What Are Slop Videos on TikTok?

Slop videos have quietly become one of the most common, and polarizing, forms of content on TikTok. They’re repetitive, low-effort, and often AI-generated or stitched together from recycled clips. Many viewers find them irritating or pointless. Yet despite the backlash, these videos routinely pull in hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of views.

If you’ve ever found yourself watching a TikTok all the way through while thinking, “Why am I still here?”, chances are you were watching slop.

This article explains what slop videos are, why TikTok’s algorithm continues to surface them, and links to real examples of slop-style content currently circulating on the platform.

What Are “Slop Videos” on TikTok?

In internet culture, “slop” is shorthand for content produced at scale with minimal originality, often designed to exploit platform algorithms rather than entertain or inform. On TikTok, slop videos are typically optimized for watch time and repeat views, not creative payoff.

Common characteristics include:

AI-generated narration or synthetic voices
Reused gameplay footage such as Subway Surfers or Minecraft parkour
Random stock clips stitched together without context
Engagement bait captions like “WAIT FOR IT” or “YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS”
Videos that build toward a payoff that never really comes

The content itself is secondary. The primary goal is keeping viewers watching.

As mentioned on Hard Fork…

Where the Term “Slop” Comes From

The term gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, and YouTube commentary channels as a way to describe the flood of AI spam, repost farms, and engagement-driven filler content appearing across platforms. As TikTok’s recommendation system increasingly prioritizes retention and completion rate, some creators leaned into slop intentionally. The result is content that people complain about, mock, or “hate-watch” , but still consume.

Why Slop Videos Perform So Well

Despite widespread criticism, slop videos continue to thrive for a few structural reasons.

Watch Time Optimization

Many slop videos are deliberately unsatisfying. Viewers keep watching in anticipation of a reveal or conclusion that never quite arrives. From the algorithm’s perspective, that’s a win.

Engagement Without Approval

Comments like “this is terrible,” “why is this on my FYP,” or “I hate this” still count as engagement. TikTok does not distinguish between positive and negative reactions.

Low Cost, High Volume

Once a slop format works, it can be replicated endlessly. With AI voices, automated editing, and recycled footage, a single account can post dozens of near-identical videos per day.

Is Slop Content Hurting TikTok?

Many users argue that the rise of slop videos is degrading the overall quality of the platform. Common complaints include a cluttered For You Page, difficulty discovering original creators, and an increase in spam-like content.

TikTok has said it is working to limit low-quality, repetitive, and AI-generated spam. However, the continued visibility of slop formats suggests the platform is still balancing quality concerns against engagement metrics.

What Comes Next

As these formats continue to evolve, slop content is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Instead, it may become more automated, more polished, and harder to distinguish from legitimate content.

TikTok News Hub will be tracking these trends closely.

A weekly feature highlighting the most prevalent slop formats and examples is currently in development.