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YouTube Monetization Checker

Updated October 2026

A free YouTube monetization checker. Look up any channel to see whether it can be monetized and how to tell for sure, or enter your own subscribers, watch hours and Shorts views to check the Partner Program (ad revenue) and the early-access fan-funding tier.

1

Your numbers

Type a channel's @handle or name, or paste a channel or video link, to see what its public numbers say about monetization. Watch hours and Shorts views are private, even to us, so for your own channel enter them below.

700
1K100K1M
3.5K

Long-form watch time only. Start with YouTube Studio, Earn tab; YouTube does not document exactly what it shows there.

200K
3M10M

You only need watch hours or Shorts views, whichever you reach first. They do not combine. Public view counts register a view when playback starts, so they run higher than the qualified count.

2

Account checks

In a country where monetization is available?
No active Community Guidelines strikes?
2-Step Verification turned on?
Progress to full partner programEarning unlocked

70%

The gate right now: 1,000+ subscribers. Progress is your weakest requirement, not the average.

Early Access (Fan Funding)Unlocked
Full Partner Program (Ad Revenue)70%

Subscribers

300

Hours or Shorts views

500

Thresholds are YouTube's published YPP requirements. Meeting them starts a review of your content, typically about a month. Methodology

At 700 subscribers, 3.5K watch hours, and 200K Shorts views, you qualify for 1 of 2 Partner Program tiers. You can earn from fan funding now; the path list shows what full ad revenue still takes.

Your path in, in order

Every requirement you have not met yet, sorted by what unlocks money soonest. The full rulebook, met requirements included, is in the cards below.

1,000+ subscribers

300 to go

Required for Full Partner Program. You have 700 of 1K.

4,000 watch hours or 10M Shorts views

500 to go

Either 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months (you have 3,500) or 10M public Shorts views in the last 90 days (you have 200K). You only need one. You have 3.5K of 4K.

The full rulebook, both tiers

Every requirement YouTube checks, met or not. The review also checks that content is original and policy compliant; reused or mass-produced content is disqualifying even when the numbers above are met.

Early Access (Fan Funding)

Eligible

Unlocks: Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers, channel memberships, Jewels and gifts, and Shopping. No ad revenue yet. Fan funding needs you to be at least 18.

500+ subscribers (met)

3 public uploads in the last 90 days (met)

3,000 watch hours or 3M Shorts views (met)

Either 3,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months (you have 3,500) or 3M public Shorts views in the last 90 days (you have 200K). You only need one.

Live in a country/region where YPP is available (met)

YouTube Studio shows whether monetization is offered in your location. YouTube offers this tier in fewer countries than the full program, so check its expanded Partner Program country list (support.google.com/youtube/answer/13429240) before counting on it.

No active Community Guidelines strikes (met)

Your channel must follow the YouTube channel monetization policies.

2-Step Verification enabled (met)

Turn this on for the Google Account that owns the channel.

Full Partner Program (Ad Revenue)

3/5 met

Rises to 8,000 hours or 20M Shorts views on February 1, 2027, for anyone not yet in the Partner Program. Review takes about a month, and YouTube has not said how an application still in review on that date is judged, so apply as soon as you clear the bar above.

Unlocks: Ad revenue on long-form and Shorts, YouTube Premium revenue, plus everything in early access. Under 18, a parent or guardian can take the ad money through their own AdSense account, but fan funding still needs you to be at least 18.

1,000+ subscribers (not met)

700 of 1K

4,000 watch hours or 10M Shorts views (not met)

Either 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months (you have 3,500) or 10M public Shorts views in the last 90 days (you have 200K). You only need one.

3.5K of 4K

Live in a country/region where YPP is available (met)

YouTube Studio shows whether monetization is offered in your location.

No active Community Guidelines strikes (met)

Your channel must follow the YouTube channel monetization policies.

2-Step Verification enabled (met)

Turn this on for the Google Account that owns the channel.

How this works

The two tiers. Early access needs 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views. It unlocks fan funding only. YouTube offers it in fewer countries than the full program, so check YouTube's list for the expanded Partner Program first. The full Partner Program needs 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views, and adds ad revenue and YouTube Premium revenue. Most people mean the full program by "getting monetized".

Watch hours or Shorts views: pick your lane. You only need one. For most channels 4,000 long-form hours is the realistic route; 10 million Shorts views in 90 days only makes sense if Shorts are already most of your output. The two never combine: Shorts watch time does not count toward the hours figure. The Watch Hours Calculator projects the month you cross 4,000 at your current pace.

The review is the real gate. When you apply, YouTube reviews your channel for original, policy-compliant content. Reused or mass-produced content is disqualifying even when a channel's subscriber and watch-hour numbers already qualify.

Where to find your numbers. Subscribers are on your channel page. The Earn tab in YouTube Studio is the place to start for watch hours and Shorts views, but YouTube does not document exactly what it shows there. Don't read them off the dashboard's Channel Analytics card instead: it defaults to the last 28 days, not the 12-month and 90-day windows these thresholds use, and public view counts register a view the moment playback starts (Shorts since March 31, 2025, every format since August 24, 2026), so they run ahead of the qualified views figure eligibility uses. Feature access is under Settings, Channel, Feature eligibility. Strikes and your Partner Program standing show on the Account Status page in the YouTube Studio app.

Once you qualify, what will it pay? Eligibility is step one. Long-form RPM runs roughly $1.65 in entertainment to $24.75 in finance; Shorts pay $0.02 to $0.12 per 1,000 views. The YouTube Money Calculator and Shorts Money Calculator estimate your specific numbers.

Frequently asked

Can you check if another YouTube channel is monetized?
Not for certain. YouTube does not publish whether a channel is in the Partner Program, and watch hours are private, so no outside tool can know. You can check two things. Its subscriber count: under 500, a channel is too small to join any tier, and past 1,000 it has met the subscriber bar for ad revenue. And the features only Partner Program channels get: a Join button beside Subscribe, or a Super Thanks button under its videos, means it is in, though channels can switch both off. Ads on its videos are not proof, because YouTube's Terms of Service let it run ads on any channel without paying the owner. The lookup box above reads the subscriber count for you.
What are the requirements to get monetized on YouTube in 2026?
To earn ad revenue through the full YouTube Partner Program you need 1,000 subscribers AND either 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months OR 10 million public Shorts views in the past 90 days. You also need to live in a country where the program is available, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, follow the channel monetization policies, have 2-Step Verification enabled, have advanced features access in YouTube Studio, and link an AdSense for YouTube account (or be ready to set one up when you apply). Under 18, that account must be a parent's or guardian's. There is also a lower early-access tier, which YouTube calls the expanded Partner Program (500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views), that unlocks fan funding and Shopping but not ad revenue, and YouTube has confirmed that tier does not change. YouTube offers this tier in fewer countries than the full program, so check its expanded Partner Program country list (support.google.com/youtube/answer/13429240) before counting on it. Memberships, Super Chat and Super Thanks also require you to be at least 18. This changes on February 1, 2027: creators not yet in the Partner Program will need 8,000 qualified watch hours over 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views over 90 days, alongside the same 1,000 subscribers. Channels already accepted into the program are not affected.
How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?
You need 1,000 subscribers for the full Partner Program that turns on ad revenue. You can start earning sooner at 500 subscribers through the early-access tier, which unlocks fan-funding features like Super Thanks and channel memberships but not ad revenue. YouTube offers this tier in fewer countries than the full program, so check its expanded Partner Program country list (support.google.com/youtube/answer/13429240) before counting on it. Fan funding also needs you to be at least 18. Subscribers alone are never enough on their own; you also have to clear the watch-hours or Shorts-views threshold.
Is it 1,000 subscribers AND 4,000 watch hours, or one or the other?
Both. The subscriber count and the watch-hours requirement are separate gates and you have to clear both. The only "or" is inside the second requirement: you can satisfy it with either 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days. So the full rule is: 1,000 subscribers, plus (4,000 watch hours OR 10M Shorts views). This changes on February 1, 2027: creators not yet in the Partner Program will need 8,000 qualified watch hours over 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views over 90 days, alongside the same 1,000 subscribers. Channels already accepted into the program are not affected.
Do YouTube Shorts views count toward monetization?
Yes, as a separate path. Instead of 4,000 long-form watch hours, you can qualify with 10 million public Shorts views in the past 90 days (3 million for the early-access tier). You only need one of the two. Note that Shorts views do not get added to your long-form watch hours; they are an alternative route, not a top-up.
Do watch hours from Shorts count toward the 4,000 hours?
No. The 4,000-hour requirement is long-form (and live stream) public watch time only. Time spent watching your Shorts does not roll into that number. Shorts get their own separate qualifying threshold measured in views, not hours.
Can you make money on YouTube without 1,000 subscribers?
Yes, through the early-access tier. At 500 subscribers, with 3 public uploads in the last 90 days and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views, you can turn on fan-funding features: Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers, channel memberships, and Shopping. This tier does not include ad revenue, which still requires the full 1,000-subscriber program. YouTube offers this tier in fewer countries than the full program, so check its expanded Partner Program country list (support.google.com/youtube/answer/13429240) before counting on it. Fan funding also needs you to be at least 18.
How long does it take to get monetized on YouTube?
Reaching the thresholds is the slow part and depends entirely on your growth. Once you meet them and apply, YouTube reviews your channel against its monetization policies, which typically takes about a month. If you are rejected, you can reapply after 30 days, or 90 days if you have been rejected repeatedly. The 21-day figure often quoted is the deadline to file an appeal, not the wait to reapply, per YouTube's own monetization rejection FAQ. The review checks that your content is original and policy-compliant, not just that your numbers are high enough.
What disqualifies you from YouTube monetization?
Common blockers include an active Community Guidelines strike, reused content (other people's material without significant changes), generic or repetitive content that looks mass-produced or templated, unsatisfying or off-putting content, AI personas giving health, legal, financial or political advice, low-quality made-for-kids content, living in a country where the program is not offered, and not following the channel monetization policies. These can stop monetization even when your subscriber and watch-hour numbers qualify, which is why the review step exists.
Does the 4,000 watch hours have to be in the last 12 months?
Yes. The watch-hours requirement is a rolling 12-month window, so only public watch time from the past 365 days counts. If your views slow down, older watch hours drop off the back of the window. The Shorts-views alternative uses a rolling 90-day window in the same way.
How much does YouTube pay once you are monetized?
It varies enormously by niche and audience country. Long-form RPM (what you actually keep per 1,000 views) ranges from roughly $1.65 in entertainment and food to $24.75 in finance and business. Shorts pay far less per view, roughly $0.02 to $0.12 per 1,000 views, from a separate pooled-revenue model. Use our YouTube Money Calculator and Shorts Money Calculator to estimate your specific numbers.

Sources

Reviewed when platforms change the rules
YouTube Partner Program eligibility

The subscriber, watch-hour and Shorts-view thresholds for ad revenue and for the lower fan-funding tier, plus the notice of the 2027 changes.

YouTube partner earnings overview

YouTube's own terms: creators get 55% of ad revenue on long-form videos and 45% of the revenue allocated to their Shorts.

YouTube channel monetization policies

The policy bar every channel is reviewed against when it applies for YPP.

YouTube Help: rejected for monetization

What happens after a YouTube Partner Program rejection: the reapply windows and the review timeline.

Thresholds change when platforms change them, not on our schedule. Full update policy on the methodology page.