YouTube Monetization Checker

YouTube Monetization Requirements in 2026

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) has two levels. You can join at 500 subscribers to earn from your fans, then unlock a share of ad revenue at 1,000. At each level you need the subscribers and either the watch hours or the Shorts views.

The 500-subscriber level is only offered in 99 countries and regions. In 40 places where the Partner Program is available, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Ukraine, you need the 1,000-subscriber level instead (full list).

At both levels you also need to:

• Follow YouTube's channel monetization policies, including the rules on inauthentic (mass-produced or repetitive) and reused content
• Live in a country or region where the YouTube Partner Program is available
• Have no active Community Guidelines strikes (each one expires after 90 days)
• Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account
• Have access to advanced features on YouTube
• Link one AdSense for YouTube account (create it in YouTube Studio when you apply)
• Be 18 or older. Under 18s can earn ad revenue if a parent or guardian handles payments, but can't use fan funding

What Changes on February 1, 2027

YouTube announced the first big change to the Partner Program since 2018 on August 10, 2026. From February 1, 2027:

• Ad revenue gets harder to unlock. New applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. That's double today's bar.
• Channels already in YPP keep their place. If you qualify now, apply before February 1, 2027. Reviews usually take about a month.
• The 500-subscriber level doesn't change. Fan funding and Shopping still open at 500 subscribers with 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views.
• Shorts need steady views to earn. You'll only earn from the Shorts Creator Pool in months when you have 10 million qualified Shorts views over the last 90 days. If you fall short you stay in YPP, and long videos keep earning.
• A new activity rule. Your channel counts as active with 1,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, 1 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, or 2 long videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days.
• New terms to accept. Channels in YPP need to accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027, or they stop earning from those features until they do.

Sources: Changes to the YouTube Partner Program (YouTube Help) and YouTube's announcement.

What Counts as Qualified Watch Hours and Shorts Views

Qualified watch hours only come from public long videos, including live streams that are saved as videos. Watch time on private, unlisted or deleted videos, Shorts, ads and streams that weren't saved doesn't count.

Qualified Shorts views are engaged views on public Shorts in the Shorts feed: the viewer watched past the first few seconds, and replays don't count.

Since August 24, 2026, YouTube counts a view the moment a video starts playing, so the view count under your videos is higher than what counts for monetization. Your progress in YouTube Studio → Earn uses the qualified numbers (YouTube's explanation).

How to Use the Monetization Checker

1. Paste your channel link, your @handle or a link to any of your videos, then press Check channel.
2. The checker reads your public stats and fills in your subscribers, uploads, watch hours and Shorts views.
3. Check the country it picked, since the 500-subscriber level isn't offered everywhere.
4. See Yes or Not yet for each level, today and for new applicants from February 1, 2027, and the exact gap you still need to close.
5. For a sure answer, open YouTube Studio → Earn and type your exact watch hours and Shorts views into the boxes.

How the Checker Works

Your subscriber count and public uploads come straight from YouTube, so they're exact. YouTube rounds subscriber counts above 1,000 down to three figures, which never changes the result at 500 or 1,000.

Watch time is private, so watch hours are an estimate. The checker takes the views on your long videos and streams from the last 12 months and assumes a typical view lasts 30% of the video, up to 10 minutes. Views on older videos aren't included, so if old videos still get views, your real number is higher.

Shorts views are the public views on Shorts you posted in the last 90 days. Only engaged views count for monetization, and those are lower than the public count, so treat this as a ceiling for new Shorts.

How to Apply for the YouTube Partner Program

1. Open YouTube Studio and click Earn in the left menu.
2. When you meet the requirements, click Apply Now, then review and accept the base terms.
3. Set up an AdSense for YouTube account in YouTube Studio, or link one you already have, so YouTube can pay you.
4. Wait for the review. YouTube usually decides in about a month, and you can track it in the Earn tab.

If your first application is rejected, you can appeal within 21 days or reapply after 30 days. After a later rejection you have to wait 90 days, so review your channel against the monetization policies before you try again.

Not there yet? Here's how to make money on YouTube without 1,000 subscribers, and use the engagement rate calculator to see which of your videos are working.

Rules checked against YouTube's official pages: YPP overview & eligibility, Changes from February 1, 2027, Expanded YPP (500 subscribers), What counts as qualified watch hours and views, Channel monetization policies.