Which TikTok ranks at the top depends on what you count: views, likes or shares. For views and likes, there are well known leaders in lists with a fixed date. They do not prove current world records. For shares, no reliable winner can be identified. Therefore, always check the date, the type of figure and which videos were compared.
Below, you can read which videos lead the lists and how to assess their figures.
What do views, likes and shares mean on TikTok?
Views are view counts, likes are likes and shares are sharing actions. Each shows something different. For example, you can forward a funny video without liking it.
| Figure | What is counted? | What does this not tell you? |
|---|---|---|
| Views | The number of views of a video | How many different people watched attentively |
| Likes | The number of likes | Why someone likes the video |
| Shares | The number of sharing actions | How many different people shared or watched the shared video |
A high counter therefore does not tell the whole story. Many views do not mean that the same number of different people watched. Nor does it tell you whether they watched the entire video.
A profile visit is different again from a video view. You can read more about that in whether you can see who viewed your TikTok profile.
Which TikToks lead lists for views and likes?
In the SocialCrawl ranking of 16 September 2026 Zach King’s Harry Potter illusion video ranks first for views. The list compares 24 selected videos, not all of TikTok.
This makes the video a leader within that selection. It does not prove that no other TikTok has more views. You can therefore use the list to discover well known popular videos, but not to establish a world record.
The RouteNote top 10 from 15 July 2026 names Leah Halton’s ‘Summer’ as the most liked TikTok. According to that list, Bella Poarch’s earlier video has been removed.
This is also a list with a fixed date, not confirmation of the current standings. Do you want to mention an exact number? Then check the counter on the video and note when you looked.
Are you looking for the biggest account rather than the biggest video? Read who has the most followers on TikTok? Having many followers is different from making one record breaking video.
Why is the most shared TikTok difficult to determine?
A reliable global sharing record cannot be established without a well supported ranking. One high share total is not enough: you also need to know how it compares with other videos.
To do that, you need to compare contenders in the same way. Each figure also needs a verification date. Otherwise, you may be comparing an old figure with a new one.
Sharing actions are not people either. A fictional example: your video has 300 sharing actions. That does not automatically mean that 300 different people shared it. Nor does it tell you how many people then watched the video.
Want to know who forwarded your video? Read whether you can see who shared your TikTok.
How to check figures for popular TikToks
Have you found a striking record? Go through these steps before adopting the figure.
- Find the original video. Check the account and the content. A reposted version has its own counter.
- Check what the figure means. Is it views, likes or sharing actions? Only compare figures of the same type.
- Note when you check. Keep the video link, verification date and displayed number together.
- Read how the list was made. Were only well known videos selected, or was a broader search made? A selection is not an overview of all TikTok.
- Do not fill in missing figures yourself. Cannot you verify a figure? Then write ‘not verified’ instead of presenting an estimate as fact.
For your own videos, you can view the available video statistics. Also look at watch time and how many viewers reach the end, if you can see that data. This tells you more about their attention than the number of views alone.
Are you comparing two of your own videos? Then view them for the same length of time after posting, for example both after seven days. Otherwise, the older video has had more time to collect views, likes and sharing actions.
Fictional calculation example: your video has 10.000 views and 600 likes after seven days. You calculate: 600 ÷ 10.000 × 100 = 6%. That is six likes per hundred views. It does not mean that exactly 6% of different viewers gave a like.
Why do lists of popular TikToks change?
A video can receive new views, likes and sharing actions after a ranking is published. As a result, the order can change.
The compiler’s choices also determine who ranks at the top. Do deleted videos still count? Are reposted versions included? And does the list compare videos from one country or from several countries?
Watch out for these mistakes in lists of the most popular TikToks:
- Confusing an old publication date with a recent check.
- Comparing likes from one video with views from another.
- Seeing a high counter as proof that people watched the entire video.
- Adopting ‘of all time’ while only a limited selection was compared.
What can you try yourself with ideas from popular TikToks?
When watching a popular video, consider what catches your attention. Do you immediately understand what is happening? Do you want to see the ending? Would you send it to someone, and why?
Use your answers to try something in your own video, without copying the video.
- Show immediately what your video is about. Are you filming a recipe? Briefly show the dish before you get the ingredients.
- Choose one striking moment. Are you filming a walk in the Netherlands or Belgium? Try to show one special discovery instead of a series of unrelated images.
- Think about who will relate to your video. For example, a video about a bike ride in the rain may appeal to someone who cycles to school every day.
- Change one thing at a time. For similar videos of your own, try a shorter opening. Then compare the figures after the same length of time following publication.
A popular video therefore gives you an idea to test, not a fixed approach that always works. Whether your viewers keep watching or share the video only becomes clear from their response to your video. If you are also considering paid options, our TikTok services lets you compare packages for likes and followers, including the available quantities and prices.
