How the TikTok LIVE WebSocket Works
TikTool provides a managed WebSocket endpoint at wss://api.tik.tools that streams real-time events from any TikTok LIVE stream. You connect with your API key and a TikTok username - the server handles all protocol negotiation, authentication, and reconnection logic.
Unlike direct protocol connections to TikTok's broadcast infrastructure (which break frequently), TikTool's WebSocket API is a stable, production-grade relay with 99.9% uptime SLA.
Quick Start - Connect in 3 Lines
JavaScript / Node.js
import { TikTokLive } from '@tiktool/live'
const client = new TikTokLive('streamer_username', { apiKey: 'YOUR_KEY' })
client.on('chat', e => console.log(`${e.user.uniqueId}: ${e.comment}`))
client.connect()Or connect directly with native WebSocket (no SDK needed):
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.tik.tools?uniqueId=USERNAME&apiKey=YOUR_KEY')
ws.onmessage = (msg) => {
const event = JSON.parse(msg.data)
console.log(event.event, event.data)
}Python
import asyncio, websockets, json
async def connect():
uri = "wss://api.tik.tools?uniqueId=USERNAME&apiKey=YOUR_KEY"
async with websockets.connect(uri) as ws:
async for message in ws:
event = json.loads(message)
print(event["event"], event.get("data", {}))Any Language
Any language with WebSocket support works - Go, Rust, Java, C#, Ruby, PHP. Just connect to:
wss://api.tik.tools?uniqueId=TIKTOK_USERNAME&apiKey=YOUR_API_KEYWebSocket Connection Parameters
uniqueId✓TikTok username (without @) of the streamerapiKey✓Your TikTool API keyjwtKeyJWT-based auth (alternative to apiKey for tokenized browser clients)Event Types
Every WebSocket message is a JSON object with event and data fields. Here are the events you'll receive:
chatNew chat message from a viewer. Includes user info, message text, and badges.
giftVirtual gift sent by a viewer. Includes gift name, diamond value, and repeat count.
likeA viewer liked the stream. Includes total like count.
memberA viewer joined the stream. Fires when users enter the live room.
socialFollow / share / favourite. The data.action field tells you which (follow, share, favourite).
roomUserSeqViewer count update. Includes current viewerCount and topViewers.
subscribeA viewer subscribed to the streamer.
battleLinkMic battle event. Includes battle status, scores, duration, and participants.
battleArmiesBattle armies update. Team scores and participant rankings.
linkMicLinkMic guest layout update. Includes slot/guest user IDs for multi-host streams.
roomPinA chat message was pinned by the streamer.
liveIntroStream introduction update. Includes stream title and description.
emoteChatCustom emote sent in chat. Includes emote ID and image URL.
envelopeTreasure chest / red-envelope event in the stream.
questionViewer-submitted Q&A question.
rankUpdatePer-region rank refresh for the streamer.
barrageTop-of-screen barrage/announcement message.
superFanA viewer became a Super Fan or levelled up. Includes the new level.
superFanJoinA Super Fan joined the room.
superFanBoxSuper Fan box / reward event.
controlStream lifecycle control (pause, end, etc.).
Connection Limits by Tier
Error Handling & Reconnection
The WebSocket will close with standard close codes. Your client should handle reconnection:
// Auto-reconnect pattern (Node.js)
function connect() {
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://api.tik.tools?uniqueId=USERNAME&apiKey=KEY')
ws.onmessage = (msg) => {
const event = JSON.parse(msg.data)
// Process event
}
ws.onclose = (e) => {
console.log(`Disconnected (${e.code}). Reconnecting in 3s...`)
setTimeout(connect, 3000)
}
ws.onerror = (err) => {
console.error('WebSocket error:', err.message)
ws.close()
}
}
connect()