% less often than the same creators' captioned videos, and captions under 50 characters 12% less often.
Which time zone are these times in?
US Eastern Time (EDT for most of the sample). The raw timestamps are UTC, and the CSV has both. The creators post from many time zones, so if your viewers are in one place, shift the hours or test your own.
Can Postel post to TikTok at my best times?
Yes. Set weekly posting slots once and every post you add to the queue goes into the next free slot. Postel posts TikTok videos too. Until TikTok finishes reviewing Postel, they go out as Only me, from a private account. For You writes posts in your voice from what's going viral on your topics.
Can I use this data?
Yes. Download the CSV and use it with a link to this page. It holds aggregates only, with no captions, video links or creator names.