YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility

Update November 2020: The FAQ section has been expanded. We’ve also provided context around why
you may see ads on videos from channels that aren’t in the YouTube Partner Program.

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) gives creators greater access to YouTube resources and features like
direct access to our Creator Support team. It also enables revenue sharing from ads being served on your
content. In this article, you can review:

Available features

Criteria for joining

The application checklist

Other miscellaneous FAQs on YPP

What you get

Access to our Creator Support teams

Access to the Copyright Match Tool

Access to our monetization features

Minimum eligibility requirements to join

Follow all the YouTube monetization policies.

The YouTube monetization policies are a collection of policies that allow you to monetize on YouTube. As
a YouTube partner, your agreement including the YouTube partner program policies require compliance
with these monetization policies to potentially earn money on YouTube.

Live in a country/region where the YouTube Partner Program is available.

Have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.

Have more than 1,000 subscribers.

Have a linked AdSense account.

YouTube Partner Program application checklist

Everyone who meets our threshold can apply for YPP, but you do need to meet some of our guidelines to
be considered. This checklist is meant to guide you through the application process.

Make sure your channel follows our policies and guidelines. When you apply, you’ll go through a
standard review process to check whether your channel meets our policies and guidelines. Channels that
meet our policies and guidelines will be accepted into the program. We also constantly check channels in
the program to make sure they continue to meet our policies and guidelines.

Enable 2-Step Verification for your Google Account, which means you’ll protect your account with both
your password and a second device. Not having 2-Step Verification may cause a delay in your application
review, so we highly recommend Enable 2-Step Verification for your Google Account. Go to g.co/2sv to
get started.

Have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours. When we assess channels for the
YouTube Partner Program, we need context. When you reach this threshold, it usually means that you
have more content. The threshold helps us make a more informed decision about whether your channel
meets our policies and guidelines. You can apply for YPP once you reach this threshold.

Sign YPP terms. You can ask to be notified when you reach the subscriber and public watch hour
threshold. Once your channel meets the threshold, follow these instructions:

Sign in to YouTube.

In the top right, click your profile picture and then YouTube Studio.

In the left menu, click Monetization.

If you’re under the threshold, click Notify me when I’m eligible to get an email. You’ll receive an email
when you’ve reached 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours over the past 12 months. If you meet the
threshold, click Start on the “Review Partner Program terms” card.

Once you’ve signed the term, we’ll mark this step with a green “Done” sign on the “Review Partner
Program terms” card.

Make sure you only have 1 AdSense account. As part of the application process, you’ll need to connect
an AdSense account to get paid.

Click Start on the “Sign up for Google AdSense” card.

If you already have an AdSense account, use the one that's already approved. You can link as many of
your channels as you want to a single AdSense account.

If you don't have an AdSense account, you can create one by following the on-screen instructions.

Once you’ve connected your AdSense, we’ll mark this step with a green “Done” sign on the “Sign up for
Google AdSense” card.

Get reviewed. Once you sign the YouTube Partner Program terms and connect an AdSense account, your
channel will automatically be put in a review queue. Our automated systems and human reviewers will
then review your channel’s content to check whether your account has followed all of our guidelines.
You can check your application status anytime at https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC/monetization.

If you’re accepted into YPP: Congratulations! You can now set up ad preferences and enable
monetization on your uploads. Here’s a list of FAQs that we get from creators who have just joined YPP.

If you’re rejected from YPP: Our reviewers found that a significant portion of your channel doesn’t meet
our policies and guidelines. You can re-apply 30 days after your rejection. Check out our FAQs for tips on
how to strengthen your application.

Review process

Your application will be put into queue once you:

Meet our subscriber and watch time thresholds

Sign the YouTube Partner Program terms

Connect your AdSense account

Our human reviewers will assess your channel as a whole to check whether your account meets our
YouTube monetization policies.

We’ll get back to you with a decision once your channel is reviewed (typically about 1 month after you
meet the threshold).

Note: Sometimes, you may need to wait more than a month. There can be multiple reasons for delays --
higher-than-usual application volumes, system issues, or we may occasionally need to shift resources.
Our policy specialists try to get through applications as fast as possible, but delays can happen because
we have a limited number of specialists.

Can you speed up my application?

No. Our teams can’t speed up your application. All applications are put in a queue, and will be processed
in the order they’re received. Sometimes channels require multiple reviews, especially when multiple
reviewers disagree on your channel’s suitability for YPP. In these cases, multiple reviews may be needed,
which means it may take more time for a decision to be made.

Stay active to keep making money

As the YouTube Partner Program continues to grow, it's important to maintain a healthy, active
ecosystem of channels. To focus our support for creators who are active and engaged with the
community, we may disable monetization on channels that haven’t uploaded a video or posted to the
Community tab for 6 months or more.

FAQs around applying and more

What if I don’t meet the program threshold?

If you don’t meet the threshold yet, keep working to make original content and build your audience.
Here are some resources that can help you grow your channel:

Go to Creator Academy and get tips from top creators.

Learn solutions from other YouTube users in the YouTube Help Forum.

Go to the Creator Site to learn, grow, and be connected to programs, resources, and events.

Check out our YouTube Help channel and YouTube Creators channel to watch tutorials, troubleshooting,
and tip videos from the YouTube Help team.

View resources available to you as a creator.

What does “valid public watch hours” mean?

Not all watch hours count toward the YouTube Partner Program threshold.

What counts as a valid public watch hour:

Watch hours gained from videos you’ve set public

Watch hours gained through the following types of video do not count towards the YPP threshold:
Private videos

Unlisted videos

Deleted videos

Ad campaigns

Videos played from the 'Stories and short videos' shelf

Livestreams not converted to VOD (video on demand)

If I meet the threshold, do I automatically get into YPP?

No. Every channel that meets the threshold will go through a standard review process. Our team will
review your channel as a whole to check whether your channel meets our YouTube monetization
policies. Channels that follow our policies and guidelines are able to monetize.

What happens if my counts drop below the threshold after I apply?

We’ll send your channel for review once you meet our valid public watch hours and subscriber threshold.
So it doesn’t matter if your subscriber or watch hour counts drop below the threshold while waiting for
review. If you’ve met the threshold and applied for YPP, we’ll still review your channel for YPP suitability.

But, YouTube does reserve the right, at its discretion, to remove monetization from channels if a channel
is inactive and has not uploaded or posted Community posts for 6 months or more.

Channels will lose monetization when they violate any of the YouTube monetization policies. This loss of
monetization will happen regardless of their watch hours and subscriber count.

What if I already applied in Creator Studio Classic?

If you previously started the application process in Creator Studio Classic and still want to become a
member of the YouTube Partner Program:

Please make sure that your channel is eligible and re-apply to become a member of the YouTube Partner
Program. You can follow the application instructions outlined on this page.

I’m no longer in YPP (or I was never in the program) and I’m seeing ads on my videos. Am I earning
revenue from those ads?

YouTube is able to serve ads on all content on the platform. If you were previously a member of YPP (and
currently are not in the program), you may still see ads being served on your content. In this case, you do
not receive a share of the revenue.

If you rejoin YPP in the future, you’ll be able to receive a share of the revenue from ads served on your
content after you rejoin. In that case, when reapplying for YPP, make sure that your channel meets the
eligibility criteria outlined on this page.

New to YPP and unsure where to go next? Take the Welcome to YPP lesson on Creator Academy.

My channel is approved to monetize FAQs

Monetization features

What are the different ways to monetize?

Your access to features may change depending on the number of subscribers you have. Learn more
about our different features and eligibility requirements.

I meet all the requirements, why can’t I turn on a specific feature?

Our reviewers also check your channel to see whether it’s appropriate for you to turn on a certain
feature. Some features may not be available to you due to local legal restrictions or YouTube support
capacity in your country/region or language.

Monetization icon and video appeals

What do all the icons mean?

Generally, the icons tell you about the monetization status of the video. Learn more about the
monetization icon and how that impacts your revenue.

Can I appeal a yellow icon?

You can check your content against our advertiser-friendly content guidelines and examples. If your
content meets all the criteria for “you can turn on ads for this content,” then you can file an appeal.
Access to monetization

What happens if I drop below the monetization threshold?

YouTube will not automatically remove your channel's access to monetization if it drops below the
threshold. But, YouTube does reserve the right, at its discretion, to remove monetization from channels if
a channel is inactive and not uploading or posting Community posts for 6 months or more.

Channels will lose monetization if they violate any of the YouTube monetization policies, regardless of
their watch hours and subscriber count.

What happens if I lose access to monetization?

If it's determined that your channel is no longer eligible to monetize, your channel will lose access to all
monetization tools and associated features.

If we’ve removed your channel from monetization due to a policy violation, you should start by going to
the monetization page to read more about the policy your channel violated. Then, review your videos
against our YouTube monetization policies and our Community Guidelines. The next step is to edit or
delete any videos that violate our policies.

You can keep uploading original content and building your audience on YouTube. If your channel is
suspended from the YouTube Partner Program, you can re-apply to the program after 30 days.

Other

Does monetization affect search results?

Monetization status is not used to inform how videos display on YouTube. Learn more about
monetization and how it works with our Search & Discovery systems.

I can’t find the answer to my question. Help!

If you’re monetizing, you have access to our Creator Support team. Learn how to get support.
Give feedback about this articleMy channel was rejected for monetization FAQs

Why was I rejected for monetization?

If your application was rejected, it means our human reviewers believe that a significant portion of your
channel does not meet our policies and guidelines. To learn about next steps, see the other questions in
this article.

Can I apply again?

Yes. You can apply 30 days after you get your rejection email. You’ll want to make some changes to your
channel before you apply again.

What can I do to make my application stronger?

We can’t promise that you can monetize after making changes to your channel. But we do have some
general guidelines to help you get your channel to a point where it’s eligible for the program.

Read your rejection email. It will tell you the specific policies that your channel violated.

Then, review your content (videos, titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and tags) against our YouTube
monetization policies and our Community Guidelines.

The next step is to edit or delete any videos that violate our policies

If you reapply, our review team will carefully look over your content again. We’ll email you to let you
know when the process is complete (it takes about a month). You can also check the status of your
application on the monetization page.

Give feedback about this article

Was this helpful?YesHow to earn money on YouTube

To earn money on YouTube, you’ll need to apply for and be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program
(YPP). Learn more.

A few notes
We won’t tell you what you can create on YouTube, but we do have a responsibility to do right by our
viewers, creators and advertisers. If you’re in the YouTube Partner Program, you can earn money through
YouTube. When in the YouTube Partner Program, we hold you to a higher standard.

To make sure we’re rewarding good creators, we review your channel before you’re accepted in the
YouTube Partner Program. We also constantly review channels to make sure you’re meeting all our
policies and guidelines.

You may be liable to pay taxes on your earnings from YouTube; find out more below.

Ways to make money in the YouTube Partner Program

You can make money on YouTube through the following features:

Advertising revenue: Get ad revenue from display, overlay, and video ads.

Channel memberships: Your members make recurring monthly payments in exchange for special perks
that you offer.

Merch shelf: Your fans can browse and buy official branded merchandise that’s showcased on your
watch pages.

Super Chat & Super Stickers: Your fans pay to get their messages highlighted in chat streams.

YouTube Premium Revenue: Get part of a YouTube Premium subscriber’s subscription fee when they
watch your content.

Each feature has its own set of eligibility requirements on top of subscriber and view count
requirements. If our reviewers believe that your channel or video is not eligible, specific features may
not be available. These extra thresholds exist for two main reasons. The most important one is that we
have to meet legal requirements in every area where the feature is available. Then, because we want to
reward good creators, we need to make sure we have enough context on your channel. Generally, this
context means we need more content to look at.

Keep in mind that we constantly review channels to make sure your content is in line with our policies.

Minimum eligibility requirements to turn on monetization features

Keep in mind that each feature has its own requirements. Some features may not be available to you due
to local legal requirements.

Once you've been accepted in the YouTube Partner Program, you may get access to these monetization
features:

Requirements

Ad revenue

Be at least 18 years old, or have a legal guardian older than 18 years of age who can handle your
payments via AdSense.

Create content that meets our advertiser-friendly content guidelines

Channel memberships

Be at least 18 years old

Have more than 1,000 subscribers

Merch shelf

Be at least 18 years old

Have more than 10,000 subscribers

Super Chat & Super Stickers

Be at least 18 years old

Live in a country/region where Super Chat is available

YouTube Premium revenue

Create content watched by a viewer who is a YouTube Premium subscriber

Your YouTube earnings and tax liability

Earning money on YouTube is a great way to be rewarded for good, engaging content on the platform.
Keep in mind that you may be liable to pay taxes to your country of residence on any income earned
from your monetized videos on YouTube. Check with your local tax authorities for detailed guidance.

Wondering if your channel is ready to earn money? To learn more about monetization, take the YPP
course on Creator Academy.