Help & FAQ
Plain answers to the questions people actually ask. If yours is not here, write in — it probably belongs on this page.
Using the TikTok tool
The posting tool
What happens to my video?
It is relayed. When you press send, the file streams from your browser through this site and straight into TikTok's Content Posting API, and TikTok puts it in your account's inbox as a draft. Nothing is written to a disk here, no copy is kept, and the file is not opened or inspected on the way past. Once TikTok has accepted it, this side is holding nothing at all.
Do you post for me?
No. This is the single most important thing to understand about the tool. Your video arrives as a draft in the TikTok app. It is not on your profile, it is not in anyone's feed, and nobody can see it. You open TikTok, review it, write or edit the caption, pick your cover and settings, and press post yourself. If you never post it, it never goes anywhere.
Why does it go to drafts instead of straight to my feed?
Two reasons. TikTok reserves direct-to-feed publishing for apps that have been through its audit process. And it is the right default anyway: a draft gives you the last look before anything is public. A tool that moves a file should not also be making the decision to publish it.
How do I disconnect?
Press Disconnect on the connect page. That asks TikTok to revoke the access token and deletes the session cookie from your browser immediately. You can also revoke access from inside TikTok — Settings and privacy, then Security and permissions, then Apps and permissions — which works even if you are on a different device. There is no account to close, because there was never an account.
Do I need a SimplyKnown account, username, or password?
No. There is no SimplyKnown account of any kind, and nothing on this site asks you to create one. The connect page is public: you arrive, you sign in with TikTok, you send a video. The only credentials involved are TikTok's, and you enter those on TikTok's own page.
What file types and sizes work?
MP4, MOV, or WebM, up to 64 MB. The file is sent to TikTok in a single piece, and 64 MB is TikTok's cap for that. If you are over it, re-export at a lower bitrate or in 1080p rather than 4K. Length, resolution and content rules are TikTok's own and apply exactly as they would in the app.
Does it cost anything?
No, and there is no payment form anywhere on this site. It is a small tool that was already built for this workshop's own videos, so sharing it costs close to nothing to run.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. It is a web page, so a phone browser works the same as a desktop one. In practice most people use it the other way round — sending from the computer where they edited, then posting from the phone.
Can I send more than one video at a time?
One per upload. When the first one is handed off, press Send another video and go again. There is no queue and no scheduler.
Do I have to write a caption here?
No — the caption box is optional and holds up to 2,200 characters. Many people leave it blank and write the caption in TikTok, where they can see the video while they type. Anything you do write is passed along with the upload and is still editable in the app before you post.
How long do I stay connected?
Up to 12 hours, after which the session expires and you simply connect again. Pressing Disconnect ends it immediately. Nothing is remembered between sessions.
Something failed. What now?
The error message on screen names the cause, and the troubleshooting list on the tool page walks through the common ones — file too big, wrong format, expired session, TikTok still processing. If it is none of those, send a note with what the screen said.
Your data and privacy
What is held, and for how long
Do you ever see my TikTok password?
Never. Sign-in happens on TikTok's own page through TikTok Login Kit. Your password is typed into TikTok and goes nowhere else. This site only receives an access token afterwards, and only because you approved it.
Where is my access token kept?
Encrypted, inside a Secure, HttpOnly cookie in your own browser. There is no server-side database of users, tokens or sessions here — there is nothing to breach and nothing to sell. The cookie expires within 12 hours on its own, and Disconnect deletes it at once.
What do you know about me?
While you are connected: your display name, your avatar, and the account identifier TikTok issues for this app — all of which are used to show you which account you are about to send to. After you disconnect or the session expires: nothing.
Can you read my followers, messages, or existing videos?
No. The tool requests two permissions, user.info.basic and
video.upload, and neither grants access to your followers, your
messages, your published videos, your drafts, or your analytics. TikTok shows
you the exact request before you approve it.
Do you use analytics or advertising trackers?
No. There is no analytics script, no advertising network, and no cross-site tracking cookie on any page of this site. The only cookies set anywhere are the two the posting tool needs to work, plus a bot-check on the topic board.
How do I make a privacy or data request?
Email [email protected]. Because nothing about you is stored server-side, most requests are answered by explaining that there is nothing held — but ask, and you will get a straight answer. The privacy policy sets out the detail.
The videos we make
@simplyknownfacts
What are the SimplyKnown videos?
Roughly one-minute history and science shorts — a single story, narrated, with original artwork and captions. They are produced by the Video Creator pipeline, which is one of the projects built here.
Are they made with AI?
Yes, and it is worth being direct about it. The script draft, the narration voice, the artwork and the animation are all machine-generated, then reviewed by a person at every stage before anything is published. The subjects are real history and real science; the pictures are illustrations, not footage or photographs of the events.
Can I suggest a topic?
Please do — that is what the topic board is for. Post an idea, upvote the ones you want to see, and the most-wanted topics get built. You can have up to two open suggestions at a time and one upvote per idea.
I found a mistake in a video.
Tell us and it gets looked at. Send a note with the video and the detail you think is wrong — corrections are welcome, and being right matters more than being fast.
About the site
Everything else
Is SimplyKnown affiliated with TikTok?
No. SimplyKnown is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TikTok. The posting tool uses TikTok's public developer APIs the same way any third-party app does.
What are the other apps listed on this site?
Four private applications — a kids' tablet, a property deal-finder, a sales and procurement ERP, and a small vehicle manager. They are listed on the apps page so the picture is complete, but they sit behind a sign-in and are not open to the public.
Who is behind this?
One person, building tools for his own work and family, a couple of which turned out to be worth opening up. The about page is the longer version.
How do I get in touch?
[email protected], or see the contact page for what to include so the answer comes back faster.