0% found this document useful (0 votes)
989 views109 pages

YOUTUBE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

yt laws-4

Uploaded by

rinadashasan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
989 views109 pages

YOUTUBE COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

yt laws-4

Uploaded by

rinadashasan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 109

Community Guidelines

YouTube has always had a set of Community Guidelines that outline what
type of content isn't allowed on YouTube. These policies apply to all types of
content on our platform, including videos, comments, links and thumbnails.
Our Community Guidelines are a key part of our broader suite of
policies and are regularly evaluated in consultation with outside experts and
YouTube creators to keep pace with emerging challenges.

We enforce these Community Guidelines using a combination of human


reviewers and machine learning, and apply them to everyone equally –
regardless of the subject or the creator's background, political viewpoint,
position or affiliation.

Our policies aim to make YouTube a safer community while still giving
creators the freedom to share a broad range of experiences and
perspectives.

What areas do Community Guidelines cover?

You'll find a full list of our Community Guidelines below:

Spam and deceptive practices

 Fake engagement

 Impersonation

 External links

 Spam, deceptive practices and scams

 Playlists
 Additional policies

Sensitive content

 Child safety

 Thumbnails

 Nudity and sexual content

 Suicide and self-harm

 Vulgar language

Policies overview

Viewers and creators around the world use YouTube to express their ideas
and opinions freely, and we believe that a broad range of perspectives
ultimately makes us a stronger and more informed society, even if we
disagree with some of those views. That's why we have policies to help build
a safer community.

Copyright

The first rule of copyright

Creators should only upload videos that they have made or that they're
authorised to use. That means that they should not upload videos that they
didn't make, or use content in their videos that someone else owns the
copyright to, such as music tracks, snippets of copyrighted programmes or
videos made by other users, without necessary authorisations.

What are copyright exceptions?


Copyright exceptions are laws that allow you to reuse someone else's
copyright-protected material without getting their permission, but only
under certain circumstances.

In the US, the most widely known copyright exception is fair use. When
deciding whether a use is fair, courts look at four factors: the purpose and
character of the use,

the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the
portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and the effect
of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
Some activities that may qualify as fair use include criticism, commentary
and news reporting. Fair use aims to promote freedom of expression.

In some civil law countries, including many in the EU, more limited
exceptions arerecognised where the reuse must fall within specific
categories, instead of having factors that are weighed. The categories set out
in Article 17 of the EU Digital Single Market copyright directive are
quotation, criticism, review, caricature, parody and pastiche. These words
have their usual meaning in everyday language, but are also enacted into
law by each member state and interpreted by both national courts and the
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It is also important to
consider the context of the use, and the purpose of such copyright
exceptions, one of which is to balance creators' freedom of expression, and
rightsholders' copyright.

In some countries, such as Canada, the UK and Australia, a hybrid concept of


fair dealing exists. Courts weigh factors similar to those in fair use, but
reuses must fall within specific categories. These categories include
quotation (general quotation, and quotation for the purposes of criticism,
review or news reporting), caricature, parody and pastiche.

Most countries in the world have signed an international treaty known as


the Berne Convention, which allows reuses in specific categoWhile there are
some similarities regarding copyright exceptions across the globe, there are
still considerable differences between the laws of each country. There's no
one-size-fits-all answer as to whether a reuse falls within copyright
exceptions, and the courts decide the applicability of such exceptions on a
case-by-case basis.

At YouTube, our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the
world. Copyright exceptions play a key role in furthering this mission by
supporting the free flow of ideas and creativity. Therefore, we ask
rightsholders to consider the applicability of copyright exceptions before
they submit copyright removal requests.

ries, including for quotation, and news reporting. We believe that this would
strike a balance between respecting the copyright of rightsholders, and
creators' freedom of expression that may be protected by copyright
exceptions.

In addition, we build products that empower creators to access, create and


share information like never before. We've created an Audio Library for you
to discover free high-quality music and sound effects that you can reuse
safely. Now with YouTube

Shorts, you can create short videos sampling someone else's content ,
provided that they have given you permission to do so. We're also
continuing to build and expand Creator Music, which lets creators in the
YouTube Partner programme safely use commercial music by licensing tracks
or sharing their video revenue with music rights holders.

Fair use on YouTube

Fair use is a legal doctrine that says use of copyright-protected material under
certain circumstances is allowed without permission from the copyright holder.

YouTube gets many requests to remove videos that copyright holders claim are
infringing under copyright law. Sometimes these requests apply to videos that
qualify for copyright exceptions or seem like clear examples of fair use.
Courts have decided that copyright holders must consider whether copyright
exceptions apply before they submit a copyright removal request.

If the use of copyright-protected material in a video qualifies as a copyright


exception, then the video is considered lawful and non-infringing. This is why
we often ask copyright holders to think about whether copyright exceptions
apply before submitting a copyright removal request to YouTube. If a copyright
holder believes a video doesn't qualify for an exception, then they must
provide us with an adequate explanation as to why.

If a copyright holder doesn't provide us with an adequate explanation as to


why a video doesn't qualify for a copyright exception, then the video is not
removed from YouTube.

Copyright exceptions around the world

While international rules about copyright exceptions are often similar, they can
differ. Different countries and regions may have different rules about when it's
OK to use copyright-protected material without the copyright holder’s
permission.

Keep in mind that we take local rules into consideration when responding to
copyright removal requests. You can view the YouTube Copyright Transparency
Report for more info on how we respond to copyright removal requests,
including how often we request additional explanations from copyright holders
who claim a video doesn't qualify for a copyright exception.

In the United States, works of commentary, criticism, research, teaching, or


news reporting may be considered fair use. In the EU, more limited exceptions
are recognized and the use must fit into specific categories, such as quotation,
criticism, review, caricature, parody, and pastiche. Other countries/regions
have a concept called fair dealing that may work differently.

Ultimately, courts decide fair use cases according to the facts of each unique
case. You’ll probably want to get legal advice from an expert before uploading
videos that use copyright-protected material.

Four factors of fair use

In the United States, judges decide what’s considered fair use. A judge will
consider how the four factors of fair use apply to each specific case. The four
factors of fair use are:
1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of
commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes

2. The nature of the copyrighted work

3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used relative to the whole
copyrighted work

4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the
copyrighted work

Example of fair use

"Donald Duck Meets Glenn Beck in Right Wing Radio Duck"

by rebelliouspixels

This remix combines short excerpts from different source materials. The
remixes create a new message about the effect of provocative rhetoric in
times of economic crisis. Works that create new meaning for the source
material may be considered fair use.

YouTube’s fair use protection initiative

In rare cases, we’ve asked YouTube creators to join an initiative that protects
some examples of “fair use” on YouTube from copyright removal requests.
Through this initiative, YouTube indemnifies creators whose fair use videos
have been subject to removal requests for up to $1 million of legal costs in the
event the removal results in a copyright infringement lawsuit.

The goal of this initiative is to make sure these creators have a chance to
protect their work. It also aims to improve the creative world by educating on
both the importance and limits of fair use. Because of the variation in the rules
governing such uses by different countries/regions, as described above, we're
only able to offer this initiative to creators living in the United States who
agree to have their videos are only available in the United States.

Reinstated fair use videos

You may be aware of some notable cases where we’ve asked copyright holders
to reconsider removal requests and reinstate fair use videos. For example:
 This video by the Young Turks, which shows short clips from a heavily
criticized commercial as part of a conversation on why it offended
viewers.
 This video by Secular Talk, which criticizes a political figure for endorsing
an unproven treatment for diabetes.
 Buffy vs Edward: Twilight Remixed -- [original version] , a remix video
that compares the ways women are portrayed in two vampire-related
works targeted at teens.
 "No Offense", a video uploaded by the National Organization for
Marriage, which uses a clip of a celebrity as an example of rude
behavior.

More info

If you’d like to learn more about fair use, there are many resources available
online. The following sites are for educational purposes only and aren't
endorsed by YouTube:

 Center for Media and Social Impact’s “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use
for Online Video”
 Digital Media Law Project's detailed explanation of the Four Factors
 US Copyright Office’s fair use index

Give feedback about this article

Creative Commons

Changes to video attributions: The view attributions page will be discontinued


after September 2021 due to limited usage. You can still add attribution to
your videos by updating your video description.

Creative Commons licenses give a standard way for content creators to grant
someone else permission to use their work. YouTube allows creators to mark
their videos with a Creative Commons CC BY license.

If you've marked your video with a CC BY license, you retain your copyright.
Other creators get to reuse your work subject to the terms of the license.

Creative Commons on YouTube

The ability to mark uploaded videos with a Creative Commons license is


available to all creators.
The standard YouTube license remains the default setting for all uploads. To
review the terms of the standard YouTube license, refer to our Terms of
Service.

Creative Commons licenses can only be used on 100% original content. If


there's a Content ID claim on your video, you cannot mark your video with the
Creative Commons license.

By marking your original video with a Creative Commons license, you're


granting the entire YouTube community the right to reuse and edit that video.

What's eligible for a Creative Commons license

You can only mark your uploaded video with a Creative Commons license if it's
all content that you can license under the CC BY license. Some examples of
such licensable content are:

 Your originally created content


 Other videos marked with a CC BY license
 Videos in the public domain

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Music in this video

These features are only available to partners who use YouTube Studio Content
Manager.

When you’re watching a video that contains music, there may be a section in
the video’s description called “Music in this video.” This section shows info
about the music heard in the video, like song and artist names.

YouTube automatically adds this info to some videos when:

 Videos are claimed by one of YouTube’s copyright management tools,


like Content ID.
 Videos contain music from the YouTube Audio Library.

“Music in this video” may show links to music videos or other official content
so you can discover songs and artists you haven’t heard before.
Subscribe to the YouTube Viewers channel for the latest news, updates, and
tips.

FAQs

What does “Licensed to YouTube by” mean?

Why is some info missing from “Music in this video?”

What if I hear my song in a video, but don’t see “Music in this video” info?

What if my song is listed, but the data is wrong?

Monetisation policies

Being accepted into the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP) is a major


milestone in any creator's journey. As part of YPP, creators can start
monetising their content, receive email and chat support and get access to
the Copyright Match Tool to help protect their content.

A key eligibility requirement for YPP is to follow the YouTube monetisation


policies, which include YouTube's Community Guidelines , Terms of
Service and the Google AdSense programme policies . These policies apply to
a creator's channel as a whole, and not just to individual videos.

Setting a higher bar for monetisation

Over the last few years, YouTube has taken steps to strengthen the
requirements for monetisation so that spammers, impersonators and other
bad actors can't hurt the ecosystem or take advantage of good creators
producing high-quality content.

To apply for membership in YPP, channels must meet eligibility thresholds


related to watch time and subscribers. Following application, YouTube's
review team ensures that the channel has not gone against YouTube's
monetisation, content and copyright policies. Only channels that meet
eligibility thresholds and follow all of our guidelines will be admitted to the
programme, which makes them eligible to receive access to ads and other
monetisation products.

Resources

 Learn more about YouTube Partner Programme eligibility

 Learn more about YouTube channel monetisation policies

 Learn more about how data helps creators track their performance on
YouTube

YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility

We’re expanding the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) to more creators with
earlier access to fan funding and shopping features. This expansion is rolling
out over the next month to creators in Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, the
United Kingdom, and the United States. If you’re in one of these
countries/regions, check out this article to learn more about the changes
coming to YPP.

If you’re not in one of the countries/regions above, there are no changes to


the YouTube Partner Program for you.

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) gives creators greater access to YouTube
resources and monetization features, and access to our Creator Support teams.
It also allows revenue sharing from ads being served on your content. Learn
more about the features, eligibility criteria, and application details in this
article.

Want to apply to YPP, but need help building an audience first? Check out
our tips to establish your fanbase, and our tips for the YouTube Partner
Program.

What you need to join

1. Follow the YouTube channel monetization policies.


1. These are a collection of policies and guidelines that allow you to
monetize on YouTube, and compliance with them is required
when you accept a partner agreement with YouTube.
2. Live in a country/region where the YouTube Partner Program is
available.
3. Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel.
4. Make sure 2-Step Verification is turned on for your Google Account.
5. Have advanced features access on YouTube.
6. Have one active AdSense account that you’ll link to your channel, or be
ready to set one up in YouTube Studio if you don’t already have one
(only create a new AdSense account in YouTube Studio – learn more).

How you can become eligible

Once you understand what you need to join, your channel can become eligible
for YPP with either Shorts or long-form video. If you’d like us to notify you
when you’re eligible, click Notify me when I’m eligible in the Earn area of
YouTube Studio. You’ll get an email once you’ve met either of the below
eligibility thresholds.

1. Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12
months, or
2. Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90
days.
Keep in mind that any public watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts Feed
won’t count towards the 4,000 public watch hours threshold.

More on eligibility thresholds

These thresholds help us make a more informed decision about whether your
channel meets our policies and guidelines. Once you apply, your channel will
go through a standard review process to see whether your channel meets our
policies and guidelines. If it meets our policies and guidelines, we’ll accept your
channel into YPP. Keep in mind we continuously check channels in YPP to make
sure they continue to meet our policies and guidelines over time.

Where to apply

Once you have what you need and your channel is eligible to apply, sign up for
YPP from either a desktop computer or a mobile device:

Computer Android iPhone & iPad

1. Sign in to YouTube
2. In the top right, click your profile picture YouTube Studio
3. In the left menu, click Earn
4. Select Apply to get started
5. Click Start to review and Accept Base terms
6. Click Start to set up an AdSense account, or link an existing active one

Once done, you’ll see In Progress in the Get Reviewed step, which means we
have your application!

How we review your application

Once you accept YPP terms and link an active AdSense account, your channel
will automatically be put in a review queue. Our automated systems and
human reviewers will review your channel as a whole to make sure your
channel follows all of our policies and guidelines. Check back in
the Earn section of YouTube Studio anytime to see the status of your
application.

We’ll get back to you with a decision once your channel is reviewed (typically
in about 1 month).

Keep in mind delays are possible due to higher-than-usual application volumes,


system issues, or resource limitations. All YPP applications are serviced in the
order they’re received by us. Sometimes channels require multiple reviews,
especially when several reviewers disagree on your channel’s suitability for
YPP. This may increase the time required for a decision to be made.

If your first application wasn’t successful, don’t worry - you can appeal the
decision within 21 days or keep uploading original content and you’ll be able to
re-apply after a 30-day period. If this isn’t your first application to be rejected,
or you’ve previously re-applied, you can try again after a 90-day period. Our
reviewers likely found that a significant portion of your channel doesn’t
currently follow our policies and guidelines, so be sure to review those against
your channel’s overall content and adjust your channel before re-applying.
Learn more about steps you can take to strengthen your application for next
time.

Choose how to earn and get paid

Once you’re in YPP, get started in YouTube Studio with Watch Page Ads, Shorts
Feed Ads, Memberships, Supers, Shopping, and more. To turn on monetization
features, you’ll need to review and accept the relevant module terms. Learn
more about the modules and their options here.
After choosing how you want to monetize, you’ll be able to manage ad
preferences, turn on monetization for your uploads, and more. Here’s a list of
FAQs that we get from creators who have just joined YPP.

Getting paid

Visit our Help Center for an easier understanding of your earnings as a


YouTube partner, learn all about AdSense (Google’s program that lets creators
in YPP get paid), and troubleshoot common payment issues.

Stay active to keep making money

As the YouTube Partner Program continues to grow, it's important to maintain


a healthy, active ecosystem of channels. To focus our support for creators who
are active and engaged with the community, we may turn off monetization on
channels that haven’t uploaded a video or posted to the Community tab for 6
months or more.

FAQs around applying and more

What if I don’t meet the program threshold?

What do “valid public watch hours” and "valid public Shorts views" mean?

If I meet the threshold, do I automatically get into YPP?

What happens if my counts drop below the threshold after I apply?


I’m no longer in YPP (or I was never in the program) and I’m seeing ads on my
videos. Am I earning revenue from those ads?

YouTube channel monetization policies

March 10, 2022: Given the recent suspension of Google advertising systems in
Russia, we’ll be pausing the creation of new Russian accounts on AdSense,
AdMob and Google Ad Manager. Additionally, we will pause ads on Google
properties and networks globally for advertisers based in Russia. As a result,
creators in Russia won’t be able to complete new YPP sign-ups at this time.

March 3, 2022: Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we will be temporarily


pausing Google and YouTube ads from serving to users located in Russia. Also,
we are pausing access to all monetization features (such as Channel
Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Merch) for viewers
in Russia. Learn more.

February 25, 2022: In light of the war in Ukraine, we are pausing YouTube’s
monetization of Russian Federation state-funded media channels.

We will continue to actively monitor the situation and make adjustments as


necessary.

Updated June 2023: This policy has been updated to reflect updates on
expanded YouTube Partner Program monetization features (fan funding), as
well as to clarify revenue enforcement details for terminated or suspended
channels.

If you’re monetizing on YouTube, it’s important that your channel follows


YouTube monetization policies. These include policies described below, as well
as YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, Copyright, Rights
Clearance Adjustment policies, and Google AdSense program policies.

These policies apply to anyone in, or looking to apply to, the YouTube Partner
Program. The YouTube Shorts monetization policies also apply if you’re
monetizing Shorts on YouTube.

All content monetizing with ads must follow our advertiser-friendly content
guidelines. To earn revenue from fan funding features, first time users must
accept the Commerce Product Module (CPM) before turning on the individual
features. You must also follow the Commerce Products monetization
policies when monetizing with fan funding features.

Here’s a quick overview of each major policy. Make sure you read each policy
thoroughly, as these policies are used to check if a channel is suitable to
monetize. Our reviewers regularly check to see whether monetizing channels
follow these policies. Learn more about how we enforce our policies.

Keep in mind that when we use the term video on this page, it refers to Shorts,
long-form videos, and live streaming. These policies apply wherever videos are
viewed including the Watch Page (pages within YouTube, YouTube Music, or
YouTube Kids), the YouTube Video Player (player that embeds YouTube
content on other sites), and the YouTube Shorts Player (player that makes
Shorts available).

What we check when we review your channel


Our reviewers check content that best represents your channel against our
policies. Since our reviewers can’t check every video, they may focus on your
channel’s:

 Main theme
 Most viewed videos
 Newest videos
 Biggest proportion of watch time
 Video metadata (including titles, thumbnails, and descriptions)

The above are just examples of content our reviewers may assess. Note that
our reviewers can, and may check other parts of your channel to see whether
it fully meets our policies.

Follow the YouTube Community Guidelines

Follow AdSense program policies


Quality principles for kids and family content
Creator responsibility
Creator integrity
How we'll inform you of policy changes

How we enforce YouTube monetization policies

Anyone who earns money on YouTube must follow YouTube's channel


monetization policies. If you violate any of our policies, YouTube may take the
actions outlined below.

Withhold, adjust, charge back, or offset earnings or payment

Limit ad revenue from your videos

Suspend your participation in the YouTube Partner Program

Suspend or even terminate your YouTube channel

How we'll inform you of actions that affect your monetization

How to get help with issues that affect you

If you're in the YouTube Partner Program, you can get access to our Creator
Support team.
Whether you're facing a specific problem or you want to find out how to get
the most out of YouTube as a creator, we're here to help you:

 Optimize how you use YouTube


 Get tips on technical or service aspects of YouTube
 Find out how to navigate policy and copyright guidelines
 Get answers on account and channel management questions
 Resolve content ID and rights management issues
 Troubleshoot and fix bugs or issues with your account

You can find more detailed instructions to contact Creator Support and how
to get help as a YouTube Creator.

Learn more about how YouTube works for you

Whether you're pursuing a passion or a business, we know you put a ton of


time and energy into making content that goes on YouTube. It's important for
you to understand how your content is discovered and how it performs. As
creators and content providers, you're at the center of our community -
communication and transparency with you remains our priority. We’re
committed to supporting your success. That’s why we’ve brought together
some great resources that explain:

 How our systems work for your content


 How you can make money on YouTube
 How to measure your performance on YouTube
 How to manage your relationship with YouTube

Your content on YouTube


Your relationship with YouTube
Making money on YouTube
Your performance on YouTube
Give feedback about this article
Was this helpful?
YesNo

Legal removals

While our Community Guidelines are policies that apply wherever you are in
the world, YouTube is launched in more than 100 different countries - so we
also have processes in place to review and appropriately act on valid legal
requests based in applicable local laws.
Resources

 Report content that is in violation of local law

 See more information about government requests to remove content


due to local law in Google's Transparency Report

 Protecting your identity

How does YouTube prevent content piracy on the platform?

We have invested millions of dollars to develop a Copyright Management


Suite designed to balance the needs of the entire ecosystem. We work with
rights holders and creators of all types to match them to the appropriate
features based on the scale of their content on YouTube and the capabilities
that they've dedicated to responsibly manage their content online.

 Overview

Our Copyright Management Suite gives rightsholders control of their


copyrighted material on YouTube. It is powered by Content ID matching,
best-in-class technology used to detect potentially infringing content. It
consists of our public DMCA webform , available to all two billion users who
come to YouTube; the Copyright Match Tool , our tool designed specifically
for creators and available to over 1,500,000 of them; and Content ID, our
enterprise solution for those with scaled rights management needs like
music labels, movie studios or collection societies.

After providing us with reference files, Content ID and Copyright Match Tool
users are automatically notified of user-uploaded videos that may contain
their creative work. Additionally, Content ID users can choose in advance
what they want to happen when those videos are detected. Thanks to the
different options that Content ID gives copyright owners, it's not just an
anti-piracy solution, but also a revenue-generation tool. YouTube has paid
more than $5.5 billion to rightsholders from ad revenue alone, from content
that they've claimed and monetised through Content ID.
How does YouTube prevent content piracy on the platform?

We have invested millions of dollars to develop a Copyright Management


Suite designed to balance the needs of the entire ecosystem. We work with
rights holders and creators of all types to match them to the appropriate
features based on the scale of their content on YouTube and the capabilities
that they've dedicated to responsibly manage their content online.

 Overview

Our Copyright Management Suite gives rightsholders control of their


copyrighted material on YouTube. It is powered by Content ID matching,
best-in-class technology used to detect potentially infringing content. It
consists of our public DMCA webform , available to all two billion users who
come to YouTube; the Copyright Match Tool , our tool designed specifically
for creators and available to over 1,500,000 of them; and Content ID, our
enterprise solution for those with scaled rights management needs like
music labels, movie studios or collection societies.

After providing us with reference files, Content ID and Copyright Match Tool
users are automatically notified of user-uploaded videos that may contain
their creative work. Additionally, Content ID users can choose in advance
what they want to happen when those videos are detected. Thanks to the
different options that Content ID gives copyright owners, it's not just an
anti-piracy solution, but also a revenue-generation tool. YouTube has paid
more than $5.5 billion to rightsholders from ad revenue alone, from content
that they've claimed and monetised through Content ID.

Progress on managing harmful content

Our Community Guidelines outline what we allow and don't allow on


YouTube. A key part of our commitment to responsibility is enforcing these
guidelines and removing policy-violating content. We've put together a few
key data points to show you how we're progressing with our responsibility
efforts – if you'd like to know more, you can find details on our
dedicated Community Guidelines Enforcement Report .

 Removal reason
 Detection source
 Removal by views

Videos removed, by removal reason

YouTube relies on teams around the world to review flagged videos and
remove content that violates Community Guidelines; restrict videos (e.g.
age-restrict content that may not be appropriate for all audiences); or leave
the content live when it doesn't violate our guidelines.

This exhibit shows the volume of videos removed by YouTube by the reason
why a video was removed. These removal reasons correspond to
YouTube's Community Guidelines . Reviewers evaluate flagged videos
against all of our Community Guidelines and policies, regardless of why the
video was originally flagged.

 29.9% 1.87M - Child safety

 22.4% 1.40M - Nudity or sexual

 16.8% 1.05M - Violent or graphic

 14.1% 884K - Spam, misleading and scams

 4.8% 299K - Harmful or dangerous


 3.7% 233K - Harassment and cyberbullying

 1.4% 87K - Hateful or abusive

 6.9% 431K - Promotion of violence and violent extremism

 0.1% 7K - Other

Videos removed, by first source of detection

This chart shows the volume of videos removed by YouTube, by source of


first detection (automated flagging or human detection). Flags from human
detection can come from a user or a member of YouTube's Trusted Flagger
programme. Trusted Flagger programme members include NGOs and
government agencies that are particularly effective at notifying YouTube of
content that violates our Community Guidelines.

Videos removed, by views

YouTube strives to prevent content that breaks our rules from being widely
viewed – or viewed at all – before it's removed. Automated flagging enables
us to act more quickly and accurately to enforce our policies. This chart
shows the percentage of video removals that occurred before they received
any views versus those that occurred after receiving some views.
 37.9% 0 views

 36.7% 1–10 views

 25.4% 10+ views

Fake engagement policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

YouTube doesn’t allow anything that artificially increases the number of views,
likes, comments, or other metrics either by using automatic systems or serving
up videos to unsuspecting viewers. Also, content that solely exists to
incentivize viewers for engagement (views, likes, comments, etc) is prohibited.

Content and channels that don't follow this policy may be terminated and
removed from YouTube.

Important: If you hire someone to promote your channel, their decisions may
impact your channel. Any method that violates our policies may result in
content removal or a channel takedown, whether it's an action taken by you or
someone you've hired.

We consider engagement to be legitimate when a human user’s primary intent


is to authentically interact with the content. We consider engagement
illegitimate, for example, when it results from coercion or deception, or when
the sole purpose of the engagement is financial gain.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.
What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

 Links to or promotes third-party services that artificially inflate metrics


like views, likes, and subscribers
 Content linking to or promoting third-party view count or subscriber
gaming websites or services
 Offering to subscribe to another creator’s channel only if they subscribe
to your channel (“sub4sub”)
 Note: You're allowed to encourage viewers to subscribe, hit the
like button, share, or leave a comment
 Content featuring a creator purchasing their views from a third party
with the intent of promoting the service

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete
list.

How engagement is measured

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 A video testimonial in which a creator shows themselves successfully


purchasing artificial page traffic from a third party
 A video in which a creator links to a third party artificial page traffic
provider in a promotional or supportive context. For example: “I got 1
million subscribers on this video in a day and you can too!”
 A video that tries to force or trick viewers into watching another video
through deceptive means (for example: a misleadingly labeled info card)
 Channels dedicated to artificial channel engagement traffic or promoting
businesses that exist for this sole purpose

Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy


If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Impersonation policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Content intended to impersonate a person or channel is not allowed on


YouTube. YouTube also enforces trademark holder rights. When a channel, or
content in the channel, causes confusion about the source of goods and
services advertised, it may not be allowed.

If you see content that violates this policy, report it.

 If you feel that yours or another creator's channel is being


impersonated, you can report the channel.

What these policies mean for you

If you're posting content


Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

 Channel impersonation: A channel that copies another channel's profile,


background, or overall look and feel in such a way that makes it look like
someone else's channel. The channel does not have to be 100%
identical, as long as the intent is clear to copy the other channel.
 Personal impersonation: Content intended to look like someone else is
posting it.

If you operate a fan channel, make sure you state so explicitly in your channel
name or handle. It should be obvious to your viewers that your channel
doesn't represent the original creator, artist or entity your channel is
celebrating.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 Channels with the same identifier (channel name or handle) and image
as another channel, with the only difference being a space inserted into
the name or a zero replacing the letter O.
 Using someone else's real name, user name, image, brand, logo, or other
personal information to trick people into believing you are that person.
 Setting up a channel using the same identifier (channel name or handle)
and image of a person, and then pretending that person is posting
content to the channel.
 Setting up a channel using the name and image of a person, and then
posting comments on other channels as if they were posted by the
person.
 Channels claiming to be a 'fan account' in the channel description, but
not stating so clearly in the channel name or handle, or posing as
another’s channel and reuploading their content.
 Channels impersonating an existing news channel.

Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we may terminate your channel or account.
Learn more about channel or account terminations.
Give feedback about this article

External links policy

 Linking changes on YouTube: To reduce spam and scam attempts, links


in YouTube Shorts comments and Shorts descriptions will be non-
clickable starting August 31, 2023–this change will roll out gradually.
We're also retiring banner links on August 10, 2023, and introducing a
new way to showcase important links on your channel page. You can
start preparing channel profile links on August 10, and your audience will
see them starting August 23. Learn more about this change.

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Links that send users to content that violates our Community Guidelines are
not allowed on YouTube. If you find content that violates this policy, report
it. Note: Certain links may not be clickable. Learn more here.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post links in your content on YouTube if they direct users to content that
violates our Community Guidelines. This policy includes links that fit any of the
descriptions noted below. Please note this is not a complete list.

 Links to pornography
 Links to websites or apps that install malware
 Links to websites or apps phishing for a user’s sign in info, financial info,
etc.
 Links to websites, apps, or other sources that give unauthorized access
to audio content, audiovisual content, video games, software, or
streaming services that normally require payment
 Links to websites that seek to raise funds or recruit for terrorist
organizations
 Links to sites containing Child Sexual Abuse Imagery (CSAI)
 Links to sites selling items noted in our regulated goods guidelines
 Links to content that would violate our hate or harassment policies
 Links to content encouraging others to commit violent acts
 Links to content that spread medical misinformation contradicting local
health authorities’ (LHA) or the World Health Organization’s (WHO)
medical info about COVID-19
 Links to websites or apps that spread misleading or deceptive content
that can cause serious risk of egregious harm, such as interfering with
democratic processes

This policy applies to video, audio, channel, comments, pinned comments, live
streams, and any other YouTube product or feature. Links can take any form
that would direct a user to a site off YouTube. These links include: clickable
urls, showing text of urls in videos or images, and obfuscated urls (such as
writing “dot com” instead of “.com”). These links can also include verbally
directing users to other sites or encouraging viewers to visit creator profiles or
pages on other sites. This list is not complete.

Note: Affiliate content doesn't violate YouTube’s Terms of Use. Excessively


posting affiliate content in dedicated accounts may violate our policies around
spam. You can learn more about what's allowed in our Spam, deceptive
practices & scams policies.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 A video featuring sexually themed content whose description says “click


to see what YouTube won’t allow!” and contains a link to a pornographic
site.
 A gameplay video description contains a link promising in-game currency
or online store credit but links to a site that infects the user’s computer
with malware.
 Posting a link to a phishing site that steals users’ banking info and
passwords.
 Instructing viewers to copy and paste an unclickable link in the video
that takes them to a pornographic or spammy site.
 Any link leading users to a website, file hosting service, or other
source that allows them to access or download child sexual abuse
imagery.
 Verbally directing viewers to a website to find a profile or page on
another platform so they can watch content that violates YouTube’s
Community Guidelines.
 Embedding a url in a video of a site that would mislead voters about the
time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting.
 A link to an article claiming that COVID-19 vaccines are part of a
depopulation agenda.

Remember that this list is not complete. If you think content might violate this
policy, don’t post it.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article

Spam, deceptive practices, & scams policies

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.
Note: We recently reorganized our Community Guidelines to provide further
clarity around our policies related to Misinformation on YouTube. To review
these policies, check out our articles on Misinformation and Elections
misinformation.
YouTube doesn’t allow spam, scams, or other deceptive practices that take
advantage of the YouTube community. We also don’t allow content where the
main purpose is to trick others into leaving YouTube for another site.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What these policies mean for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

 Video Spam: Content that is excessively posted, repetitive, or


untargeted and does one or more of the following:
 Promises viewers they'll see something but instead directs them
off site.
 Gets clicks, views, or traffic off YouTube by promising viewers that
they’ll make money fast.
 Sends audiences to sites that spread harmful software, try to
gather personal info, or other sites that have a negative impact.
 Misleading Metadata or Thumbnails: Using the title, thumbnails,
description to trick users into believing the content is something it is not.
 Scams: Content offering cash gifts, “get rich quick” schemes, or pyramid
schemes (sending money without a tangible product in a pyramid
structure).
 Incentivization Spam: Content that sells engagement metrics such as
views, likes, comments, or any other metric on YouTube. This type of
spam can also includes content where the only purpose is to boost
subscribers, views, or other metrics. For example, offering to subscribe
to another creator’s channel solely in exchange for them subscribing to
your channel, also known as "Sub4Sub" content.
 Comments Spam: Comments where the sole purpose is to gather
personal info from viewers, misleadingly drive viewers off YouTube, or
perform any of the prohibited behaviors noted above.
 Repetitive comments: Leaving large amounts of identical, untargeted or
repetitive comments.
 3rd party content: Live streams intended to stream content that belongs
to somebody else and are not corrected after repeated warnings of
possible abuse. Channel owners should actively monitor their live
streams and correct any potential issues in a timely manner.

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete
list. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This
can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as
well as other forms.

Note: You're allowed to encourage viewers to subscribe, hit the like button,
share, or leave a comment.

Video Spam

Misleading metadata or thumbnails

Scams

Incentivization Spam

Comments Spam

3rd party content

Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we may suspend your monetization or


terminate your channel or account. Learn more about monetization
policies and channel or account terminations.

For some violations, we may remove the content and issue a warning or a
strike against your channel. If this happens, we’ll send you an email to let you
know. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be terminated.
Learn more about our strike system.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Playlists policy
Playlists are a great way to combine videos that your community may want to
watch as a series. We know it’s not often intentional, but there may be times
when playlists contain content that’s not allowed on the platform and can
cause harm to our community. This means that playlists that violate our
Community Guidelines are not allowed on YouTube.

Here’s a simple way to think of it: if you were to combine all the playlists’
videos into one single video, and that video were to violate our Community
Guidelines, then the playlist may violate Community Guidelines as well.

If you find content that violates this policy, please report it. Instructions for
reporting violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you find
many videos, comments, or a creator's entire channel that you wish to report,
visit our reporting tool.

What this policy means for you

If you're creating playlists

Don’t post playlists on YouTube if they fit any of the descriptions noted below.

 Playlists with thumbnails, titles or descriptions that violate our


community guidelines, such as those that are pornographic, or that
consist of images that are intended to shock or disgust.
 Playlists with titles or descriptions that mislead viewers into thinking
they’re about to view videos different than what the playlist contains.
 Playlists with videos that don’t individually violate our policies, but are
collected in a way that violates the guidelines. This includes but is not
limited to:
 Educational content featuring nudity or sexual themes for the
purpose of sexual gratification
 Non-sexual content but focus on specific body parts or activities
for sexual gratification
 Documentary videos of graphic violence for the purpose of
glorifying or shocking
 Playlists that include multiple videos that have been removed for
violating our guidelines. If you notice that multiple videos in your public
playlists have been removed or deleted, please take some time to
remove those videos from your playlists as well. If you notice that some
videos in your public playlists violate our Community Guidelines, please
flag them and remove them from your playlist.
 Playlists that depict physical, sexual, or emotional mistreatment of
minors.

Please note this is not a complete list.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 A playlist of news footage of aerial bombings accompanied by a title


such as “Best bombings”.
 A playlist with a title that calls for the segregation of people with
intellectual disabilities.
 A playlist that posts an individual’s nonpublic personal identifying
information like a phone number, home address, or email for the
express purpose of directing abusive attention or traffic toward them.
 A playlist that collects videos of dangerous or threatening pranks, such
as a playlist of fake home invasions or robberies.
 A playlist of videos featuring minors accompanied by a title such as
“sexy".

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo
Additional policies

Encouraging Terms of Service violations

If you post content that encourages other users to violate our Terms of Service,
the content may be removed, your account may be penalized, and in some
cases your account may be terminated.

Posting previously removed content, or content from terminated or restricted


creators

Posting content previously removed for violating our Terms of Service, content
from creators with a current channel restriction, or content from creators who
have been terminated is considered circumvention under our Terms of Service.

If you post such content, it may be removed, and your YouTube channel may
also be penalized or terminated. This may also apply to other channels you
own.

Age requirements on Google products

We may ask you to confirm your age if we think that you are not old enough to
use YouTube. You can learn more about this process here.

Child safety policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.
Update: Content that targets young minors and families but contains sexual
themes, violence, obscene, or other mature themes not suitable for young
audiences, is not allowed on YouTube. In addition to your titles, descriptions,
and tags, ensure your audience selection matches the audience your content is
suitable for.

YouTube doesn’t allow content that endangers the emotional and physical
well-being of minors. A minor is defined as someone under the legal age of
majority -- usually anyone younger than 18 years old in most
countries/regions.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. If you believe that a child
is in danger, you should get in touch with your local law enforcement to report
the situation immediately.

Instructions for reporting violations of our Community Guidelines are available


here. If you've found multiple videos or comments that you would like to
report, you can report the channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions below.

 Sexualization of minors: Sexually explicit content featuring minors and


content that sexually exploits minors. We report content containing
child sexual abuse imagery to the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children, who work with global law enforcement agencies.
 Harmful or dangerous acts involving minors: Content showing a minor
participating in dangerous activities or encouraging minors to do
dangerous activities. Never put minors in harmful situations that may
lead to injury, including dangerous stunts, challenges, dares, or pranks.
 Infliction of emotional distress on minors: Content that could cause
minor participants or viewers emotional distress, including:
 Exposing minors to mature themes
 Simulating parental abuse
 Coercing minors
 Violence
 Misleading family content: Content that targets young minors and
families, but contains:
 Sexual themes
 Violence
 Obscenity or other mature themes not suitable for young
audiences such as medical procedures, use of adult horror
characters, self harm, or content intended to shock young
audiences.
 Family friendly cartoons that target young minors and contain
adult or age-inappropriate themes such as violence, sex, profanity,
medical procedures, self harm, adult horror characters or other
content intended to shock young audiences.
 Make sure your titles, descriptions, and tags match the audience
you're targeting. In addition, ensure your audience
selection accurately represents the audience your content is
suitable for. You can also age restrict your content upon upload if
it’s intended for mature audiences.
 Cyberbullying and harassment involving minors: Content that:
 Targets individuals for abuse or humiliation
 Reveals personal information like email addresses or bank account
numbers
 Records someone without their consent
 Sexually harasses
 Encourages others to bully or harass

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, Stories,


Community posts, live streams, playlists, and any other YouTube product or
feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete list.

Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This can
include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as well as
other forms.

Age-restricted content

Examples

Here are some examples of content not allowed on YouTube.

 A video featuring minors involved in provocative, sexual, or sexually


suggestive activities, challenges and dares, such as kissing or groping.
 Showing minors involved in dangerous activities. For example, physical
stunts, using weapons or explosives, or using a controlled substance like
alcohol or nicotine.
 A video with tags like "for children", or whose audience is set to “Yes, it’s
made for kids”, featuring family friendly cartoons engaging in
inappropriate acts like injecting needles.

Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate this policy.

More examples
What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

We have zero tolerance for predatory behavior on YouTube. If we think a child


is in danger based on reported content, we’ll help law enforcement investigate
the content.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Thumbnails policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Thumbnails and other images that violate our Community Guidelines aren’t
allowed on YouTube. Images include banners, avatars, Community posts, and
any other YouTube feature that has images.

If you find thumbnails or other images that violate this policy, report them. If
you find a few videos or comments that you want to report, you can report the
channel.
What this policy means for you

Don’t post a thumbnail or other image on YouTube if it shows:

 Pornographic imagery
 Sexual acts, the use of sex toys, fetishes, or other sexually gratifying
imagery
 Nudity, including genitals
 Imagery that depicts unwanted sexualization
 Violent imagery that intends to shock or disgust
 Graphic or disturbing imagery with blood or gore
 Vulgar or lewd language
 A thumbnail that misleads viewers to think they’re about to view
something that’s not in the video

Note: The above list isn’t complete.

Age-restricted thumbnails and thumbnail removal

What happens when thumbnails violate our policies

If your thumbnail contains pornography, we may terminate your channel. If


your thumbnail violates other policies, we remove the thumbnail and may
issue a strike against your account. If it's the first time you’ve posted content
that violates our Community Guidelines, you get a warning with no penalty to
your channel. If it’s not the first time, we issue a strike against your channel. If
you get three strikes in 90 days or your channel is dedicated to violative
content, your channel will be terminated. Learn more about our strikes system.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Nudity & sexual content policy


Note: On September 7, 2022, we updated our Nudity and sexual content policy
to more consistently enforce our Community Guidelines. You can learn more
about these changes on our forum. This policy has been updated with these
changes.
The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Explicit content meant to be sexually gratifying is not allowed on


YouTube. Posting pornography may result in content removal or channel
termination. Videos containing fetish content will be removed or age-
restricted. In most cases, violent, graphic, or humiliating fetishes are not
allowed on YouTube.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

Sexually explicit content featuring minors and content that sexually exploits
minors is not allowed on YouTube. We report content containing child sexual
abuse imagery to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who
work with global law enforcement agencies.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Explicit content that violates this policy could result in channel termination.
This policy applies to real-world, dramatized, illustrated, and animated
content, including sex scenes, video games, and music.

Don’t post content on YouTube if it shows:

 The depiction of clothed or unclothed genitals, breasts, or buttocks that


are meant for sexual gratification
 Pornography, the depiction of sexual acts, or fetishes that are meant for
sexual gratification
Other types of content that violate this policy

Age-restricted content

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams,


audio, and any other YouTube product or feature. Remember these are just
some examples, and don't post content if you think it might violate this policy.

Educational content

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 Clips extracted from non-pornographic films, shows, or other content in


order to isolate sexual content (real world or artistic)
 Groping, “pantsing”, kissing, public masturbation, “upskirting”,
voyeurism, predatory exhibitionism, or any other content that depicts
someone in a sexualized manner without their consent
 Content that depicts sexual acts, behaviors, or sex toys that’s meant for
sexual gratification

Note: The above are just some examples. If you think content might violate
this policy, don’t post it.

More examples

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

If your content contains pornography, we may terminate your channel.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.
Note: On April 18, 2023, we updated our Eating disorders policy to better
protect the community from sensitive content that may pose a risk to some
audiences. We may remove imitable content, age-restrict content, or show a
crisis resource panel on videos about eating disorders or self-harm topics. The
below policy is updated with these changes. You can learn more about our
approach in this blog post.

At YouTube, we take the health and well-being of all our creators and viewers
seriously. Awareness and understanding of mental health is important and we
support creators sharing their stories, such as posting content discussing their
experiences with depression, self-harm, eating disorders, or other mental
health issues.

However, we do not allow content on YouTube that promotes suicide, self-


harm, or eating disorders, that is intended to shock or disgust, or that poses a
considerable risk to viewers.

What to do if you find this content

If you believe someone is in danger:

 Get in touch with local emergency services for help


 Flag the video to bring it to our attention
If you find yourself being negatively affected by any mental health, suicide,
self-harm, or eating disorder related content you come across, know that there
is support available and you’re not alone. In the next section you can find a list
of resources and contact information for organizations that can offer advice.

For general guidance on how to talk to someone who you may be concerned
about, contact local helplines.

What to do if you need support

If you are depressed, having thoughts of suicide, self-harming, or experiencing


an eating disorder, know there is help and you’re not alone. While coping with
painful emotions, many people might experience these issues. Talking to a
mental health care provider can help determine if you have a mental illness
that requires care. It can also help you identify healthy, effective coping
strategies and develop skills to manage difficult feelings.

To read tips and watch videos that can help you feel safer on YouTube, visit
the Creator Safety Center.

YouTube users should not be afraid to speak openly about the topics of mental
health, suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders in a supportive and non-
harmful way.

However, there are times when content is created that is sensitive and may
pose a risk for some users. When you create content that contains suicide, self-
harm, or eating disorder related topics, take into account the possible negative
impact of your content on other users, especially minors and users who may
be sensitive to this content.

To protect and support your viewers and other users, please follow the
Community Guidelines below when creating content related to suicide, self-
harm, or eating disorders. Not following these Community Guidelines may
result in a strike, removal of your content, or other restrictions to protect
users. Learn more.

This Community Guidelines policy applies to videos, video descriptions,


comments, live streams, and any other YouTube product or feature.Keep in
mind that this isn't a complete list. Please note these policies also apply
to external links in your content. This can include clickable URLs, verbally
directing users to other sites in video, as well as other forms.
Don't post the following content:

 Content promoting or glorifying suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders


 Instructions on how to die by suicide, engage in self-harm, or engage in
eating disorders (including how to conceal them)
 Content related to suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders that is targeted
at minors
 Graphic images of self-harm
 Visuals of bodies of suicide victims unless blurred or covered so they are
fully obscured
 Videos showing the lead-up to a suicide, or suicide attempts and suicide
rescue footage without sufficient context
 Content showing participation in or instructions for suicide and self-
harm challenges (e.g. Blue Whale or Momo challenges)
 Suicide notes or letters without sufficient context
 Content that features weight-based bullying in the context of eating
disorders

In some cases we may restrict, rather than remove, suicide, self-harm, or


eating disorder content if it meets one or more of the following criteria (for
example, by placing an age-restriction, a warning, or a Crisis Resource Panel on
the video). Please note this is not a complete list:

 Content that is meant to be educational, documentary, scientific, or


artistic
 Content that is of public interest
 Graphic content that is sufficiently blurred
 Dramatizations or scripted content, which includes but is not limited to
animations, video games, music videos, and clips from movies and
shows
 Detailed discussion of suicide or self-harm methods, locations and
hotspots
 Graphic descriptions of self-harm or suicide
 Eating disorder recovery content that includes details which may be
triggering to at-risk viewers

Best practices for creators posting content about suicide, self-harm, or eating
disorders

We recommend using these best practices in content related to suicide or self-


harm to protect your viewers from harm and distress:
 Avoid showing the person who died by suicide, and respect their, and
their families’, privacy. Learn more.
 Use wording that is positive and supportive, and focuses on recovery,
prevention, and stories of hope.
 Include information and resources for suicide and self-harm prevention
and coping strategies. Try to include it in both the video itself and the
description of the video.
 Do not use sensationalist language or dramatic visuals.
 Provide context, but avoid discussing how the victim died by suicide. Do
not mention the methods or locations.
 Blur content that contains images of suicide victims. You can blur your
video with the Editor in YouTube Studio. Learn more.

We recommend using these best practices in content related to eating


disorders to protect your viewers from harm and distress:

 Focus on the impact of the disorder instead of the details of the


disordered eating behavior.
 Tell your audience that eating disorders commonly cause severe
complications.
 Include info and resources for eating disorder prevention and coping
strategies. Try to include it in both the video itself and the description of
the video.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.
Finally we may also limit your access to live streaming if you suggest that you’ll
live stream content that will violate our Community Guidelines. Learn more
about restrictions on live streaming.

Warnings and supportive resources

YouTube may show features or resources to users when content contains


suicide or self-harm topics. For example:

 A warning on your video before it starts playing, indicating that it


contains content relating to suicide and self-harm
 A panel under the video containing supportive resources such as phone
numbers of suicide prevention organizations

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Vulgar language policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Some language may not be appropriate for viewers under 18.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Explicit content that violates this policy could result in age restriction, content
removal, or a strike. We may consider the following factors when deciding
whether to age-restrict, remove content, or issue a strike.
 Use of sexually explicit language or narratives
 Use of excessive profanity in the content
 Use of heavy profanity or sexually suggestive terms in the content’s title,
thumbnail, or associated metadata
 Use of excessive sexual sounds

Note: The above list isn’t complete.

Age-restricted content

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams,


audio, and any other YouTube product or feature. Remember these are just
some examples, and don't post content if you think it might violate this policy.

We may allow vulgar language when the primary purpose is educational,


documentary, scientific, or artistic, and it isn’t gratuitous. For example, the title
of a song with a curse word or a song that contains large amounts of profanity.
Remember that giving context in the content, title, and description will help us
and your viewers determine the primary purpose of the video.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article

Harassment & cyberbullying policies


The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Content that threatens individuals is not allowed on YouTube. We also


don't allow content that targets an individual with prolonged or malicious
insults based on intrinsic attributes. These attributes include their protected
group status or physical traits.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found
multiple videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel. For tips about how to stay safe, keep your account secure, and
protect your privacy, check out the Creator Safety Center and Stay safe on
YouTube.

If specific threats are made against you and you feel unsafe, report it directly
to your local law enforcement agency.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

 Content that features prolonged name calling or malicious insults (such


as racial slurs) based on someone's intrinsic attributes. These attributes
include their protected group status, physical attributes, or their status
as a survivor of sexual assault, non-consensual intimate imagery
distribution, domestic abuse, child abuse and more.
 Content uploaded with the intent to shame, deceive or insult a minor. A
minor is defined as an individual under the legal age of majority. This
usually means anyone younger than 18 years old, but the age of a minor
might vary by geography.

Other types of content that violate this policy

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete
list. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This
can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as
well as other forms.

Exceptions

If the primary purpose is educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic in


nature, we may allow content that includes harassment. These exceptions
are not a pass to harass someone. Some examples include:

 Debates related to high-profile officials or leaders: Content featuring


debates or discussions of topical issues concerning individuals who have
positions of power, like high-profile government officials or CEOs of
major multinational corporations.
 Scripted performances: Insults made in the context of an artistic
medium such as scripted satire, stand up comedy, or music (such as a
diss track). Note: This exception is not a pass to harass someone and
claim “I was joking.”
 Harassment education or awareness: Content that features actual or
simulated harassment for documentary purposes or with willing
participants (such as actors) to combat cyberbullying or raise awareness.

Note: We take a harder line on content that maliciously insults someone based
on their protected group status, regardless of whether or not they are a high-
profile person.

Monetization and other penalties

In some rare cases, we may remove content or issue other penalties when a
creator:

 Repeatedly encourages abusive audience behavior.


 Repeatedly targets, insults and abuses an identifiable individual based
on their intrinsic attributes across several uploads.
 Exposes an individual to risks of physical harm based on the local social
or political context.
 Creates content that harms the YouTube community by persistently
inciting hostility between creators for personal financial gain.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube:


 Repeatedly showing pictures of someone and then making statements
like “Look at this creature’s teeth, they’re so disgusting!”, with similar
commentary targeting intrinsic attributes throughout the video.
 Targeting an individual based on their membership in a protected group,
such as by saying: “Look at this filthy [slur targeting a protected group], I
wish they’d just get hit by a truck.”
 Targeting an individual and making claims they are involved in human
trafficking in the context of a harmful conspiracy theory where the
conspiracy is linked to direct threats or violent acts.
 Using an extreme insult to dehumanize an individual based on their
intrinsic attributes. For example: “Look at this dog of a woman! She’s not
even a human being — she must be some sort of mutant or animal!”
 Depicting an identifiable individual being murdered, seriously injured, or
engaged in a graphic sexual act without their consent.
 Accounts dedicated entirely to focusing on maliciously insulting an
identifiable individual.

More Examples

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Harmful or dangerous content policies


The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.
Note: We recently reorganized our Community Guidelines to provide further
clarity about our policies related to Misinformation on YouTube. To review
these policies, check out our articles on Misinformation and Elections
misinformation.

YouTube doesn’t allow content that encourages dangerous or illegal activities


that risk serious physical harm or death.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

 Extremely dangerous challenges: Challenges that pose an imminent risk


of physical injury.
 Dangerous or threatening pranks: Pranks that lead victims to fear
imminent serious physical danger, or that create serious emotional
distress in minors.
 Instructions to kill or harm: Showing viewers how to perform activities
meant to kill or maim others. For example, giving instructions to build a
bomb meant to injure or kill others.
 Hard drug use or creation: Content that depicts abuse of or giving
instructions on how to create hard drugs such as cocaine or opioids.
Hard drugs are defined as drugs that can (mostly) lead to physical
addiction.
 Instructional theft or cheating: Showing viewers how to steal tangible
goods or promoting dishonest behavior.
 Hacking: Demonstrating how to use computers or information
technology with the intent to steal credentials, compromise personal
data or cause serious harm to others such as (but not limited to) hacking
into social media accounts.
 Bypassing payment for digital content or services: Showing viewers
how to use apps, websites, or other information technology to gain
unauthorized access to audio content, audiovisual content, full video
games, software, or streaming services that normally require payment.

Keep in mind that this isn't a complete list. Please note these policies also
apply to external links in your content. This can include clickable URLs, verbally
directing users to other sites in video, as well as other forms.

Don’t post content showing a minor participating in dangerous activity, or


encouraging minors to participate in dangerous activities. Never put minors in
harmful situations that may lead to injury, including dangerous stunts, dares,
or pranks. You can learn more about Child Safety here.

Age-restricted content

We might allow videos that depict dangerous acts if they’re meant to be


educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic (EDSA). For example, a news
piece on the dangers of choking games would be appropriate, but posting clips
out of context from the same documentary might not be.

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature.

Extremely dangerous challenges

Dangerous or threatening pranks

Violent events or instructions to harm

Drug use

Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy


If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Hate speech policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.
Note: On June 5, 2019, we announced some changes to our hate speech
policies. You can learn more about those changes here. The below policy has
been updated with those changes.

Hate speech is not allowed on YouTube. We remove content promoting


violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on any of the following
attributes:

 Age
 Caste
 Disability
 Ethnicity
 Gender Identity and Expression
 Nationality
 Race
 Immigration Status
 Religion
 Sex/Gender
 Sexual Orientation
 Victims of a major violent event and their kin
 Veteran Status

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if the purpose of that content is to do one or


more of the following.

 Encourage violence against individuals or groups based on any of the


attributes noted above. We don’t allow threats on YouTube, and we
treat implied calls for violence as real threats. You can learn more about
our policies on threats and harassment.
 Incite hatred against individuals or groups based on any of the attributes
noted above.

Other types of content that violates this policy

Educational content

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Please note these policies also apply
to external links in your content. This can include clickable URLs, verbally
directing users to other sites in video, as well as other forms.

For educational content that includes hate speech, this context must appear in
the images or audio of the video itself. Providing it in the title or description is
insufficient.

Monetization and other penalties


In some rare cases, we may remove content or issue other penalties when a
creator:

 Repeatedly encourages abusive audience behavior.


 Repeatedly targets, insults and abuses a group based on the attributes
noted above across multiple uploads.
 Exposes a group with attributes noted above to risks of physical harm
based on the local social or political context.
 Creates content that harms the YouTube ecosystem by persistently
inciting hostility against a group with attributes noted above for
personal financial gain.

Examples

Here are examples of hate speech not allowed on YouTube.

 “I’m glad this [violent event] happened. They got what they deserved
[referring to persons with the attributes noted above].”
 “[Person with attributes noted above] are dogs” or “[person with
attributes noted above] are like animals.”

More examples

Please remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you
think it might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.
If we think your content comes close to hate speech, we may limit YouTube
features available for that content. You can learn more about limited features
here.

 The importance of context


 Recent transparency report
 Limited features for certain videos

Give feedback about this article

Violent extremist or criminal organizations policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Content intended to praise, promote, or aid violent extremist or criminal


organizations is not allowed on YouTube. These organizations are not allowed
to use YouTube for any purpose, including recruitment.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

If you believe anyone is in immediate danger, you should reach out to your
local law enforcement agency to report the situation immediately.

What this means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

 Content produced by violent extremist, criminal, or terrorist


organizations
 Content praising or memorializing prominent terrorist, extremist, or
criminal figures in order to encourage others to carry out acts of
violence
 Content praising or justifying violent acts carried out by violent
extremist, criminal, or terrorist organizations
 Content aimed at recruiting new members to violent extremist, criminal,
or terrorist organizations
 Content depicting hostages or posted with the intent to solicit, threaten,
or intimidate on behalf of a criminal, extremist, or terrorist organization
 Content that depicts the insignia, logos, or symbols of violent extremist,
criminal, or terrorist organizations in order to praise or promote them
 Content that glorifies or promotes violent tragedies, such as school
shootings

YouTube relies on many factors, including government and international


organization designations, to determine what constitutes criminal or terrorist
organizations. For example, we terminate any channel where we have
reasonable belief that the account holder is a member of a designated terrorist
organization, such as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (U.S.), or organization
identified by the United Nations.

If posting content related to terrorism or crime for an educational,


documentary, scientific, or artistic purpose, be mindful to provide enough
information in the video or audio itself so viewers understand the context.
Graphic or controversial footage with sufficient context may be subject to age-
restrictions or a warning screen.

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete
list. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This
can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as
well as other forms.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 Raw and unmodified reuploads of content created by terrorist, criminal,


or extremist organizations
 Celebrating terrorist leaders or their crimes in songs or memorials
 Celebrating terrorist or criminal organizations in songs or memorials
 Content directing users to sites that espouse terrorist ideology, are used
to disseminate prohibited content, or are used for recruitment
 Footage filmed by the perpetrator during a deadly or major violent
event, in which weapons, violence, or injured victims are visible or
audible
 Video game content which has been developed or modified (“modded”)
to glorify a violent event, its perpetrators, or support violent criminal or
terrorist organizations
 Glorifying violence against civilians
 Fundraising for violent criminal, extremist, or terrorist organizations

Please remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you
think it might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Violent or graphic content policies

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Violent or gory content intended to shock or disgust viewers, or content


encouraging others to commit violent acts, are not allowed on YouTube.

If you believe anyone is in imminent danger, you should get in touch with your
local law enforcement agency to report the situation immediately.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions noted below.

Violent or graphic content:

 Inciting others to commit violent acts against individuals or a defined


group of people.
 Fights involving minors.
 Footage, audio, or imagery involving road accidents, natural disasters,
war aftermath, terrorist attack aftermath, street fights, physical attacks,
immolation, torture, corpses, protests or riots, robberies, medical
procedures, or other such scenarios with the intent to shock or disgust
viewers.
 Footage or imagery showing bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit, with
the intent to shock or disgust viewers.
 Footage of corpses with massive injuries, such as severed limbs.

Animal abuse content:

 Content where humans coerce animals to fight.


 Content where a human maliciously mistreats an animal and causes
them to experience distress outside of traditional or standard practices.
Examples of traditional or standard practices include hunting or food
preparation.
 Content where a human unnecessarily puts an animal in poor conditions
outside of traditional or standard practices. Examples of traditional or
standard practices include hunting or food preparation.
 Content that glorifies or promotes serious neglect, mistreatment, or
harm toward animals.
 Content that shows animal rescue that is staged and puts the animal in
harmful scenarios.
 Graphic content that features animals and intends to shock or disgust.

Dramatized or fictional content:

 Dramatized or fictional footage of content prohibited by these guidelines


where the viewer is not given enough context to understand that the
footage is dramatized or fictional.

Note that we do not allow the following kinds of content even if there's
educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic context provided:

 Violent physical sexual assaults (video, still imagery, or audio).


 Footage filmed by the perpetrator during a deadly or major violent
event, in which weapons, violence, or injured victims are visible or
audible.

Please note that this is not a complete list.

Keep in mind that this policy also applies to videos, video descriptions,
thumbnails, comments, live streams, and any other YouTube product or
feature. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content.
This can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video,
as well as other forms.

Educational content
Age-restricted content

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.


 Encouraging others to go to a particular place to commit violence, to
perform violence at a particular time, or to target individuals or groups
with violence.
 Actual schoolyard fights between minors. We may allow content if
minors are only play fighting and that is evident to viewers.
 Beatings or brawls outside the context of professional or professionally
supervised sporting events.

More examples

Violent or graphic content


Animal abuse content

Remember these examples are just some examples, and don’t post content if
you think it might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Misinformation policies

Certain types of misleading or deceptive content with serious risk of egregious


harm are not allowed on YouTube. This includes certain types of
misinformation that can cause real-world harm, certain types of technically
manipulated content, or content interfering with democratic processes.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found
multiple videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What these policies mean for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if it fits any of the descriptions below.

 Suppression of census participation: Content aiming to mislead census


participants about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements of
the census, or false claims that could materially discourage census
participation.
 Manipulated content: Content that has been technically manipulated or
doctored in a way that misleads users (beyond clips taken out of
context) and may pose a serious risk of egregious harm.
 Misattributed content: Content that may pose a serious risk of
egregious harm by falsely claiming that old footage from a past event is
from a current event.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

Suppression of census participation


Manipulated content
Misattributed content

Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate these policies. Please note these policies also apply to external
links in your content. This can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to
other sites in video, as well as other forms.

Educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic content

We may allow content that violates the misinformation policies noted on this
page if that content includes additional context in the video, audio, title, or
description. This is not a pass to promote misinformation. We may make
exceptions if the purpose of the content is to condemn, dispute, or satirize
misinformation that violates our policies.

We also allow personal expressions of opinion on the above topics as long as


they don’t otherwise violate any of the policies outlined above.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Elections misinformation policies

On June 2, 2023, we updated how this policy applies to past US election


outcomes. Learn more in our blog.

Certain types of misleading or deceptive content with serious risk of egregious


harm are not allowed on YouTube. This includes certain types of
misinformation that can cause real-world harm, like certain types of technically
manipulated content, and content interfering with democratic processes.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found
multiple videos or comments from a single channel that you would like to
report, you can report the channel.
What these policies mean for you

If you're posting content

These policies prohibit certain types of content relating to free and fair
democratic elections. Don’t post elections-related content on YouTube if it fits
any of the descriptions noted below.

 Voter suppression: Content aiming to mislead voters about the time,


place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting, or false claims that
could materially discourage voting.
 Candidate eligibility: Content that advances false claims related to the
technical eligibility requirements for current political candidates and
sitting elected government officials to serve in office. Eligibility
requirements considered are based on applicable national law, and
include age, citizenship, or vital status.
 Incitement to interfere with democratic processes: Content
encouraging others to interfere with democratic processes. This includes
obstructing or interrupting voting procedures.
 Distribution of hacked materials: Content that contains hacked info, the
disclosure of which may interfere with democratic processes.
 Election integrity: Content advancing false claims that widespread fraud,
errors, or glitches occurred in certain past elections to determine heads
of government. Or, content that claims that the certified results of those
elections were false. This policy currently applies to:
 The 2021 German federal election
 The 2014, 2018, and 2022 Brazilian Presidential elections

Keep in mind that this isn't a complete list.

Examples

The following types of content are not allowed on YouTube. This isn't a
complete list.

Voter suppression
Candidate eligibility
Incitement to interfere with democratic processes
Distribution of hacked materials
Election integrity
Remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you think it
might violate these policies. Please note these policies also apply to external
links in your content. This can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to
other sites in video, as well as other forms.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If this is your first time violating our Community
Guidelines, you’ll get a warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not,
we’ll issue a strike against your channel. If you get 3 strikes, your channel will
be terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Firearms policy

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.
Content intended to sell firearms, instruct viewers on how to make firearms,
ammunition, and certain accessories, or instruct viewers on how to install
those accessories is not allowed on YouTube. YouTube shouldn't be used as a
platform to sell firearms or accessories noted below. YouTube also doesn’t
allow live streams that show someone holding, handling, or transporting a
firearm.

What this means for you

If you're posting content

Don’t post content on YouTube if the purpose is to do one or more of the


following:

 Sell firearms or certain firearms accessories through direct sales (e.g.


private sales by individuals) or links to sites that sell these items. These
accessories may include:
 Accessories that enable a firearm to simulate automatic fire,
 Accessories that convert a firearm to automatic fire, such as:
bump stocks, gatling triggers, drop-in auto sears, or conversion
kits,
 High capacity magazines or belts carrying more than 30 rounds.
 Provide instructions on manufacturing any of the following:
 Firearms,
 Ammunition,
 High capacity magazines,
 Homemade silencers/suppressors,
 Accessories that enable a firearm to simulate automatic fire,
 Accessories that convert a firearm to automatic fire, such as:
bump stocks, gatling triggers, drop-in auto sears, or conversion
kits
 Provide instructions on how to convert a firearm to automatic or
simulated automatic firing capabilities.
 Provides instructions on how to install the above-mentioned accessories
or modifications.

Please note this is not a complete list.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that isn’t allowed on YouTube.

 Links in the title or description of your video to sites where firearms or


the accessories noted above are sold. You can link to sites that discuss or
review these items as long as those sites don’t sell those items directly.
 Displaying a firearm with the intention to sell that firearm via private
sale. This includes giving the seller’s phone number, email address, or
other contact information.
 Showing users step-by-step instructions on how to finish a lower
receiver in order to complete fabrication of a firearm.
 Showing users how to make a silencer out of flashlight, oil can, solvent
catcher or other parts.
 Showing users how to install a bump stock, or install a comparable
accessory built to enable simulated automatic fire.

 Live streams that feature someone holding or handling a firearm,


regardless of whether or not they are firing it. Note: this does not
include firearms in video games.
 Live streams that feature someone transporting firearms from place to
place, such as by carrying them or traveling with them by car, truck, or
other vehicle. Note: this does not include firearms in video games.

Please remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you
think it might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

Sale of illegal or regulated goods or services policies

The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Content intended to sell certain regulated goods and services is not allowed on
YouTube.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don't post content on YouTube if it aims to directly sell, link to, or facilitate
access to any of the regulated goods and services listed below. Making the sale
of these items or facilitating the use of these services possible by posting links,
email, phone number or other means to contact a seller directly is not allowed.

 Alcohol
 Bank account passwords, stolen credit cards, or other financial
information
 Counterfeit documents or currency
 Controlled narcotics and other drugs
 Explosives
 Organs
 Endangered species or parts of endangered species
 Firearms and certain firearms accessories
 Nicotine, including vaping products
 Online gambling sites not yet reviewed by Google or YouTube
 Pharmaceuticals without a prescription
 Sex or escort services
 Unlicensed medical services
 Human smuggling

This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete
list. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This
can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as
well as other forms.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 Linking to an online gambling or sports betting site that is not approved.


 Selling counterfeit passports or providing instructions on creating forged
official documents.
 Advertising escort, prostitution, or erotic massage services.
 Content instructing how to purchase drugs on the dark web.
 A video of a user making a purchase with software that generates fake
credit card numbers.
 Including a link to an online pharmacy that does not require
prescriptions.

Please remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you
think it might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article

Sale of illegal or regulated goods or services policies


The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We
look to each of you to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s
important you understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in
our shared responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully
read the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of our
guidelines.

Content intended to sell certain regulated goods and services is not allowed on
YouTube.

If you find content that violates this policy, report it. Instructions for reporting
violations of our Community Guidelines are available here. If you've found a
few videos or comments that you would like to report, you can report the
channel.

What this policy means for you

If you're posting content

Don't post content on YouTube if it aims to directly sell, link to, or facilitate
access to any of the regulated goods and services listed below. Making the sale
of these items or facilitating the use of these services possible by posting links,
email, phone number or other means to contact a seller directly is not allowed.

 Alcohol
 Bank account passwords, stolen credit cards, or other financial
information
 Counterfeit documents or currency
 Controlled narcotics and other drugs
 Explosives
 Organs
 Endangered species or parts of endangered species
 Firearms and certain firearms accessories
 Nicotine, including vaping products
 Online gambling sites not yet reviewed by Google or YouTube
 Pharmaceuticals without a prescription
 Sex or escort services
 Unlicensed medical services
 Human smuggling
This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and
any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this isn't a complete
list. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content. This
can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in video, as
well as other forms.

Examples

Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube.

 Linking to an online gambling or sports betting site that is not approved.


 Selling counterfeit passports or providing instructions on creating forged
official documents.
 Advertising escort, prostitution, or erotic massage services.
 Content instructing how to purchase drugs on the dark web.
 A video of a user making a purchase with software that generates fake
credit card numbers.
 Including a link to an online pharmacy that does not require
prescriptions.

Please remember these are just some examples, and don't post content if you
think it might violate this policy.

What happens if content violates this policy

If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an
email to let you know. If we can’t verify that a link you post is safe, we may
remove the link.

If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a
warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike
against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be
terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.

We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the


Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

How does YouTube develop new policies and update existing ones?

Each of our policies is carefully thought through so that they are consistent,
well-informed and can be applied to content from around the world. They're
developed in consultation with a wide range of external industry and policy
experts, as well as YouTube Creators. New policies go through multiple
rounds of testing before they go live to ensure that our global team of
content reviewers can apply them accurately and consistently.

This work is never finished, and we are always evaluating our policies to
understand how we can better strike a balance between keeping the
YouTube community protected and giving everyone a voice.

How does YouTube enforce its Community Guidelines?

500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That's a lot of
content, which is why our teams come together to make sure that what you
see on our platform follows our Community Guidelines. To do that, we
combine the power of advanced machine learning systems and our
community itself to flag potentially problematic content. Our machine
learning systems and expert reviewers then remove flagged content that
violates our Community Guidelines.

How does YouTube identify content that violates the Community Guidelines?

With hundreds of hours of new content uploaded to YouTube every minute,


we use a combination of people and machine learning to detect problematic
content at scale. Machine learning is well suited to detect patterns, which
helps us to find content that is similar to other content that we've already
removed, even before it's viewed.
We also recognise that the best way to quickly remove content is to
anticipate problems before they emerge. Our Intelligence Desk monitors the
news, social media and user reports to detect new trends surrounding
inappropriate content, and works to make sure that our teams are prepared
to address them before they can become a larger issue.

Is there a way for the broader community to flag harmful content?

The YouTube community also plays an important role in flagging content


they think is inappropriate.

 If you see content that you think violates the Community Guidelines,
you can use our flagging feature to submit content for review.

 We developed the YouTube Trusted Flagger programme to provide


robust content reporting processes to non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) with expertise in a policy area and government
agencies. Participants receive training on YouTube policies and have a
direct path of communication with our Trust & Safety specialists.
Videos flagged by Trusted Flaggers are not automatically removed.
They are subject to the same human review as videos flagged by any
other user, but we may expedite review by our teams. NGOs also
receive occasional online training on YouTube policies.

How does YouTube treat educational, documentary, scientific or artistic content?

Sometimes videos that might otherwise violate our Community Guidelines


may be allowed to stay on YouTube if the content offers a compelling
reason with visible context for viewers. We often refer to this exception as
'EDSA', which stands for 'educational, documentary, scientific or artistic'. To
help determine whether a video might qualify for an EDSA exception, we
look at multiple factors, including the video title, descriptions and the
context provided.
EDSA exceptions are a critical way in which we make sure that important
speech stays on YouTube, while protecting the wider YouTube ecosystem
from harmful content.

Resources

 Read more about how we treat EDSA content on YouTube

What action does YouTube take for content that violates the Community Guidelines?

Machine-learning systems help us identify and remove spam automatically,


as well as remove re-uploads of content that we've already reviewed and
determined violates our policies. YouTube takes action on other flagged
videos after review by trained human reviewers. They assess whether the
content does indeed violate our policies, and protect content that has an
educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose. Our reviewer teams
remove content that violates our policies and age-restrict content that may
not be appropriate for all audiences. Reviewers' inputs are then used to
train and improve the accuracy of our systems on a much larger scale.

Community Guidelines strikes

If our reviewers decide that content violates our Community Guidelines, we


remove the content and send a notice to the creator. The first time that a
creator violates our Community Guidelines, they receive a warning with no
penalty to the channel. After one warning, we'll issue a Community
Guidelines strike to the channel and the account will have temporary
restrictions including not being allowed to upload videos, live streams or
stories for a one-week period. Channels that receive three strikes within a
90-day period will be terminated. Channels that are dedicated to violating
our policies or that have a single case of severe abuse of the platform will
bypass our strikes system and be terminated. All strikes and terminations
can be appealed if the creator believes that there was an error, and our
teams will re-review the decision.

Resources

 Learn more about Community Guidelines strikes

 Appeal a Community Guidelines strike

Age-restricting content

Sometimes content doesn't violate our Community Guidelines but may not
be appropriate for viewers under 18 years of age. In these cases, our review
team will place an age restriction on the video so that it will not be visible to
viewers under 18 years of age, logged-out users or to those who
have Restricted mode enabled. Creators can also choose to age-restrict their
own content at upload if they think that it's not suitable for younger
audiences.

Resources

 Learn more about age-restricted content

Turn Restricted Mode on or off on YouTube

Restricted Mode is an optional setting that you can use on YouTube. This
feature can help screen out potentially mature content that you or others
using your devices may prefer not to view.

Computers in libraries, universities, and other public institutions may have


Restricted Mode turned on by a network administrator.

Note: Turning on Restricted Mode isn’t the same as age-restricting


videos. Learn more about age-restricted content.
Subscribe to the YouTube Viewers channel for the latest news, updates, and
tips.

Computer AndroidiPhone & iPad

Turn Restricted Mode on or off

1. Sign in to your account.


2. At the top right, click your profile photo .
3. At the bottom, click Restricted Mode.
4. In the top-right box that opens, to turn Restricted Mode on or off,
click Activate Restricted Mode.

Troubleshoot problems with turning off Restricted Mode

If you’ve entered your username and password, and Restricted Mode remains
on, you can check your settings on the YouTube content restrictions page for
more info. The tool will assess whether an administrator set up these
restrictions, or if they are on your personal account. A check mark will display
beside the relevant restriction. If more help is needed, the tool will guide you
toward the next step for troubleshooting.

Note: Some mobile network providers offer content filters. These filters
restrict the type of web content that you can access when your device is
connected to their mobile network. Check the YouTube content restrictions
page to see if you have any network or account level restrictions. A check
mark will display beside the relevant restriction, and the text below will
indicate the restriction level. If your DNS restrictions are on, and the level is
set to “moderate” or “strict," you have content filtering turned on. Try
contacting your mobile network provider to find out how to manage or turn
off this setting.

Control Restricted Mode for your family

If you’re a parent using the Family Link app, you can turn on Restricted Mode
for your child's account if they’re not eligible for a supervised experience on
YouTube. Learn how to turn on Restricted Mode in the Family Link app's
settings.

When Restricted Mode is turned on in Family Link, your child can't change the
Restricted Mode settings on any device they’re signed in to.
Note: You can’t set up Restricted Mode for your child if they:

 Are over 13 (or the relevant age in your country/region), unless you
created their supervised Google Account before they reached this age.
 Are over 13 (or the relevant age in your country/region) and have taken
over management of their account.
 Live in the European Union, you set up supervision for them before April
2021, and they were under the relevant age then.

Learn more about Restricted Mode

 We use many signals, like video title, description, metadata, Community


Guidelines reviews, and age restrictions to identify and filter out
potentially mature content.
 Restricted Mode is available in every language, but due to differences in
cultural norms and sensitivities, the quality may vary.
 When Restricted Mode is turned on, you can't view comments on the
videos you watch.
 Restricted Mode works on the browser or device level, so you must turn
it on for each browser you use. If your browser or device supports
multiple profiles, you must turn on this mode for each profile.
 Creators: Learn about how Restricted Mode impacts your content.

Assistant Speakers & Smart Displays

1. Open the Home app on your mobile device.


2. Tap the Speaker or Smart Display you would like to modify.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Notifications & digital wellbeing.
5. Tap YouTube Settings.
6. There are two ways you can control Restricted Mode settings for your
Smart Display:
1. You can turn on or off Restricted Mode for yourself, and
2. If you’re a device manager, you can turn on or off Restricted Mode
for all other users.

Note: Restricted Mode is set at the device level. If content isn't playing through
your device, check your Restricted Mode settings.
Give feedback about this article
Was this helpful?
YesNo
Age-restrict your own video on YouTube

If any of your videos are not appropriate for viewers under 18, you can add an
age restriction. This type of age restriction is self-imposed and is not a result of
a review by YouTube.

When a video is age-restricted, viewers must be signed in and 18 years of age


or older to view it. These videos are not shown in certain sections of YouTube.
Age-restricted videos may also have limited or no ads.

When deciding whether to age-restrict content, you should consider whether


the content shows:

 Violence
 Disturbing imagery
 Nudity
 Sexually suggestive content
 Portrayal of dangerous activities

Learn more about age-restricted content.

Videos that you proactively age-restrict are still subject to


YouTube's Community Guidelines. If YouTube decides a video should be age-
restricted, a permanent age restriction will be applied. This restriction happens
even if you also age-restrict the video.

If the video is meant to be an ad, don't use this type of age restriction. It will
result in ads being permanently disapproved.

How to age-restrict a video

Computer AndroidiPhone & iPad

Add an age restriction when you upload a video

Add an age restriction to uploaded videos

Add an age restriction to a live stream

Check which videos are age-restricted

Appeal Community Guidelines actions


This content covers how to appeal Community Guidelines strikes and
removals. If your video was removed for copyright reasons, learn about your
options for copyright strikes.

We remove content that violates our Community Guidelines. However we


understand that we sometimes make mistakes. If you think that your content
doesn't violate the Community Guidelines and either received a strike or was
removed in error, you can appeal following the steps below.

Appeal a Community Guidelines strike

When we remove your content for a Community Guidelines violation, you may
be issued a strike. Strikes are issued when content on YouTube is flagged for
review, either by members of the YouTube community or our smart detection
technology, and our review teams decide that it does not follow our
Community Guidelines. If your channel gets a strike, you'll get an email,
notifications on mobile and desktop, and an alert in your channel settings the
next time you sign in to YouTube.

Before you start, review the policy related to the strike. We also list examples
of content that result in a Community Guidelines strike. You can only appeal
for 90 days after the warning or strike was issued.

Appeal a strike

1. Go to your Dashboard in YouTube Studio.


2. Select the Channel violations card.
3. Select APPEAL.

Note: Deleting the video will not resolve the strike. If you delete your video,
the strike will remain on your channel and you won't be able to appeal again.

If you've received a Community Guidelines strike for links in your content,


make sure you're familiar with our policy and appeals process for links in your
content.

Appeal a Community Guidelines video removal

Sometimes, we remove content without issuing a strike or penalty on your


channel. Here’s how you can appeal when this happens:

If it’s a video:
1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Go to the video you want to appeal.
4. Under the “Restrictions” column, hover your cursor over the restriction
type and click Appeal.
5. Enter your reason for appealing and click Submit.
6.

If it’s a playlist or thumbnail:

You’ll receive an email if your playlist or thumbnail was removed for violating
our Community Guidelines. If you think that your content doesn't violate the
Community Guidelines and was removed in error, use the form provided in the
email to appeal.

Note: Videos can be taken down for many reasons. If you're having trouble
appealing a video removal, it may have been removed for reasons other than a
Community Guidelines violation. You can troubleshoot video takedowns in
this Help Center article.

After you submit an appeal

You'll get an email from YouTube letting you know the result of your appeal
request. One of the following will happen:

 If we find that your content followed our Community Guidelines, we'll


reinstate it and remove the strike from your channel. If you appeal a
warning and the appeal is granted, the next offense will be a warning.
 If we find your content followed our Community Guidelines, but isn’t
appropriate for all audiences, we’ll apply an age-restriction. If it’s a
video, it won’t be visible to users who are signed out, are under 18 years
of age, or have Restricted Mode turned on. If it’s a custom thumbnail, it
will be removed.
 If we find that your content was in violation of our Community
Guidelines, the strike will stay and the video will remain down from the
site. There's no additional penalty for appeals that are rejected.

You may appeal each strike only once.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo
Need more help?

Troubleshoot video takedowns

This content is for help with videos that have been removed from YouTube. If
you need help with taking down a video, learn how to delete your own
videos or report inappropriate content.

If you see the "Video removed" message next to one of your uploaded videos,
it means the video has been found to violate our policies and has been taken
off YouTube. Click a section below to learn what you can do to resolve the
issue.

Reasons for removal & what you can do

Inappropriate content
Terms of Service violation
Includes copyrighted content
Video taken down
Trademark issue
Give feedback about this article
Was this helpful?
YesNo

How to earn money on YouTube

We’re expanding the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) to more creators with
earlier access to fan funding and shopping features. This expansion is rolling
out over the next month to creators in Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, the
United Kingdom, and the United States. If you’re in one of these
countries/regions, check out this article to learn more about the changes
coming to YPP.

If you’re not in one of the countries/regions above, check out this article for
the YPP overview, eligibility, and application instructions relevant to you.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we will be temporarily pausing Google and
YouTube ads from serving to users located in Russia. Learn more.
You can earn money on YouTube by applying for and being accepted to
the YouTube Partner Program. Only channels that follow our YouTube channel
monetization policies may be able to monetize.

A few notes

 We won’t tell you what you can create on YouTube, but we do have a
responsibility to do right by our viewers, creators and advertisers. If
you’re in the YouTube Partner Program, you can earn money through
YouTube. When in the YouTube Partner Program, we hold you to a
higher standard.
 To make sure we’re rewarding good creators, we review your channel
before you’re accepted in the YouTube Partner Program. We also
constantly review channels to make sure you’re meeting all our policies
and guidelines.
 You may be liable to pay taxes on your earnings from YouTube; find out
more below.

Ways to make money in the YouTube Partner Program

You can make money on YouTube through the following features:

 Advertising revenue: Earn  Channel memberships: Your


revenue from Watch Page ads members make recurring
and Shorts Feed ads. monthly payments in exchange
 Shopping: Your fans can browse for access to special perks.
and buy products from your  Super Chat & Super
store, or products you tag from Stickers: Your fans pay to get
other brands through their messages or animated
the YouTube Shopping affiliate images highlighted in live chat
program. streams.
 YouTube Premium revenue: Get  Super Thanks: Your fans pay to
part of a YouTube Premium view a fun animation and get
subscriber’s subscription fee their message highlighted in your
when they watch your content. video or Short’s comments
section.

Each feature has its own set of eligibility requirements on top of subscriber and
view count requirements. If our reviewers believe that your channel or video is
not eligible, specific features may not be available. These extra thresholds exist
for two main reasons. The most important one is that we have to meet legal
requirements in every area where the feature is available. Then, because we
want to reward good creators, we need to make sure we have enough context
on your channel. Generally, this context means we need more content to
review.

Keep in mind that we constantly review channels to make sure your content is
in line with our policies.

Minimum eligibility requirements to turn on monetization features

Keep in mind that each feature has its own requirements. Some features may
not be available to you due to local legal requirements.

Once you've been accepted in the YouTube Partner Program, you may get
access to these monetization features:

Requirements
 Be at least 18 years old, or have a legal guardian older
than 18 years of age who can handle your payments via
Ad revenue AdSense
 Live in a country/region where YPP is available
 Accept the relevant contract Modules
 Create content that meets our advertiser-friendly
content guidelines

 Be at least 18 years old


 Live in a country where channel memberships
is available
 Have accepted the Commerce Product Module or
formerly available Commerce Product Addendum
 Channel isn’t set as Made for Kids and doesn’t have a
Channel
significant number of ineligible videos. Videos set as
memberships
made for Kids, or videos with music claims are
considered ineligible
 Not a music channel under SRAV
 Full requirements can be found here

To promote your own products:

 Channel meets YPP subscriber threshold or is an Official


Artist Channel
 Channel isn’t set as Made for Kids and doesn’t have a
significant number of videos set as made for kids
 Channel doesn’t have a significant number of videos
that violate our Channel Monetization Policies
 Your channel hasn’t received any Hate
Speech Community Guideline Strikes
Shopping  Full requirements can be found here

To promote products from other brands:

 Channel has 20,000 subscribers


 Live in KR or US
 Channel is not a music channel, an Official Artist
Channel, or associated with music partners. Music
partners may include music labels, distributors,
publishers, or VEVO.
 Channel isn’t set as Made for Kids and doesn’t have a
significant number of videos set as made for kids
 Full requirements can be found here

 Be at least 18 years old


 Live in a country/region where Super Chat and Super
Super Chat & Stickers are available
Super Stickers  Have accepted the Commerce Product Module or
formerly available Commerce Product Addendum
Full requirements can be found here

 Be at least 18 years old


 Live in a country/region where Super Thanks
is available
 Have accepted the Commerce Product Module or
Super Thanks formerly available Commerce Product Addendum
 Channel is not a music channel under SRAV
 Full requirements can be found here

YouTube  Accept the relevant contract modules


Premium  Create content watched by a viewer who is a YouTube
revenue Premium subscriber
Get creator tips on how to make money on YouTube.

Your YouTube earnings and tax liability

Earning money on YouTube or receiving Shorts bonuses are a great way to be


rewarded for good, engaging content on the platform. Keep in mind that you
may be liable to pay taxes to your country of residence on any income earned
from your monetized videos on YouTube. Check with your local tax authorities
for detailed guidance.

Watch how to earn money on YouTube

Watch the following video from the YouTube Creators channel on how to earn
money on YouTube.

Recommended videos

Recommendations help you discover more of the videos that you love,
whether it's a great new recipe to try or your next favourite song. We share
recommendations both on YouTube's homepage and in the 'Up next' section
as a suggestion of what to watch next when you're watching a video. We're
constantly testing, learning and adjusting to recommend videos that are
relevant to you. We take into account many signals, including your watch
and search history (if enabled) as well as the channels that you've
subscribed to. We also consider your context, such as your country and time
of day. For example, this helps us show you locally relevant news.

Another factor that YouTube's recommendation systems consider is


whether others who clicked on the same video watched it to completion – a
sign that the video is higher quality or enjoyable – or just clicked on it and
shortly after starting to view the video, clicked away. We also ask users
directly about their experience with individual videos and our
recommendation systems using random surveys that appear on their
homepage and elsewhere throughout the app. We use this direct feedback
to fine-tune and improve these systems for all users.
Recommendations provide a suggestion of what to watch next when you're
watching a vid

Monetisation for creators

YouTube creators are individuals who produce content for the platform. This
is a unique model that empowers creators to earn money directly on our
platform in a variety of different ways, including through placed advertising,
merchandise sales, and subscriptions.

Advertising

Advertising is the most common way for Creators to earn money on


YouTube. Advertising revenue is generated when people watch ads that are
running on videos. This revenue from ads is shared between YouTube and
the creator – thus empowering Creators to directly profit from their work.

Creators must first be eligible for the YouTube Partner Programme (YPP) in
order to earn money from advertising on their videos and live streams. In
keeping with our commitment to responsibility, we view monetisation as a
privilege and reward only trusted Creators.

Resources

 Learn more about the YouTube Partner Programme


 Alternate monetisation sources

 Over the last few years, we've introduced several alternate sources of
revenue outside of advertising to help eligible creators monetise their
content while connecting with their viewers. As with the case of
advertising, creators and YouTube share revenue from these products.
 Channel memberships

 Fans can join a creator's channel with monthly recurring payments


and get access to members-only perks like badges, custom emoji and
exclusive content.
 *Feature availability varies by country and we are working to expand
to more countries.
 Super Chat and Super Stickers

 Fans can buy and send text or digital sticker messages to highlight
their live chat messages and connect with their favourite creators.
 *Feature availability varies by country and we are working to expand
to more countries.
 Subscriptions

 YouTube also earns money from monthly subscription businesses such


as YouTube Premium. With YouTube Premium, members can enjoy
any video on YouTube without ads while still supporting creators.
Currently, revenue from YouTube Premium membership fees is
distributed to YouTube Partner Programme video Creators based on
how much members watch their content.

How does YouTube make money?

YouTube's main source of revenue is advertising. Additionally, we earn


money from our monthly subscription businesses such as YouTube
Premium. We've also developed tools to help eligible creators earn money
in a variety of other ways, such as Super Chat, channel
memberships and merchandise. In most cases, creators and YouTube share
revenue generated from these channels.

 Revenue alternatives
 Responsible advertising
How does YouTube ensure creator success while ensuring that ads run only on quality
content?

Over the last few years, we’ve taken steps to strengthen our requirements
for monetisation via ads to reward only the most trusted Creators making
original content.

However, advertising is not the only way for creators to earn money on
YouTube. We're always trying to help creators share their stories, deepen
relationships with their fans and earn additional money. Over the last few
years, we've developed and released several tools to help eligible creators
who are a part of YPP find additional ways to make money such as Super
Chat and channel memberships . As with advertising, creators and YouTube
share revenue from these products.

How does YouTube maintain user privacy?

We understand at YouTube and across Google that when you use our
services, you're trusting us with your information. This is a big responsibility
and we work hard to protect your information and put you in control. For
example, Google's Privacy Policy is designed to give you transparency over
what information we collect, why we collect it and how you can manage
your information. Your data in YouTube is a powerful, easy-to-use tool
designed to give you control over the privacy settings that are right for you,
and provides information on the data that we collect and use across our
services.

 Protecting viewer data


 Privacy guidelines

Does YouTube sell viewer data?

We do not sell your personal information to anyone. We use the


information that we collect to customise our services for you, including
providing recommendations, personalising search results and serving
relevant ads for you. While these ads help fund our services and make them
free for everyone, your personal information is not for sale. YouTube has
long provided powerful, meaningful privacy controls, such as Your data in
YouTube, which makes it easier for you to understand and control what data
is saved and how it is used on YouTube and across Google.

Resources

 Understanding the basics of privacy on YouTube apps

How does YouTube prevent content piracy on the platform?

We have invested millions of dollars to develop a Copyright Management


Suite designed to balance the needs of the entire ecosystem. We work with
rights holders and creators of all types to match them to the appropriate
features based on the scale of their content on YouTube and the capabilities
that they've dedicated to responsibly manage their content online.

 Overview

Our Copyright Management Suite gives rightsholders control of their


copyrighted material on YouTube. It is powered by Content ID matching,
best-in-class technology used to detect potentially infringing content. It
consists of our public DMCA webform , available to all two billion users who
come to YouTube; the Copyright Match Tool , our tool designed specifically
for creators and available to over 1,500,000 of them; and Content ID, our
enterprise solution for those with scaled rights management needs like
music labels, movie studios or collection societies.

After providing us with reference files, Content ID and Copyright Match Tool
users are automatically notified of user-uploaded videos that may contain
their creative work. Additionally, Content ID users can choose in advance
what they want to happen when those videos are detected. Thanks to the
different options that Content ID gives copyright owners, it's not just an
anti-piracy solution, but also a revenue-generation tool. YouTube has paid
more than $5.5 billion to rightsholders from ad revenue alone, from content
that they've claimed and monetised through Content ID.

Report inappropriate videos, channels, and other content on YouTube

We rely on YouTube community members to report or flag content that they


find inappropriate. Reporting content is anonymous, so other users can't tell
who made the report.

What happens after I report content?

When content is reported, it’s not automatically taken down. Reported


content is reviewed along these guidelines:

 Content that violates our Community Guidelines is removed from


YouTube.
 Content that may not be appropriate for younger audiences may be age-
restricted.

To check if a video that you reported has been removed, you can view
your Report history.

Subscribe to the YouTube Viewers channel for the latest news, updates, and
tips.

How to report content

Computer AndroidiPhone & iPad


Report a video

Report a Short

Report a channel

Report a playlist

Report a thumbnail

Report a link in a video’s description

Report a comment
Report a live chat message

Report an ad

Report content on YouTube from your TV

You can report a video directly from the YouTube TV app.

1. Open the YouTube app .


2. Go to the video that you want to report.
3. Go to Settings Report.
4. Select the reason that you want to report the video.
5. After you select the reason, a confirmation message shows.

Other reporting options

If the reporting process doesn’t accurately capture your issue, we have other
reporting mechanisms you can use.

Privacy reporting

Legal reporting
Give feedback about this article

Ad settings

 YouTube aims to show you relevant and useful ads based on your
activity, but you're always in control. With Ad Settings, we make it
easy for you to control what data we use to personalise ads to you.
This includes information that you've added to your Google Account,
what we've guessed about your interests as a result of your activity
and interactions with other advertisers that partner with us to show
ads.
 For example, we may think that you're a football fan because you
watched highlights from a recent match on YouTube or looked up
'football pitches near me' on Google Search. And if you've spent time
on a partner advertiser's site, we may suggest ads based on that visit.
 When ad personalisation is on, you can choose any info – age and
gender, an inferred interest or a previous interaction with an
advertiser – to learn more about why it's being used, turn it off or
deactivate personalised ads altogether. You'll still see ads, but they'll
most likely be less relevant.
 Ad Settings: Learn more about and

 Culture and trends

 YouTube's Culture & Trends site is intended as a public repository for


useful data, explanations of current trends and accurate records that
help you better understand the next generation of creators and
artists. You'll find some key examples of our work below. For
more, visit the Culture & Trends site .
 Separated by up to thousands of miles but intimately connected by
screens that provide windows into each other’s worlds, creators have
invited viewers to take part in their everyday activities through “with
me” videos for almost a decade.
 The titles of these videos offer invitations: “Get Ready With Me,”
“Pack With Me,” “Workout with me” We can do all of this together!
 Digital video revolutionized media by letting anyone create and
facilitating a two-way relationship between creators and viewers
(through comments). One novel outgrowth of that revolution has
been “with me” videos. This new kind of content, built on sharing the
mundane, often isolating experiences of people’s daily lives, is
informational, inspirational, and most surprisingly, communal.
Everyday tasks allow connections — between creators and viewers,
but also between creators. In other words, doing things alone
together can be the basis of a community.
 4 billion

 views of "with me" trends featured in this piece since 2007


 The earliest “with me” videos evolved from within the burgeoning
beauty community around 2010. These “get ready with me” videos
were essentially long-form tutorials set to music, during which people
performed their daily makeup routines from start to finish, sped up to
make them more digestible. By 2011, people had begun talking during
their “get ready with me” videos, and “get ready with me” videos
began to morph from tutorial to vehicle for creators to converse with
audiences.
 The video format further evolved in unexpected ways. “Get ready with
me” videos for unique occasions began to emerge. Prom, first day of
school, church -- if you can think of an activity, a “get ready with me”
probably exists for it. “With me” soon grew beyond beauty, too, as
creators and audiences began participating in other shared interests
and activities through video. Many of these activities were things one
might ordinarily do on one’s own, so these “with me” videos created
group activities out of what had been lonely, individual activities.
 These new “with me” videos fall into a few broad categories, each
possessing its own characteristics.
 Let’s take a closer look at the three biggest “with me” categories.
 Everyday Tasks
 These videos reflect the mundane rituals that viewers have to perform
themselves. As with videos focusing on productivity, everyday tasks
can be motivators to tackle chores that watching videos can otherwise
be a distraction from accomplishing!
 201120122013201420152016201720182019
 Dec 2011
Monthly views of "get ready with me" surpassed 500k and haven’t
dipped below since.
 Feb 2015
"BBQ Bacon Sushi - COOK WITH ME.AT" was viewed over 3 million
times, causing "cook with me" to gain traction.

 Download this graphic


 Get Ready With Me

 “Get ready with me” videos are the OG format of this genre. They use
the everyday task of putting on makeup as a vehicle for creators to
chat with their viewers in an informal setting.
 get ready with me prom
 get ready with me asmr
 get ready with me dagi bee
 Clean With Me

 Cleaning a room is an activity you’d have a hard time coercing


someone to join, but “clean with me” videos have earned millions of
views as a motivational/how-to hybrid for viewers.
 speed clean with me
 clean with me pregnant
 all day clean with me
 Pack With Me

 Anyone who has ever wondered how other people decide what to
stuff in their suitcases can indulge in “pack with me” videos, which
offer the voyeuristic thrill of seeing how someone else makes the
same decisions that we all have to make when prepping for travel.
 pack with me for vacation
 pack with me kids
 pack with me hospital bag
 Self-Improvement
 With a slant on tasks that help people increase their personal
productivity, these videos take very personal acts and make them
public, offering viewers a motivation and a means for participating in
those acts.
 201120122013201420152016201720182019
 Jan 2014
Self-improvement "with me" videos began to emerge in 2014.
 May 2018
"Study with me" video views surpassed "plan with me" to lead the
trend.

 Download this graphic


 Plan With Me

 “Plan with me” videos are the cornerstone of a personal productivity


community on YouTube. In these videos, creators talk through the
design and entry of items in their planners.
 plan with me bullet journal
 plan with me happy planner
 plan with me seventeen
 Journal With Me

 “Journal with me” videos are similar to “plan with me” videos, but
“journal with me” videos have even more of an emphasis on journal
design.
 kpop journal with me
 art journal with me
 journal with me traveler's notebook
 Study With Me

 “Study with me” videos just show creators studying, and they amass
large audiences whose viewership peaks during the school year and
drops off during breaks. These videos provide motivation and
inspiration for an activity that can be difficult to start.
 study with me live
 study with me unjaded jade
 study with me pomodoro session
 Creativity
 These videos explore the act of creation, whether it’s creating a
drawing or creating a makeup look, and invite viewers in on the act of
creating something from nothing.
 201120122013201420152016201720182019
 Pre 2011
The "with me" trend started in 2007 when "draw with me" videos
began to pop up.
 May 2019
"Paint with me" edged out "draw with me" to become the most
popular creativity trend.

 Download this graphic


 Draw With Me

 Creating art can be an inherently solitary activity. “Draw with me”


videos and livestreams invite others into the process, and viewers
receive the benefit of seeing a favorite artist create something from
start to finish.
 draw with me procreate
 draw with me buildings
 draw with me disney
 paint with me

 “Paint with me” videos share much in common with “get ready with
me” videos. While the viewer watches the viewer assemble an image
together, creators use these videos as an opportunity to talk to their
audiences.
 paint with me acrylic
 paint with me jim reno
 paint with me abstract
 penpal with me

 People have formed long-distance connections with strangers since


well before the Internet. Through this modern twist on a classic
hobby, people invite viewers to participate in the crafty construction
of letters to pen pals.
 real-time pen pal with me
 penpal with me themes
 kpop penpal with me
 Around The World With Me
 Participating in different activities with me through video is a
worldwide phenomenon. In South Korea, “study with me” goes by the
name “Gongbang” or “study broadcast.” The Korean
channel Iruda began streaming study sessions in 2019 and gets
thousands of views per session. South Korea also gave us “mukbang,”
videos in which viewers are invited to share in the eating of a meal.
 Viewers who speak Spanish are more familiar with “conmigo” content
like “limpia conmigo,” which English speakers would recognize as
“clean with me.” Many of the most-viewed “limpia conmigo” videos
come from Chula, who is based in Los Angeles but viewed across the
Spanish-speaking world.
 Translations are not necessary. For example, videos with “get ready
with me” in the title amass millions of views a year in Germany.
German creator Dagi Bee regularly uploaded “get ready with me”
videos as she amassed over 4 million subscribers.
 Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, studying, or writing a letter to a pen
pal, “with me” videos represent the transformation of some of the
loneliest tasks we perform into opportunities for connection. Creators
morph these mundane tasks into creative expressions and connect
with viewers looking for motivation, inspiration, or perhaps some
other feeling of solidarity. In doing so, they suggest that there are
more ways for human beings to connect than we previously realized.
 Methodology
 We analyzed a collection of videos that contained the phrase “with
me” in the title. After excluding music videos (e.g., Frank Sinatra’s
“Come Fly With Me”), we determined which words were most
commonly paired with the phrase “with me,” such as “draw,” “study,”
“travel,” etc.
 We then calculated the monthly views for each category of “with me”
videos, since 2007 to present day.
 Spotlights

 Spotlights are an ongoing exploration of the various communities that


exist on YouTube. We highlight stories that join the dots between data
points and larger global trends. Creator on the Rise is a global
programme that highlights emerging channels and exposes us to
communities and content formats before they hit the mainstream.
 In 2020, we launched the YouTube Culture & Trends report: an
interactive video summary of the present moment in digital
entertainment, content and culture. Examining everything from the
emergence of creator culture to new forms of audience behaviour,
the report offers insight into what's behind the most interesting
trends in the past year. And in doing so, it aims to provide some
perspective on how to think about this space in the future.
 Records

 Everybody loves the superlative performers in life, and in the Records


section, we track the ones that emerge on YouTube. Explore official
lists of record-holding videos and channels across our most asked-
about metrics, like YouTube's biggest music video debuts and the
most subscribed-to artists of all time.

 Assessing the economic, societal and cultural benefits of YouTube in India

 Analysis by Oxford Economics showed that the YouTube creative


ecosystem has contributed immensely to the Indian economy as well
as to promoting learning and education in the country. However,
YouTube’s impact goes beyond just this. The platform also provides
Indians with access to a community where they can thrive and help
others do the same.

 ₹ 16,000+ Crores

 was the YouTube creative ecosystem's contribution to the Indian GDP


in 2022.
 7,50,000+

 full-time equivalent jobs were supported by the YouTube creative


ecosystem in 2022.

 2 of 3

 of MSMEs with a YouTube channel agree that YouTube played a role


in helping them grow their revenue.
 Read more about YouTube's impact in India

 DOWNLOAD REPORT

 Explore stories by region

 Meet the creators, artists and small businesses from across India who
call YouTube their home. Click on the different states and union
territories on the map below to explore the stories of teachers,
entertainers, farmers and other creators, and businesses who use
YouTube to empower their communities, and share their culture and
passions.

 We’re always looking for impactful creators to add to our map. If


you're a YouTube creator and feel that your story deserves to be
featured here, please fill up this form.
 A platform of opportunity

 Indian creators and users look to YouTube as a vehicle for self-


improvement, and as a means to find rewarding work to progress
their careers. As an open source platform, YouTube is available to
anyone who has an idea to share and creates an opportunity for
diverse, undiscovered talent to gain recognition around the world.

YouTube Search

 With over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute,


finding what you need would be nearly impossible without some help
sorting through all the videos. YouTube's search ranking system does
just that by sorting through a vast number of videos to find the most
relevant and useful results to your search query and presenting them
in a way that helps you find what you're looking for.
 At YouTube Search, we prioritise three main elements to provide the
best search results: relevance, engagement and quality. These three
elements are given differing importance based on the type of search.
To estimate relevance we look into many factors, such as how well the
title, tags, description and video content match your search query.
Engagement signals are a valuable way to determine relevance. We
incorporate aggregate engagement signals from users, i.e. we may
look at the watch time of a particular video for a particular query to
determine if the video is considered relevant to the query by other
users. Finally, for quality, our systems are designed to identify signals
that can help determine which channels demonstrate expertise,
authoritativeness and trustworthiness on a given topic. YouTube
doesn't accept payment for better placement within organic search
results.
 In addition to those three main elements, we strive to make search
results relevant for each user and we may also consider your search
and watch history, if you have it turned on. That's why your search
results might differ from another user's search results for the same
query. Pictured below are side-by-side examples showing how users'
similar searches can differ based on these factors.

 Search results may differ for each user. For example, if a user watches
a lot of sports videos and searches for 'cricket', we might recommend
videos featuring the sport cricket rather than nature videos with
crickets in them.

What does YouTube do to prevent bias?

We work hard to ensure that our systems are not designed to be biased
against content belonging to individuals or groups based on political
viewpoints or other attributes like gender or sexual orientation. Our
platform has always been about sharing information everywhere and giving
many different people a voice.

 Product and systems


 Policies
How does YouTube help ensure that unintended harmful bias is not present in its systems?

We use regular people across the globe to train our search and discovery
systems. The guidelines that they use are publicly available . Our search and
recommendation systems are not designed to filter or demote videos or
channels based on specific political perspectives.

Additionally, we audit our machine learning systems to help ensure that


unintended algorithmic bias such as gender bias isn't present. We correct
mistakes when we find them and retrain the systems to be more accurate in
the future.

How does YouTube support users' digital wellbeing?

We believe that technology should improve life, not distract from it, so
we're committed to giving you the resources that you need to develop a
healthy relationship with technology. We have built a set of Digital
Wellbeing tools to provide a better understanding of how you spend time
on YouTube, so that you can make informed decisions about how you want
YouTube to best fit into your life.

 Digital Wellbeing tools


 Auto-play

What are a few examples of Digital Wellbeing tools?

A few examples include our 'time watched profile', 'take a break reminder',
'bedtime reminder' and the ability to 'set a timer'. They are designed to help
everyone better understand their YouTube usage, disconnect when needed
and create healthy habits for the entire family.

Resources
 Learn more about digital wellbeing tools
 YouTube Kids

 YouTube Kids is a separate app that is a filtered version of YouTube


with a much smaller set of content available than YouTube's main app
and website. Our YouTube Kids policies outline what kind of content is
eligible to be part of YouTube Kids. Content must comply with these
policies for it to appear in YouTube Kids, including in YouTube Kids
search. YouTube Kids also has a full suite of parental controls so
parents can customise their child's experience, including turning
search on or off. Learn more.
 Over the last few years, we've been working to implement products
and policies that help us connect families with high-quality content on
YouTube Kids. In collaboration with child development specialists, we
established a set of quality principles to help guide our children and
family creator ecosystem. On YouTube Kids, we identify and include
videos and channels that are age-appropriate and adhere to these
quality principles. Read more here.
 Generally, search ranking in YouTube Kids works similarly to search
ranking in YouTube but with additional factors for content quality and
safety. We've taken various precautions to try and make sure that
families searching for content will get results that are appropriate for
younger audiences. For a channel or video to be included in the
YouTube Kids app, the content must first be deemed to be family-
friendly by automated filters (in addition to feedback from users and
some human review). We're also continuously making improvements
based on new technology, research and user feedback. If you allow
your child to search on YouTube Kids, when they search for content,
results are filtered based on the content setting that you have
selected for them. If you do not pause watch history, search results
may also include recommended videos based on what your child has
previously watched and terms that they've searched for.
 Note: YouTube handles tremendous breadth, depth and scale of
content. So while we work hard to get it right, there's always a chance
that your child will find content that you don't want them to watch. If
this happens, you can report the video. We use this information to
improve YouTube Kids for everyone.
 Controls to make search results more relevant to you

 We give you tools to help you influence the factors that we take into
account to provide the best search results for you. If you choose to
pause and clear your search and watch histories, YouTube's search
results will not take these signals into account.
 Resources

Manage your recommendations & search results

Your activity on YouTube, Google, and Chrome may influence your YouTube
search results, recommendations on the home page, in-app notifications, and
suggested videos among other places.

There are several ways to influence these recommendations and search


results. You can remove specific videos from your watch history and searches
from your search history. You can also pause your watch and search history, or
start fresh by clearing your watch and search history.

If you don’t want to get video recommendations on the homepage, you


can delete and turn off your watch history.

Watch history and search history

 Remove individual videos from your watch history: If you notice


recommendations on a subject you're not interested in, try removing a
video you previously watched on that topic. It may reduce the chance of
similar recommendations in the future.
 Remove individual searches from your search history: If you notice
recommendations on a subject you're not interested in, try removing a
previous search on that topic. It may reduce the chance of similar
recommendations in the future.
 Pause history: You can pause your watch or search history when you
don't want your watches or searches to influence future
recommendations and search results. For example, when you're
researching a subject for a school project that you aren’t personally
interested in. Remember to resume your history when you’re done.
 Clear history: If your entire watch and search histories are no longer
relevant to your interests, you can clear your search and watch
histories. Tip: If you want to use your watch history to re-watch some
videos, try adding those videos to a playlist or "Watch Later" to find
them again.

Tune your recommendations

Smart TVs, streaming devices, or game consoles

Computer AndroidiPhone & iPad

Choose topics in your recommendations

If you’re signed in, you’ll notice topics on Home and on watch pages to help
you refine your recommendations. These topics are based on your existing,
personalized suggestions. The topics are also based on content related to what
you interact with. These topics are meant to help you find content you want to
watch faster.

If you find a video that isn’t related to the topic you’ve chosen on Home, let us
know by tapping More and then Not <topic> .

Remove recommended content from homepage


If you can't follow these instructions, you're likely using the old version of
YouTube. If you're using a newer browser, update to the current version of
YouTube.

The following recommended content can be removed from the homepage on


your computer:

 Videos
 Channels
 Sections
 Playlists

To remove a recommended video from your homepage:

1. Point to the recommended video or the X for a section you’d like to


remove.
2. Select More next to the title of the video or playlist.
3. Select Not interested to remove the video from your feed.
4. Select Tell us why to share why you’d like the video removed. You can
select I’ve already watched the video or I don’t like the video to
customize your recommendations.

You can also make sure that videos from specific channels don't show up in
your recommendations. Select the Menu, and then Don’t recommend
channel.

Clear “Not interested” and “Don’t recommend channel” feedback

Your “Not Interested” and “Don’t recommend channel” feedback may be used
to tune your recommendations. To clear all the “Not interested” and “Don’t
recommend channel” feedback you've submitted:

1. Go to My Activity. You might need to sign in to your Google Account.


2. Find Other Google activity in the left-hand Menu or under the My
Activity banner.
3. Select "YouTube 'Not interested' feedback," then select Delete.

View our other articles for more info about watch history, search history, and
improving your recommendations.

Recommendations using your Google Activity


YouTube uses data from your Google Account activity to influence your
recommendations.

You can view and control your activity at myactivity.google.com. Learn more
about controlling activity for your Google Account.

Manage playlists and liked videos

Your recommendations and search results are also based on videos that you’ve
liked and playlists that you’ve created. You can remove liked
videos and edit or delete playlists to influence your recommendations and
search results.

Learn more about how YouTube works for you

Whether you're pursuing a passion or a business, we know you put a ton of


time and energy into making content that goes on YouTube. It's important for
you to understand how your content is discovered and how it performs. As
creators and content providers, you're at the center of our community -
communication and transparency with you remains our priority. We’re
committed to supporting your success. That’s why we’ve brought together
some great resources that explain:

 How our systems work for your content


 How you can make money on YouTube
 How to measure your performance on YouTube
 How to manage your relationship with YouTube

Your content on YouTube


Your relationship with YouTube
Making money on YouTube
Your performance on YouTube
Give feedback about this article
Was this helpful?
YesNo

YouTube channel monetization policies

March 10, 2022: Given the recent suspension of Google advertising systems in
Russia, we’ll be pausing the creation of new Russian accounts on AdSense,
AdMob and Google Ad Manager. Additionally, we will pause ads on Google
properties and networks globally for advertisers based in Russia. As a result,
creators in Russia won’t be able to complete new YPP sign-ups at this time.

March 3, 2022: Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we will be temporarily


pausing Google and YouTube ads from serving to users located in Russia. Also,
we are pausing access to all monetization features (such as Channel
Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Merch) for viewers
in Russia. Learn more.

February 25, 2022: In light of the war in Ukraine, we are pausing YouTube’s
monetization of Russian Federation state-funded media channels.

We will continue to actively monitor the situation and make adjustments as


necessary.

Updated June 2023: This policy has been updated to reflect updates on
expanded YouTube Partner Program monetization features (fan funding), as
well as to clarify revenue enforcement details for terminated or suspended
channels.

If you’re monetizing on YouTube, it’s important that your channel follows


YouTube monetization policies. These include policies described below, as well
as YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, Copyright, Rights
Clearance Adjustment policies, and Google AdSense program policies.

These policies apply to anyone in, or looking to apply to, the YouTube Partner
Program. The YouTube Shorts monetization policies also apply if you’re
monetizing Shorts on YouTube.

All content monetizing with ads must follow our advertiser-friendly content
guidelines. To earn revenue from fan funding features, first time users must
accept the Commerce Product Module (CPM) before turning on the individual
features. You must also follow the Commerce Products monetization
policies when monetizing with fan funding features.

Here’s a quick overview of each major policy. Make sure you read each policy
thoroughly, as these policies are used to check if a channel is suitable to
monetize. Our reviewers regularly check to see whether monetizing channels
follow these policies. Learn more about how we enforce our policies.
Keep in mind that when we use the term video on this page, it refers to Shorts,
long-form videos, and live streaming. These policies apply wherever videos are
viewed including the Watch Page (pages within YouTube, YouTube Music, or
YouTube Kids), the YouTube Video Player (player that embeds YouTube
content on other sites), and the YouTube Shorts Player (player that makes
Shorts available).

What we check when we review your channel

Our reviewers check content that best represents your channel against our
policies. Since our reviewers can’t check every video, they may focus on your
channel’s:

 Main theme
 Most viewed videos
 Newest videos
 Biggest proportion of watch time
 Video metadata (including titles, thumbnails, and descriptions)

The above are just examples of content our reviewers may assess. Note that
our reviewers can, and may check other parts of your channel to see whether
it fully meets our policies.

Follow the YouTube Community Guidelines

Follow AdSense program policies


Quality principles for kids and family content
Creator responsibility
Creator integrity
How we'll inform you of policy changes

How we enforce YouTube monetization policies

Anyone who earns money on YouTube must follow YouTube's channel


monetization policies. If you violate any of our policies, YouTube may take the
actions outlined below.

Withhold, adjust, charge back, or offset earnings or payment

Limit ad revenue from your videos

Suspend your participation in the YouTube Partner Program


Suspend or even terminate your YouTube channel

How we'll inform you of actions that affect your monetization

How to get help with issues that affect you

If you're in the YouTube Partner Program, you can get access to our Creator
Support team.

Whether you're facing a specific problem or you want to find out how to get
the most out of YouTube as a creator, we're here to help you:

 Optimize how you use YouTube


 Get tips on technical or service aspects of YouTube
 Find out how to navigate policy and copyright guidelines
 Get answers on account and channel management questions
 Resolve content ID and rights management issues
 Troubleshoot and fix bugs or issues with your account

You can find more detailed instructions to contact Creator Support and how
to get help as a YouTube Creator.

Give feedback about this article


Was this helpful?
YesNo

 YouTube channel monetization policies


 March 10, 2022: Given the recent suspension of Google advertising
systems in Russia, we’ll be pausing the creation of new Russian
accounts on AdSense, AdMob and Google Ad Manager. Additionally,
we will pause ads on Google properties and networks globally for
advertisers based in Russia. As a result, creators in Russia won’t be
able to complete new YPP sign-ups at this time.
 March 3, 2022: Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we will be
temporarily pausing Google and YouTube ads from serving to users
located in Russia. Also, we are pausing access to all monetization
features (such as Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers,
and Merch) for viewers in Russia. Learn more.
 February 25, 2022: In light of the war in Ukraine, we are pausing
YouTube’s monetization of Russian Federation state-funded media
channels.
 We will continue to actively monitor the situation and make
adjustments as necessary.
 Updated June 2023: This policy has been updated to reflect updates
on expanded YouTube Partner Program monetization features (fan
funding), as well as to clarify revenue enforcement details for
terminated or suspended channels.
 If you’re monetizing on YouTube, it’s important that your channel
follows YouTube monetization policies. These include policies
described below, as well as YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms
of Service, Copyright, Rights Clearance Adjustment policies, and
Google AdSense program policies.
 These policies apply to anyone in, or looking to apply to, the YouTube
Partner Program. The YouTube Shorts monetization policies also apply
if you’re monetizing Shorts on YouTube.
 All content monetizing with ads must follow our advertiser-friendly
content guidelines. To earn revenue from fan funding features, first
time users must accept the Commerce Product Module (CPM) before
turning on the individual features. You must also follow the
Commerce Products monetization policies when monetizing with fan
funding features.
 Here’s a quick overview of each major policy. Make sure you read
each policy thoroughly, as these policies are used to check if a channel
is suitable to monetize. Our reviewers regularly check to see whether
monetizing channels follow these policies. Learn more about how we
enforce our policies.
 Keep in mind that when we use the term video on this page, it refers
to Shorts, long-form videos, and live streaming. These policies apply
wherever videos are viewed including the Watch Page (pages within
YouTube, YouTube Music, or YouTube Kids), the YouTube Video Player
(player that embeds YouTube content on other sites), and the
YouTube Shorts Player (player that makes Shorts available).
 What we check when we review your channel
 Our reviewers check content that best represents your channel
against our policies. Since our reviewers can’t check every video, they
may focus on your channel’s:
 Main theme
 Most viewed videos
 Newest videos
 Biggest proportion of watch time
 Video metadata (including titles, thumbnails, and descriptions)
 The above are just examples of content our reviewers may assess.
Note that our reviewers can, and may check other parts of your
channel to see whether it fully meets our policies.
 Follow the YouTube Community Guidelines
 Follow AdSense program policies
 Quality principles for kids and family content
 Creator responsibility
 Creator integrity
 How we'll inform you of policy changes
 How we enforce YouTube monetization policies
 Anyone who earns money on YouTube must follow YouTube's channel
monetization policies. If you violate any of our policies, YouTube may
take the actions outlined below.
 Withhold, adjust, charge back, or offset earnings or payment
 Limit ad revenue from your videos
 Suspend your participation in the YouTube Partner Program
 Suspend or even terminate your YouTube channel
 How we'll inform you of actions that affect your monetization
 How to get help with issues that affect you
 If you're in the YouTube Partner Program, you can get access to our
Creator Support team.
 Whether you're facing a specific problem or you want to find out how
to get the most out of YouTube as a creator, we're here to help you:
 Optimize how you use YouTube
 Get tips on technical or service aspects of YouTube
 Find out how to navigate policy and copyright guidelines
 Get answers on account and channel management questions
 Resolve content ID and rights management issues
 Troubleshoot and fix bugs or issues with your account
 You can find more detailed instructions to contact Creator Support
and how to get help as a YouTube Creator.
 Give feedback about this article
 Was this helpful?
 YesNo

You might also like