To join the Partner Program on YouTube in October 2026, you need 500 subscribers to earn from fan funding or 1,000 subscribers to earn a share of ad revenue, plus a watch time or Shorts views threshold. The lower tier also needs 3 public uploads in the last 90 days. Both tiers need a linked AdSense for YouTube account, 2-Step Verification and no active Community Guidelines strikes.
The bar for ad revenue goes up on February 1, 2027. New applicants from that date will need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views, double today’s figures.
What are the two YPP tiers?
YouTube runs one Partner Program with two thresholds. The lower one opens fan funding and Shopping, and the higher one adds ad and Premium revenue sharing.
| Fan funding tier | Ad revenue tier | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 1,000 |
| Recent uploads | 3 public uploads in the last 90 days | None stated |
| Watch hours path | 3,000 qualified hours in the last 12 months | 4,000 qualified hours in the last 12 months |
| Shorts path | 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days | 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days |
| What you can earn from | Channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, Jewels and gifts, Shopping | Everything in the lower tier plus ad and YouTube Premium revenue |
| Creator share | 70% of fan funding revenue | 55% of long-form ad revenue, 45% of allocated Shorts revenue |
You need to meet only one of the two paths in each tier, watch hours or Shorts views. The lower tier is only open in the countries YouTube lists for the expanded program, which include the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Germany, Japan and Nigeria.
Each fan funding feature has its own extra rules, and fan funding and Shopping require you to accept YouTube’s Commerce Product Module. Creators who turned on fan funding before 2023 must accept that module by January 31, 2027, or those features stop earning on February 1, 2027.
What else do you need to qualify for YPP?
YouTube lists six baseline requirements that apply to both tiers. Missing any one of them blocks the application, whatever your view counts.
- Follow YouTube’s channel monetization policies.
- 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 YouTube’s advanced features.
- Link one active AdSense for YouTube account, or be ready to set one up in YouTube Studio.
A strike blocks you only while it is active. YouTube says you can apply once strikes expire or after a successful appeal.
What changes on February 1, 2027?
YouTube announced on August 10, 2026 that new applicants for ad revenue will face higher thresholds, while existing partners keep their status. It also added an activity rule and a Shorts threshold for staying paid.
- New applicants for ad and Premium revenue 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.
- Creators already in the program are not affected by the new entry thresholds.
- Every partner needs 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days to keep earning from the Shorts Creator Pool. Missing it does not remove you from the program or touch long-form earnings, and Shorts revenue resumes once you cross the line again.
- A channel counts as active if it has 1,000 qualified watch hours in the past 365 days, 1 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days, or uploads 2 long-form videos or 5 Shorts every 90 days. Channels that fall short get an extended 90-day window.
- Fan funding, Creator Partnerships and Shopping thresholds do not change.
- Partners must accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027 to keep earning.
If your channel can reach 4,000 hours before February 1, 2027, we would apply as soon as you qualify. YouTube says the higher thresholds apply to new applicants from that date.
What counts as qualified watch hours and Shorts views?
Qualified watch hours come only from public long-form videos, including podcasts, and archived livestreams. YouTube’s Creator Liaison spelled out the rules in an August 12, 2026 blog post.
Watch hours that do not count include time on private, unlisted or deleted videos, time spent watching ads, Shorts playback and livestreams you did not archive.
Qualified Shorts views must come from public Shorts and be engaged views. YouTube defines an engaged view as one where “the viewer stayed to watch past the initial seconds,” with loops excluded. Views of private, unlisted or deleted Shorts, Shorts shown as ads, long-form videos and image posts in the Shorts feed do not count.
How do you apply for the YouTube Partner Program?
You apply inside YouTube Studio once you meet a threshold. The process takes four steps.
- Sign in to YouTube and open YouTube Studio from your profile picture.
- Open the Earn section and select Apply Now.
- Review and accept the base terms.
- Set up AdSense for YouTube, or link an existing active account.
After you accept the terms and link AdSense, your channel joins a review queue. YouTube says automated systems and human reviewers look at the channel as a whole.
How long does YPP review take?
YouTube says a decision typically takes about one month. Delays happen, and some channels go through more than one review.
If YouTube rejects your application, you can appeal within 21 days. You can also reapply 30 days after a first rejection or 90 days after any later rejection. Use the wait to fix whatever policy issue the rejection names, because reapplying with the same uploads will likely get the same answer.
Why do YPP applications get rejected?
YouTube rejects channels that break its channel monetization policies, which reviewers apply to the whole channel. Hitting the subscriber and watch hour numbers does not guarantee approval.
Because reviewers cannot watch everything, YouTube says they may focus on your channel’s main theme, most viewed videos, newest videos, the videos with the biggest share of watch time, video metadata such as titles, thumbnails and descriptions, and the About section.
| Policy | What fails | What passes |
|---|---|---|
| Reused content | Compilations with little narrative, clips from other social sites, mostly non-verbal reactions | Critical reviews, reactions with real commentary, edited footage with new narration |
| Inauthentic content | Template-made or mass-produced videos, slideshows or scrolling text with little value, repeated storylines | Series where each video has its own story or concept, even with the same intro |
| Unsatisfying or off-putting content | Emotionally manipulative formulas, shock-value AI clips, deceptive realistic visuals | AI used to visualize an original story or edit a script |
| AI personas on sensitive topics | AI personas presenting as human experts on health, legal, financial or political topics | Not spelled out by YouTube |
| Creator integrity | Inflated views, subscribers, likes or watch time | Organic growth |
YouTube renamed its “repetitious content” policy to “inauthentic content” on July 15, 2025, and says the policy covers repetitive or mass-produced content. The reused content rule applies even if the original creator gave you permission, and it is separate from copyright claims.
We think the policy review, not the subscriber count, is where faceless, compilation and AI-heavy channels should worry. YouTube says AI tools are fine when your original perspective is present.
Can you lose YPP after joining?
Yes. YouTube can remove channels that break its policies, and it says inflating engagement can lead to removal from the program or channel termination.
Inactivity also matters. Under the current rules, YouTube may turn off monetization for channels that have not uploaded videos or Posts in 6 months or more. From February 1, 2027, the activity rule above adds view and upload targets with a 90-day grace window.
Once you are in, see how much YouTubers make for how RPM works and how creators make money for income beyond ads. Our YouTube review scores the platform, and YouTube vs TikTok compares it with the TikTok Creator Rewards Program.