Published by the Zolyp team ·
What do you need to join the YouTube Partner Program?
The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) lets creators share revenue from ads on their content and opens other ways to earn. Your channel can qualify through long-form videos or through Shorts:
- Follow YouTube's channel monetisation policies.
- Live in a country or region where YPP is available.
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account.
- Have advanced features access on YouTube.
- Have one active AdSense for YouTube account linked to the channel, or set one up in YouTube Studio.
| Route | Subscribers | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form videos | 1,000 | 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months |
| Shorts | 1,000 | 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days |
Source: YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility, checked 15 October 2026
What counts as qualified watch hours and Shorts views?
Only public content counts. Watch hours from Shorts in the Shorts feed don't count towards the 4,000 hours, so a channel should pick the route that matches what it mainly makes. To be told when you qualify, select Get notified in the Earn area of YouTube Studio.
| Counts | Doesn't count | |
|---|---|---|
| Watch hours | Public long-form videos | Private, unlisted or deleted videos; ad campaigns; Shorts; live streams that are unlisted, deleted or not converted to a video |
| Shorts views | Public Shorts viewed in the Shorts feed | Private, unlisted or deleted Shorts; ad campaigns; image posts in the Shorts feed |
Source: YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility, checked 15 October 2026
How do you apply for the YouTube Partner Program?
You can apply from a computer or a phone once you're eligible:
- Sign in to YouTube.
- Click your profile picture, then YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, click Earn.
- Select Apply now.
- Click Start to review and accept the Base terms.
- Click Start to set up an AdSense for YouTube account, or link an existing active one.
- When you see In progress at the Get reviewed step, the application is in. Automated systems and human reviewers look at the channel as a whole, and a decision typically takes about a month.
- If your subscribers or watch hours drop below the threshold after you apply, YouTube still reviews the channel.
Source: YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility, checked 15 October 2026
What happens after you're accepted?
You turn on each way of earning by accepting its module terms in YouTube Studio. Each feature has its own extra requirements, and some aren't available in every country:
- Ads on the watch page and in the Shorts feed: you must be at least 18, or have a guardian over 18 who handles payments through AdSense, and follow the advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
- Channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks: you must be at least 18 and accept the Commerce Product Module.
- Shopping: 500 subscribers, 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3,000 qualified watch hours in 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days.
- YouTube Premium revenue: a share when Premium subscribers watch your content.
- Stay active: YouTube may turn off monetisation on channels with no uploads or posts for 6 months or more.
- YouTube is updating YPP from 1 February 2027. Members must review and accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by 31 January 2027 to keep fully monetising.
Sources: YouTube Help: How to earn money on YouTube, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility, checked 15 October 2026
What if your YPP application is rejected?
A rejection usually means reviewers found that a significant part of the channel doesn't follow YouTube's policies. You have two options:
- Appeal the decision within 21 days.
- Or keep uploading original content, review the channel against the monetisation policies, and reapply after 30 days.
- If this isn't your first rejection, or you've already reapplied, wait 90 days before trying again.
- If you have active Community Guidelines strikes, apply once they expire or after a successful appeal.
- Seeing ads on your videos before you join? YouTube can serve ads on any content, but you only get a share once you're in YPP.
- Once accepted, YouTube's tips suggest checking the Revenue tab in YouTube Analytics to see which days, places and months earn most.
Sources: YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program tips, checked 15 October 2026
Where Zolyp fits
Both routes into the Partner Program reward steady, original uploads over months. Zolyp, which publishes this guide, publishes to YouTube as one of 9 platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads). It creates video uploads and Shorts with titles and descriptions written for search, can set a custom thumbnail on a standard video, and schedules them with the posts on your other networks. You approve the week before anything goes live.
Common questions
How many subscribers do you need to get monetised on YouTube?
1,000, plus either 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Do Shorts count towards the 4,000 watch hours?
No. Watch hours from Shorts in the Shorts feed don't count towards the 4,000-hour threshold; Shorts have their own 10 million views route.
How long does a YouTube Partner Program review take?
Typically about a month, though YouTube says high application volumes or multiple reviews can make it longer.
Can I reapply if my YPP application is rejected?
Yes. Appeal within 21 days, or reapply after 30 days. After a repeat rejection, the wait is 90 days.
Can you lose monetisation on YouTube?
Yes. YouTube may remove it from channels that break its monetisation policies or haven't uploaded or posted for 6 months or more.