Resources
for
YouTube creators
Explore answers to the m ost co m m on creator questions—fro m getting started to m onetizing your channel. Plus, find key YouTube policies and guidelines to help you create with confidence.
Top questions
YouTube Studio is your ho m e base for posting videos and m aking edits to your channel. To update your channel’s basic info like na m e, profile picture , and banner, just log in and tap Custo m ization to see your options.
Use the Studio m obile app to m anage your channel on the go. It’s useful for things like checking your stats, responding to co m m ents, and publishing and m anaging your videos fro m your phone.
- Sign into YouTube using a Google account.
- Click your profile picture and then Settings .
- Click Create a new channel .
- Choose a profile picture, na m e, and handle.
- Click Create channel .
You can m ake edits to your channel and post videos in YouTube Studio . To update your channel’s basic info like na m e, profile picture , and banner, just log in and tap Custo m ization to see your options
You can also m ake changes to your channel using the Studio m obile app. You can tap Your Channel and then Edit Channel to update and edit how your channel looks to your viewers. Note that you can only change your channel’s na m e three ti m es every 9 0 days.
Need m ore info?
There are a few ways to get started on YouTube. We offer up different for m ats and functionalities, giving you the flexibility to create everything fro m Shorts, which are vertical videos that run 6 0 seconds or less, to longer for m videos.
No m atter what you’re creating, you’ll need to start by creating a YouTube channel.
- First you need to Sign into YouTube using a Google Account.
- Once you’re signed in, click Create Account , and choose whether it’s for you or for your business.
- You can then create a YouTube channel on your account, upload videos, leave co m m ents, and create Shorts and playlists.
Next, you’ll want to upload your videos!
- Uploading is easy. You just sign into your YouTube account and then click on the Create icon.
- If you’re planning to upload a longer for m video, select Upload video and then choose your desired video file—you can upload 15 files at a ti m e!
- If you’d like to upload a YouTube Short , you’ll need to be signed into YouTube m obile, where you’ll tap Create and then Create a Short . Fro m here you can either upload a video fro m your ca m era roll or create using our suite of lightweight tools.
Our search and discovery syste m s are built to find videos that m atch viewers’ individual interests. We reco m m end videos based on things such as: what your audience watches and doesn’t watch, how m uch ti m e they spend watching, what they like and dislike, if they m ark a video as ‘not interested’, and on satisfaction surveys.
So, rather than trying to find a secret code to these syste m s, focus instead on m aking videos that you think will resonate with your audience. A great tool here is YouTube Analytics, which provides data that can help you understand how your existing content is perfor m ing and provide insights for future videos!
Need m ore info?
Pro m oting your videos is all about getting the word out there. On YouTube, you can use tools like cards, end screens, Stories, and Co m m unity Posts to drive viewers to a specific piece of content!
Off-platfor m, think about pro m oting your videos on your socials and relevant co m m unities, podcasts, or platfor m s that align with your content and your intended audience.
Growing your channel is all about creating videos viewers want to watch and accurately presenting the m to the audience. When doing so, here’s a few tips to keep in m ind.
With each video, think carefully about the title, description, and thu m bnail you plan to use - these should all accurately reflect your content and let viewers know what they can expect fro m the video. If you’re a Shorts creator, think about how the first 1-2 seconds of your content can grab viewers scrolling through the video feed!
Once you’ve got viewers watching, you can redirect their attention via hashtags, playlists , cards , end screens , and m ore.
Need m ore info?
There are lots of ways for creators to m ake m oney on YouTube. First, you’ll need to beco m e a m e m ber of the YouTube Partner Progra m . *
Once accepted, you'll begin to gain access to a variety of m onetization products, including a share of the Ad and YouTube Pre m iu m Revenue generated by your videos; Channel Me m berships; Merch Shelf; Super Chat & Super Stickers; and BrandConnect. Each feature has its own perfor m ance and eligibility require m ents .
* Subject to eligibility require m ents
Need m ore info?
A copyright strike m eans that a copyright owner sub m itted a verified, legal takedown request on a video that uses their content.
To co m ply with copyright law, we took the video down. A copyright strike is a warning. The first copyright strike is a warning. If you get one, you’ll need to go through Copyright School, which helps you understand copyright and how it’s enforced at YouTube.
There are a few reasons your YouTube channel can have m onetization disabled. Any of these actions can result in suspension of pay m ents:
- Atte m pting to m onetize videos you don't own. Make sure you have the right to upload the content: Check the Copyright FAQ, and m ake sure you know how fair use works.
- Atte m pting m onetization of videos that don't m eet our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. We m ay reserve the right to disable ads on your entire channel in situations where the m ajority of your content is not suitable for any advertisers or where there are repeated, serious violations (e. g. uploading of content which is incendiary, de m eaning or hateful).
- Violations of YouTube m onetization policies, YouTube spa m policies, AdSense Progra m Policies, or YouTube Ter m s of Service.
Depending on the issue with your video or channel, there are steps you can take to reinstate m onetization.
Re m e m ber: Severe violations of our YouTube m onetization policies m ay result in m onetization being per m anently disabled on any of your accounts.
Your channel’s M onetization can also be paused . This happens when there isn’t an active and approved AdSense account linked to your channel. If you’re in the YouTube Partner Progra m and your m onetization was paused, don’t worry – you’re still in the progra m. Monetization will resu m e after linking an active and approved AdSense account.
If you notice that your YouTube account or channel has been hacked or co m pro m ised, you’ll first want to check whether or not you can sign into your account.
If you can’t sign into your account, you’ll need to recover your Google Account by answering so m e security questions to verify it’s yours. Then, you’ll be pro m pted to reset your password.
To keep your account protected, we also reco m m end turning on 2-step verification, which can be done in your Security settings.
Need m ore info?
YouTube Studio is your ho m e base for posting videos and m aking edits to your channel. To update your channel’s basic info like na m e, profile picture , and banner, just log in and tap Custo m ization to see your options.
Use the Studio m obile app to m anage your channel on the go. It’s useful for things like checking your stats, responding to co m m ents, and publishing and m anaging your videos fro m your phone.
- Sign into YouTube using a Google account.
- Click your profile picture and then Settings .
- Click Create a new channel .
- Choose a profile picture, na m e, and handle.
- Click Create channel .
You can m ake edits to your channel and post videos in YouTube Studio . To update your channel’s basic info like na m e, profile picture , and banner, just log in and tap Custo m ization to see your options
You can also m ake changes to your channel using the Studio m obile app. You can tap Your Channel and then Edit Channel to update and edit how your channel looks to your viewers. Note that you can only change your channel’s na m e three ti m es every 9 0 days.
Need m ore info?
There are a few ways to get started on YouTube. We offer up different for m ats and functionalities, giving you the flexibility to create everything fro m Shorts, which are vertical videos that run 6 0 seconds or less, to longer for m videos.
No m atter what you’re creating, you’ll need to start by creating a YouTube channel.
- First you need to Sign into YouTube using a Google Account.
- Once you’re signed in, click Create Account , and choose whether it’s for you or for your business.
- You can then create a YouTube channel on your account, upload videos, leave co m m ents, and create Shorts and playlists.
Next, you’ll want to upload your videos!
- Uploading is easy. You just sign into your YouTube account and then click on the Create icon.
- If you’re planning to upload a longer for m video, select Upload video and then choose your desired video file—you can upload 15 files at a ti m e!
- If you’d like to upload a YouTube Short , you’ll need to be signed into YouTube m obile, where you’ll tap Create and then Create a Short . Fro m here you can either upload a video fro m your ca m era roll or create using our suite of lightweight tools.
Our search and discovery syste m s are built to find videos that m atch viewers’ individual interests. We reco m m end videos based on things such as: what your audience watches and doesn’t watch, how m uch ti m e they spend watching, what they like and dislike, if they m ark a video as ‘not interested’, and on satisfaction surveys.
So, rather than trying to find a secret code to these syste m s, focus instead on m aking videos that you think will resonate with your audience. A great tool here is YouTube Analytics, which provides data that can help you understand how your existing content is perfor m ing and provide insights for future videos!
Need m ore info?
Link to Youtube Video (visible only when JS is disabled)
Pro m oting your videos is all about getting the word out there. On YouTube, you can use tools like cards, end screens, Stories, and Co m m unity Posts to drive viewers to a specific piece of content!
Off-platfor m, think about pro m oting your videos on your socials and relevant co m m unities, podcasts, or platfor m s that align with your content and your intended audience.
Growing your channel is all about creating videos viewers want to watch and accurately presenting the m to the audience. When doing so, here’s a few tips to keep in m ind.
With each video, think carefully about the title, description, and thu m bnail you plan to use - these should all accurately reflect your content and let viewers know what they can expect fro m the video. If you’re a Shorts creator, think about how the first 1-2 seconds of your content can grab viewers scrolling through the video feed!
Once you’ve got viewers watching, you can redirect their attention via hashtags, playlists , cards , end screens , and m ore.
Need m ore info?
There are lots of ways for creators to m ake m oney on YouTube. First, you’ll need to beco m e a m e m ber of the YouTube Partner Progra m . *
Once accepted, you'll begin to gain access to a variety of m onetization products, including a share of the Ad and YouTube Pre m iu m Revenue generated by your videos; Channel Me m berships; Merch Shelf; Super Chat & Super Stickers; and BrandConnect. Each feature has its own perfor m ance and eligibility require m ents .
* Subject to eligibility require m ents
Need m ore info?
A copyright strike m eans that a copyright owner sub m itted a verified, legal takedown request on a video that uses their content.
To co m ply with copyright law, we took the video down. A copyright strike is a warning. The first copyright strike is a warning. If you get one, you’ll need to go through Copyright School, which helps you understand copyright and how it’s enforced at YouTube.
There are a few reasons your YouTube channel can have m onetization disabled. Any of these actions can result in suspension of pay m ents:
- Atte m pting to m onetize videos you don't own. Make sure you have the right to upload the content: Check the Copyright FAQ, and m ake sure you know how fair use works.
- Atte m pting m onetization of videos that don't m eet our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. We m ay reserve the right to disable ads on your entire channel in situations where the m ajority of your content is not suitable for any advertisers or where there are repeated, serious violations (e. g. uploading of content which is incendiary, de m eaning or hateful).
- Violations of YouTube m onetization policies, YouTube spa m policies, AdSense Progra m Policies, or YouTube Ter m s of Service.
Depending on the issue with your video or channel, there are steps you can take to reinstate m onetization.
Re m e m ber: Severe violations of our YouTube m onetization policies m ay result in m onetization being per m anently disabled on any of your accounts.
Your channel’s M onetization can also be paused . This happens when there isn’t an active and approved AdSense account linked to your channel. If you’re in the YouTube Partner Progra m and your m onetization was paused, don’t worry – you’re still in the progra m. Monetization will resu m e after linking an active and approved AdSense account.
If you notice that your YouTube account or channel has been hacked or co m pro m ised, you’ll first want to check whether or not you can sign into your account.
If you can’t sign into your account, you’ll need to recover your Google Account by answering so m e security questions to verify it’s yours. Then, you’ll be pro m pted to reset your password.
To keep your account protected, we also reco m m end turning on 2-step verification, which can be done in your Security settings.
Need m ore info?
Policies & guidelines
As a YouTube creator, you’re part of a global co m m unity that works together to keep the platfor m safe, positive, and inspiring. These policies help everyone create, share, and enjoy YouTube responsibly.
Co m m unity Guidelines
Co m m unity Guidelines help m ake YouTube a welco m ing co m m unity for viewers, creators, and advertisers. Content that violates these guidelines is not eligible for m onetization, and will be re m oved fro m YouTube.
Copyright
Copyright is a for m of intellectual property law that protects original works of creative expression.
Creators should only upload videos that they have m ade or that they have per m ission to use. That m eans no one should upload videos they didn't m ake, or use content in their videos that so m eone else owns the copyright to, such as m usic tracks, snippets of copyrighted progra m s, or videos m ade by other Creators without per m ission.
If your own content is being used without your per m ission, YouTube has several tools you can use to help protect your content fro m being m isused.
Everyone with a YouTube channel has access to our copyright takedown webfor m. For m ost copyright owners, the webfor m is the fastest and easiest way to request a copyright takedown.
The Copyright Match Tool finds full re-uploads of your original videos on other YouTube channels. Once a m atch has been identified, you can review it in YouTube Studio and choose which action you’d like to take (archive, request re m oval, or contact the channel).
Just because we’ve found an upload that m atches your video doesn’t guarantee it’s copyright infringe m ent. It's your responsibility to review each video and consider whether fair use, fair dealing, or a si m ilar exception to copyright applies. After review, you can sub m it a takedown request if desired.
Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows the reuse of copyright-protected m aterial under certain circu m stances, without getting per m ission fro m the copyright owner.
However, fair use is deter m ined on a case by case basis, and different countries have different rules about when it’s okay to use m aterial without the copyright owner’s per m ission.
In the U. S. , works of co m m entary, criticis m, research, teaching, or news reporting m ight be considered fair use, but it can depend on the situation.
When a copyright owner for m ally notifies us with a co m plete and valid takedown notice that their work is being used without per m ission, we take down your upload to co m ply with copyright law.
If your video was re m oved through a copyright takedown notice, then a copyright strike has been applied to your account. There are three ways to resolve a copyright strike:
Let it expire: Copyright strikes expire after 9 0 days. If it's your first strike, you'll need to co m plete Copyright School.
Get a retraction: Reach out to the person who clai m ed your video, and ask the m to retract their clai m.
File a counter notification: If you think your video was re m oved by m istake, or qualifies as fair use, you can sub m it a counter notification.
Hate & harass m ent
We re m ain co m m itted to our openness as a platfor m and to ensuring that spirited debate and a vigorous exchange of ideas continue to thrive here. However, content that threatens individuals, or uses hate speech, is not allowed on YouTube. We believe our Hate & Harass m ent Policies contribute to our m ission by m aking YouTube a better place for anyone to share their story or opinion.
Our Hate & Harass m ent Policies have been developed with input by creators and a wide range of external industry & policy experts fro m all sides of the political spectru m, and in consultation with nu m erous experts in subjects like violent extre m is m, civil rights, and free speech.
Misinfor m ation
Our Co m m unity Guidelines include specific policies on m isinfor m ation. Content that is m isleading or deceptive and poses a serious risk of real-world har m isn’t allowed on YouTube. This includes things like pro m oting har m ful treat m ents or re m edies, certain types of m anipulated content, or content that interferes with de m ocratic processes.
Read the m isinfor m ation policies
Kids on YouTube
Protecting kids and their privacy is a nu m ber one priority for us at YouTube, and we have a nu m ber of policies, products and practices in place to help us and our creators to do this.
Read our Child Safety policies
Learn about supervised experiences
Learn m ore about what we’re doing to protect kids on YouTube
We ask creators publishing content where children are the pri m ary audience, or where the video is directed at children, to m ark their content as ‘Made for Kids,’ to ensure you’re co m plying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other applicable laws.
This is i m portant because if you don’t set your content appropriately, there can be consequences on YouTube, or legal consequences under COPPA and other laws.
Monetization
To start earning m oney on YouTube, you first need to apply for and be approved for the YouTube Partner Progra m . Every creator who m eets our threshold can apply for the Partner Progra m, but you do need to m eet so m e of our guidelines to be considered.
If you’re already a creator m aking m oney on YouTube, it’s i m portant that your channel follows all of YouTube’s m onetization policies. These include
- YouTube’s Advertiser-friendly content guidelines
- Co m m unity Guidelines
- Ter m s of Service
- Copyright
- Google AdSense progra m policies .
They apply to anyone in, or looking to apply to, the YouTube Partner Progra m - the progra m creators m ust enroll in to earn m oney on YouTube.
Want to m ake m oney on your videos with ads? Then your content m ust also m eet certain criteria. These are the specific rules regarding what content can run ads, run li m ited ads, or should have m onetization turned off.
Our policies apply to all portions of a creators' content (video or live strea m, thu m bnail, title, description, and tags). Exa m ples of content that m ay not be suitable for ads include the following (subject to change):
The AdSense progra m is how YouTube partners get paid for m onetizing their videos. Make sure to follow the AdSense policies , and YouTube’s Ter m s of Service , which are the ter m s and conditions that all users and creators agree to when using YouTube.
Co m m unity Guidelines help m ake YouTube a welco m ing co m m unity for viewers, creators, and advertisers. Content that violates these guidelines is not eligible for m onetization, and will be re m oved fro m YouTube.
Copyright is a for m of intellectual property law that protects original works of creative expression.
Creators should only upload videos that they have m ade or that they have per m ission to use. That m eans no one should upload videos they didn't m ake, or use content in their videos that so m eone else owns the copyright to, such as m usic tracks, snippets of copyrighted progra m s, or videos m ade by other Creators without per m ission.
If your own content is being used without your per m ission, YouTube has several tools you can use to help protect your content fro m being m isused.
Everyone with a YouTube channel has access to our copyright takedown webfor m. For m ost copyright owners, the webfor m is the fastest and easiest way to request a copyright takedown.
The Copyright Match Tool finds full re-uploads of your original videos on other YouTube channels. Once a m atch has been identified, you can review it in YouTube Studio and choose which action you’d like to take (archive, request re m oval, or contact the channel).
Just because we’ve found an upload that m atches your video doesn’t guarantee it’s copyright infringe m ent. It's your responsibility to review each video and consider whether fair use, fair dealing, or a si m ilar exception to copyright applies. After review, you can sub m it a takedown request if desired.
Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows the reuse of copyright-protected m aterial under certain circu m stances, without getting per m ission fro m the copyright owner.
However, fair use is deter m ined on a case by case basis, and different countries have different rules about when it’s okay to use m aterial without the copyright owner’s per m ission.
In the U. S. , works of co m m entary, criticis m, research, teaching, or news reporting m ight be considered fair use, but it can depend on the situation.
When a copyright owner for m ally notifies us with a co m plete and valid takedown notice that their work is being used without per m ission, we take down your upload to co m ply with copyright law.
If your video was re m oved through a copyright takedown notice, then a copyright strike has been applied to your account. There are three ways to resolve a copyright strike:
Let it expire: Copyright strikes expire after 9 0 days. If it's your first strike, you'll need to co m plete Copyright School.
Get a retraction: Reach out to the person who clai m ed your video, and ask the m to retract their clai m.
File a counter notification: If you think your video was re m oved by m istake, or qualifies as fair use, you can sub m it a counter notification.
We re m ain co m m itted to our openness as a platfor m and to ensuring that spirited debate and a vigorous exchange of ideas continue to thrive here. However, content that threatens individuals, or uses hate speech, is not allowed on YouTube. We believe our Hate & Harass m ent Policies contribute to our m ission by m aking YouTube a better place for anyone to share their story or opinion.
Our Hate & Harass m ent Policies have been developed with input by creators and a wide range of external industry & policy experts fro m all sides of the political spectru m, and in consultation with nu m erous experts in subjects like violent extre m is m, civil rights, and free speech.
Our Co m m unity Guidelines include specific policies on m isinfor m ation. Content that is m isleading or deceptive and poses a serious risk of real-world har m isn’t allowed on YouTube. This includes things like pro m oting har m ful treat m ents or re m edies, certain types of m anipulated content, or content that interferes with de m ocratic processes.
Read the m isinfor m ation policies
Protecting kids and their privacy is a nu m ber one priority for us at YouTube, and we have a nu m ber of policies, products and practices in place to help us and our creators to do this.
Read our Child Safety policies
Learn about supervised experiences
Learn m ore about what we’re doing to protect kids on YouTube
We ask creators publishing content where children are the pri m ary audience, or where the video is directed at children, to m ark their content as ‘Made for Kids,’ to ensure you’re co m plying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other applicable laws.
This is i m portant because if you don’t set your content appropriately, there can be consequences on YouTube, or legal consequences under COPPA and other laws.
To start earning m oney on YouTube, you first need to apply for and be approved for the YouTube Partner Progra m . Every creator who m eets our threshold can apply for the Partner Progra m, but you do need to m eet so m e of our guidelines to be considered.
If you’re already a creator m aking m oney on YouTube, it’s i m portant that your channel follows all of YouTube’s m onetization policies. These include
- YouTube’s Advertiser-friendly content guidelines
- Co m m unity Guidelines
- Ter m s of Service
- Copyright
- Google AdSense progra m policies .
They apply to anyone in, or looking to apply to, the YouTube Partner Progra m - the progra m creators m ust enroll in to earn m oney on YouTube.
Want to m ake m oney on your videos with ads? Then your content m ust also m eet certain criteria. These are the specific rules regarding what content can run ads, run li m ited ads, or should have m onetization turned off.
Our policies apply to all portions of a creators' content (video or live strea m, thu m bnail, title, description, and tags). Exa m ples of content that m ay not be suitable for ads include the following (subject to change):
The AdSense progra m is how YouTube partners get paid for m onetizing their videos. Make sure to follow the AdSense policies , and YouTube’s Ter m s of Service , which are the ter m s and conditions that all users and creators agree to when using YouTube.
Helpful links
Get quick access to official guides, creator tips, and co m m unity support across the YouTube ecosyste m.
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Help Center & Creator Tips
Browse in-depth help articles covering everything you need to create, grow, and earn on YouTube.
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YouTube Creators channel
Watch official updates, education, and inspiration fro m YouTube experts and fellow creators.
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YouTube Official Blog
Explore platfor m news, creator spotlights, and deep dives into culture, trends, and product updates
-
Help Center & Creator Tips
Browse in-depth help articles covering everything you need to create, grow, and earn on YouTube.
-
YouTube Creators channel
Watch official updates, education, and inspiration fro m YouTube experts and fellow creators.
-
YouTube Official Blog
Explore platfor m news, creator spotlights, and deep dives into culture, trends, and product updates
-
YouTube Help Co m m unity foru m
Ask questions, get answers, and connect with creators and product experts across the YouTube co m m unity.
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YouTube Create app
Easily m ake a m azing videos with editing tools, effects, filters, and transitions, all in one app.
