YouTube monetization requirements in 2026 and 2027

“How many subscribers do I need to monetize?” has one short answer and three long caveats. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) has more than one entry point, the numbers for new applicants change on February 1, 2027, and reaching a number does not tell you what a channel will earn. This guide uses only YouTube's own Help pages and announcement, checked on October 11, 2026, and it says where they stop.

The requirements in force today

YouTube describes two tiers. The first, often called early access, unlocks fan funding and Shopping. The second adds a share of ad revenue and YouTube Premium revenue.

“Qualified” means the numbers YouTube itself counts. Only public content counts: qualified watch hours come from public long-form videos (watch time in the Shorts feed does not count toward them), and qualified Shorts views come from public Shorts shown in the Shorts feed. Views and watch time from paid ad campaigns do not count either.

The other requirements

The numbers are only part of it. YouTube's eligibility page also lists:

• Follow the YouTube channel monetization policies (our guide to the inauthentic content policy explains the one that trips up automated channels).
• Live in a country or region where the Partner Program is available.
• Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel.
• Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account.
• Have access to advanced features on YouTube.
• Have one active AdSense for YouTube account linked to your channel.
• Keep the channel active: YouTube's Help page says a channel that has not uploaded a video or posted to the Posts tab for six months or more may have monetization turned off.

What changes on February 1, 2027

YouTube announced the changes on August 10, 2026. Three things change for the numbers, and the fan funding requirements stay the same.

YouTube says a channel below the Shorts line is not removed from the Partner Program and keeps its other earnings, including long-form video. The announcement mentions new incentives for those channels, such as Shopping bonuses, brand-deal incentives and boosts for starting and growing trends, but gives no dates.

Who is affected

• You are already in the Partner Program. The new entry numbers do not change your status. To keep full monetization you need to accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027, and Shorts ad earnings will depend on the 10 million rule.
• You are close to today's numbers. The higher entry numbers apply from February 1, 2027. Check in YouTube Studio how far your channel is from the numbers that apply to you.
• You are in early access at 500 subscribers. Eligibility for fan funding, Shopping and Creator Partnerships does not change. Creators who turned on fan funding before 2023 have to accept the Commerce Product Module by January 31, 2027.
• You are just starting. Plan for the numbers you will actually face: from February 1, 2027, new applicants need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views, still with 1,000 subscribers.

What to do before January 31, 2027

1. 1

   Find the updated terms

   YouTube says existing partners review and accept them in YouTube Studio. Look for the notice there instead of relying on an email or a third-party article.

2. 2

   Read what each part changes

   YouTube's Help pages describe separate modules for the watch page, Shorts and commerce products. Read what each one changes for you before you accept.

3. 3

   Check your Shorts numbers

   Look at your Shorts views for the last 90 days in YouTube Studio and compare them with 10 million. YouTube counts qualified views itself, so treat your own estimate as a guide.

4. 4

   Check your activity

   Make sure the channel meets at least one activity rule: 1,000 watch hours in 365 days, 1 million Shorts views in 90 days, or 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days.

5. 5

   Put the date in your calendar

   January 31, 2027 is the deadline YouTube's Help page gives. Do not leave it to the last day.

Shorts or long-form: which path fits?

YouTube words the full tier as meeting either of two paths. They are alternatives, and each counts only its own format: watch time in the Shorts feed does not add to the watch-hour path.

• The long-form path counts qualified watch hours from public long-form videos: 4,000 hours in 12 months today, 8,000 hours in 365 days for new applicants from February 1, 2027.
• The Shorts path counts qualified public Shorts views from the Shorts feed: 10 million in 90 days today, 20 million for new applicants from February 1, 2027. It is a rolling 90-day window, so the number has to be sustained.
• Mixing formats is common. Just remember that Shorts viewing does not help the watch-hour path. For ideas on each format, see how to grow a channel from zero and Shorts growth.

What the numbers do not tell you

• Eligibility is not income. None of the YouTube pages used here gives an earnings figure, and neither do we. What a channel earns depends on its views, its audience and its content, and nobody can promise it.
• Reaching a number does not switch the policies off. The monetization policies still apply to every video, including the rules on mass-produced and repetitive content.
• Your own counters can differ from qualified counts. Only public videos count, Shorts-feed watch time is separate, and views from paid ad campaigns are excluded.
• Ads are one stream of several. Fan funding, Shopping and brand deals have their own rules: see ways to earn beyond ads.