YouTube Monetization: Partner Program Requirements and How Many Subscribers You Need

The standard threshold for YouTube ad revenue is 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 eligible watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million eligible Shorts views in the last 90 days (as of October 2026). Additionally, you must have two-factor authentication, a linked AdSense account, and a channel without active strikes.

Below you will find an overview of all conditions according to YouTube Help for the Partner Program, a step-by-step application process, and an explanation of why purchased subscribers and views do not shorten the path to monetization.

What is the YouTube Partner Program?

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is a program that allows creators to earn money from their content, mainly through a share of advertising revenue. Monetization is the process of earning income from content, i.e., the ability to generate revenue from videos. On YouTube, you can enable it only after being accepted into this program.

The program is available only in certain countries. According to the page YouTube Partner Program Availability the list includes the Czech Republic and Slovakia (as of October 2026), so creators from both countries can apply under the same conditions as elsewhere.

How many subscribers and watch hours are required for monetization?

The standard threshold for ad revenue according to YouTube Help is 1,000 subscribers. The second condition depends on the type of content you create: long videos or Shorts.

Path	Subscribers	Second condition	Period
Long videos	1 000	4,000 eligible watch hours	last 12 months
Shorts	1 000	10 million eligible Shorts views	last 90 days

These two paths are listed on the YouTube Partner Program help page (as of October 2026). The thresholds that apply directly to your channel are visible in the Earnings section of YouTube Studio. On the same help page, YouTube also announces program updates effective February 1, 2027, stating that to continue full monetization, you must accept the updated terms in YouTube Studio by January 31, 2027. Therefore, check the current status directly in the help or the Earnings section of YouTube Studio before applying.

What does not count towards the thresholds?

Not every view is "eligible." Only public long videos count towards watch hours. YouTube Help explicitly excludes:

• private, unlisted, and deleted videos,
• Shorts videos (they have their own path),
• unlisted live streams,
• views from advertising campaigns.

For Shorts, only public short videos shown in the Shorts feed count. Private, unlisted, and deleted Shorts, advertising campaigns, and image posts do not count. Paid advertising through YouTube also does not help meet the thresholds.

What other conditions must the channel meet?

Besides the numbers, the channel must meet several technical and policy requirements. Without these, the application will not be reviewed at all.

• Two-step verification on the Google account, meaning sign-in with a password and a second step, such as a code on the phone.
• Active AdSense account for YouTube linked to the channel. Google pays your earnings through AdSense.
• Access to advanced features on YouTube.
• No active warnings for community guidelines violations.
• Residence in a country where the program is available.

The channel must also comply with YouTube channel monetization policies. These include community guidelines, terms of service, copyright, and program policies, and require original and authentic content. Repetitive or mass-produced content and reused content without added value may be grounds for rejection.

How to apply for monetization step by step?

You submit the application in YouTube Studio. Once the channel meets the thresholds, the review happens automatically after completing these steps:

1. Enable two-factor authentication in your Google account.
2. Open the Monetization section in YouTube Studio and check if the channel meets the thresholds.
3. Read and accept the Partner Program terms.
4. Link an AdSense account to the channel (existing or newly created).
5. The channel will automatically enter the review queue. According to the help center, decisions usually come in about a month.
6. After approval, set up how you want to monetize individual videos in YouTube Studio.

What to do if YouTube rejects the application?

After the first rejection, you can reapply after 30 days; after further rejections, after 90 days. You can also appeal the decision within 21 days. Use the time before reapplying to fix what reviewers pointed out, typically reused or repetitive content.

Also beware of inactivity: according to the help center, YouTube reserves the right to disable monetization on a channel that has not uploaded any video or posted any content for six or more months.

How much can you earn on Shorts and what changes from 2027?

According to Shorts video monetization policies, creators keep 45% of the allocated ad revenue from Shorts, regardless of whether they used music in the video (status as of October 2026). YouTube does not specify exact earnings in advance. It depends on the number of eligible views and ad revenue.

According to the same YouTube help page (verified October 2026), from February 1, 2027, to qualify for a monthly share of ad revenue from Shorts, at least 10 million eligible Shorts views in the last 90 days will be required. Deadlines and conditions may change, so verify them in the help center before planning. Artificial or fake views, such as from automated clicks or “scroll bots,” are not counted towards the share according to the policies.

Does YouTube count purchased subscribers and views for monetization?

Do not rely on that. Channel monetization policies explicitly state that creators must not artificially inflate engagement metrics such as views, subscribers, likes, or watch time. Violations may result in rejection or disabling of monetization, withholding of earnings, and channel termination.

Policies regarding fake interactions prohibit anything that artificially increases views, likes, comments, or other metrics, including linking to third-party services that artificially boost views, likes, or subscribers. Mutual subscribing (“sub4sub”) is also prohibited. Repeated violations may lead to warnings and after three warnings within 90 days, channel termination.

Purchased interactions are therefore not a path to monetization. The following applies to them:

• They do not replace content and do not guarantee that viewers will return or watch videos for a long time.
• Artificial YouTube Shorts views are not counted towards revenue share according to their policies.
• They can worsen the ratio of interactions to subscriber count. Engagement rate is the ratio of reactions (likes, comments, shares) to the number of subscribers or views. Additional terms can be found in glossary.
• Channel restrictions, monetization disabling, or application rejection cannot be ruled out.

The same is explicitly stated by the terms and conditions of sledujici.eu in article 3.3: platforms do not allow the purchase of interactions and account restrictions cannot be ruled out.

How to achieve monetization through your own work?

YouTube does not specify any official ideal number of videos per week or recommended publishing time. Therefore, your own statistics in YouTube Studio serve as a practical guide.

1. In the Analytics overview, monitor average watch time and where viewers drop off. Shorten introductions and show the main content as soon as possible.
2. On the Audience tab, find out when your viewers are on YouTube and publish new videos at those times.
3. Combine long videos and Shorts: Shorts can bring new viewers, but do not count towards the 4,000 hours.
4. Create your own original content. Reused and repetitive materials are a common reason for rejection.
5. Upload regularly to avoid losing monetization due to inactivity.

When paid promotion makes sense and when it does not?

If your goal is to meet monetization requirements, do not use purchased subscribers or views. They violate YouTube policies and may jeopardize your application. They will not help even if the channel lacks good content, already has guideline strikes, or you are waiting for sales and genuine viewer interest.

A package may only make limited sense as initial social proof on a channel with quality content, or as a supplement to a specific video alongside your own content work. Even then, consider the risks described above. If you decide to use it, an overview can be found on the pages views on YouTube a likes on YouTube, current prices in the price list and answers to frequently asked questions in the FAQ section.