All vikis
007 First Light
AI
Aion 2
Ananta
ARC Raiders
ArcheAge Chronicles
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
ChatGPT
Chrono Odyssey
Civilization 3
Civilization 4
Claude
Crimson Desert
Deadlock
Diablo 4
Diablo 5
Enshrouded
Fable
Final Fantasy Resonance
Football Manager 27
Forza Horizon 6
God of War
Grand Theft Auto 6
Heroes of Might and Magic 3YouTube Shopping
YouTube Shopping lets creators show products in their videos, Shorts, live streams and channel store. Partners can sell their own merch, and in 18 countries join the Shopping affiliate program (500 subscribers since Mar 25, 2026) to tag other brands' products and earn a commission set by the brand.
YouTube Shopping puts products under and inside a creator's videos: a channel in the YouTube Partner Program can sell its own merch from a connected store, and in 18 countries it can join the Shopping affiliate program to tag other brands' products and earn a commission on sales. The affiliate program opened to partners with 500 subscribers on Mar 25, 2026; once eligible, a creator joins in YouTube Studio > Earn > Programs > Join Now and tags products under Earn > Shopping. Each brand sets its own commission, paid through AdSense for YouTube 60 to 120 days after the purchase, and as of Nov 6, 2026 creators get 100% of affiliate merchants' commissions under a temporary incentive.
Quick facts
| Own store | YPP (or an Official Artist Channel), not made for kids, no Hate Speech strikes |
| Affiliate program | YPP with 500 subscribers, in 18 countries |
| Commission | Set by each brand per product |
| Creator's share of commission | 100% for now (temporary, 30 days' notice before it ends) |
| Paid | Through AdSense, 60 to 120 days after purchase |
| Own-store sales | Paid by the store platform, not YouTube |
| Not eligible | Music channels, Official Artist Channels (affiliate only), made for kids channels |
Sources: Shopping affiliate program and YouTube Shopping eligibility, YouTube Help, and the YouTube Official Blog, as of Nov 6, 2026.
Where do products show on YouTube?
Products can appear in the channel's store tab, in the video description, in a product shelf below a video, behind the Shopping button, and tagged at moments inside videos, Shorts and live streams. Official Artist Channels also get a Store tab in the YouTube Music mobile app (YouTube Help).
Selling your own products
A channel can connect its own store if it is in the YouTube Partner Program at the subscriber threshold, or is an Official Artist Channel, is not set as made for kids or has few made for kids videos, and has no Hate Speech Community Guidelines strikes (YouTube Help; Made for Kids). Products come from a store platform, such as one listed through Google Merchant Center, which sets the countries it sells to. The platform takes the payment, ships, handles refunds and customer service and pays the creator; YouTube and AdSense are not involved. A product marked "Shipping Areas Limited" is not sold to the viewer's country.
What are the YouTube Shopping affiliate program requirements?
- In the YouTube Partner Program, at the subscriber threshold YouTube sets: 500 subscribers since Mar 25, 2026.
- Based in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States or Vietnam.
- Not a music channel, Official Artist Channel or channel linked to a music partner.
- Not set as made for kids, and without a significant number of made for kids videos.
Pilot programs can have different rules. When the program launched for US partners, it asked for more than 20,000 subscribers (Jun 13, 2023). Creator Insider announced the drop to 500 subscribers for partners who meet the other criteria, with sign-up under the Earn tab.
How do I join and tag products?
- In YouTube Studio, click Earn.
- Under Programs, click Join Now and accept the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program Terms of Service.
- Open Earn > Shopping > Tag Products.
- Click a product's image and choose Tag for chosen videos, or Tag all; or select videos first and click Tag.
Bulk tagging puts a product on many videos at once; Help gives no limit on products per video (YouTube Help). Newer Help articles cover tagging Amazon products.
YouTube can also tag for you. Automatic product tagging uses AI and the video's information to find, tag and timestamp products; it is turned on in YouTube Studio under Settings > Channel > Advanced settings > Automatic Product Tagging, and the tags it adds can be edited or removed in Studio.
Products can also be tagged while uploading: Tag Products at the Add details step on mobile, or the Video elements step on desktop, and later from a video's details page. Saved products and grouped products (one tag covering every size and color, so the tag stays in stock) save time, and timestamps, which only desktop can add, make a tag show at the right moment on every device.
In a live stream, products are added in Live Control Room's Shopping tab on a computer, and one can be pinned to the stream with Pin Product; on a mobile stream, the shopping button pins one.
YouTube's advice is to tag only products that are easy to identify and prominent in the video, or closely related to it, and used as their maker intends. Tagging can still go through on a video where the tags will never show, such as made for kids or claimed content.
How much do YouTube Shopping affiliates earn?
Each brand or retailer sets the commission rate and how long after a click a sale still counts, product by product; YouTube's example window is up to 30 days, as long as the viewer did not click someone else's link or tag in between. Commissions settle 60 to 120 days after the purchase so that returns can be taken out, and a returned, canceled or exchanged order reverses or changes its commission. As of Nov 6, 2026, YouTube passes on 100% of commissions from affiliate merchants, calls this temporary, and promises at least 30 days' notice before lowering it.
Affiliate links are for use on YouTube. Sharing them elsewhere, syndicating them, automated redirects, click injection and cookie stuffing break the terms and can cost the channel its affiliate features. George Vanous, who runs the Freedom! network, noticed in Studio's affiliate hub that a creator's link earns on anything bought after the click, not only the featured item, as YouTube's own video confirms (commission on "the entire basket size"); he warns to read the program's terms before buying through your own link.
Disclosure
When a brand pays for a video, the uploader must tick the paid promotion box in YouTube Studio, which shows viewers a disclosure at the start (Paid Promotions and Sponsorships).
Frequently asked questions
How many subscribers do you need for the YouTube Shopping affiliate program? 500. YouTube lowered the Shopping affiliate threshold to 500 subscribers on Mar 25, 2026, for creators in the YouTube Partner Program in eligible countries.
How do I tag products in YouTube videos? In YouTube Studio, go to Earn > Shopping > Tag Products, click a product and choose Tag or Tag all, or select videos first and click Tag. You must be in the Shopping affiliate program, or have a connected store, first.
How much commission do YouTube Shopping affiliates get? Each brand sets its own commission per product. As of Nov 6, 2026, YouTube passes creators 100% of commissions from affiliate merchants under a temporary incentive.
When are YouTube Shopping commissions paid? Through AdSense for YouTube, 60 to 120 days after the purchase, once the return period has passed.
Which countries have the YouTube Shopping affiliate program? As of Nov 6, 2026, 18: Argentina, Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, the US and Vietnam.
Can music channels use YouTube Shopping? Official Artist Channels can connect their own store, but music channels, Official Artist Channels and music partner channels cannot join the YouTube Shopping affiliate program.
Sources
- YouTube Shopping affiliate program, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube Shopping eligibility and features, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Earn earlier: expanding YouTube Shopping to creators with 500+ subscribers, YouTube Official Blog, Mar 25, 2026
- From Fan Funding to Shopping: More ways for creators to earn on YouTube, YouTube Official Blog, Jun 13, 2023
- YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program, YouTube Creators, Jun 17, 2026 (video)
- BrandConnect is now YouTube Creator Partnerships, Creator Insider, Mar 25, 2026 (video)
Moments
YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program
YouTube Creators
- YouTube Shopping puts products under and inside a creator's videos: a channel in the YouTube Partner Program can sell…
- YouTube can also tag for you. Automatic product tagging uses AI and the video's information to find, tag and timestamp…
- Products can also be tagged while uploading: Tag Products at the Add details step on mobile, or the Video elements…
- In a live stream, products are added in Live Control Room's Shopping tab on a computer, and one can be pinned to the…
- YouTube's advice is to tag only products that are easy to identify and prominent in the video, or closely related to…
- Each brand or retailer sets the commission rate and how long after a click a sale still counts, product by product…
BrandConnect is now YouTube Creator Partnerships, Affiliate Program Eligibility Expansion, and more!
Creator Insider
Related
-
Creator PartnershipsYouTube Creator Partnerships, called BrandConnect until March 2026, is YouTube's marketplace where brands find creators for paid deals. Creators 18 or older in the YouTube Partner Program set a suggested price in YouTube Studio; the brand pays the creator directly, and the video must be marked as a paid promotion.
- Gifts and JewelsOn YouTube live streams, viewers buy Jewels and spend them on animated gifts; the creator earns Rubies, worth one cent each at launch. Gifts started on vertical live streams in the US in November 2024 and now work on vertical and horizontal streams in many countries, for channels in the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program.
-
Inauthentic and Reused ContentYouTube does not pay for mass-produced, templated or repetitive videos (inauthentic content, called repetitious content before Jul 15, 2025) or for other people's material reposted without meaningful changes (reused content). Both are judged across the whole channel, even with the owner's permission.
-
Partner Program Changes in 2027From Feb 1, 2027, new YouTube Partner Program applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in a year or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days, Shorts revenue needs 10 million Shorts views every 90 days, and every partner must accept new terms in YouTube Studio by Jan 31, 2027.
-
Reaction Videos and CompilationsYouTube monetizes reaction videos when you comment on the original, and compilations when you add a storyline and commentary. Mostly silent reactions, unnarrated clip compilations, social media clip roundups and mixes of different artists' songs are not eligible, even with permission.
-
Super Chat and Super StickersSuper Chat lets YouTube viewers pay to highlight a message in a live stream or Premiere chat, and Super Stickers to post an animated sticker there. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program (500 subscribers) and get 70% of net revenue.
-
Super ThanksSuper Thanks lets YouTube viewers tip a creator on an ordinary video or Short; the buyer sees a one-time animation and posts a highlighted comment. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program and keep 70% of net revenue.
-
US Tax WithholdingEvery YouTube Partner Program creator must give Google US tax info in AdSense for YouTube. Creators outside the US who do are taxed 0 to 30% on earnings from US viewers only, depending on their country's tax treaty; individuals who do not can lose 24% of all their YouTube earnings worldwide.
See also
-
YouTube Partner ProgramThe YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is how creators earn from YouTube. Ads need 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days; fan funding and Shopping open earlier, at 500 subscribers. New applicants need 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views from Feb 1, 2027.
-
AdSense for YouTubeAdSense for YouTube is the Google account that pays YouTube creators. Earnings are credited between the 7th and 12th of each month and paid between the 21st and 26th once the balance reaches the $100 payment threshold, after the address is verified with a mailed PIN at $10.
-
Made for KidsEvery YouTube creator must say whether each video is made for kids, children under 13 in the US, in YouTube Studio under Settings > Channel > Advanced settings or per video. Made for kids videos lose comments, personalized ads, the notification bell, end screens and more, a rule that came from YouTube's $170 million COPPA settlement with the FTC in 2019.
-
Paid Promotions and SponsorshipsYouTube requires creators to declare any sponsorship, product placement, endorsement or other branded content by ticking the paid promotion box in YouTube Studio, which shows viewers a disclosure at the start of the video; some products may never be promoted and burned-in video ads are not allowed.
-
Advertiser-Friendly GuidelinesYouTube's advertiser-friendly guidelines decide whether a monetized video can earn full ads (green dollar icon), limited ads (yellow) or none. They cover 14 topics, from language and violence to controversial issues, and partners rate their own videos through self-certification and can ask for a human review.
-
Channel MembershipsYouTube channel memberships let viewers pay a creator monthly through the Join button for perks like badges, emoji and members-only videos. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program (500 subscribers), can offer up to 6 levels priced from $0.99 to $499.99 in the US, and keep 70% of net revenue.