A viewer likes the pruning shears in your balcony-gardening video. With YouTube Shopping, they can tap a product tag, find the pair you’re using and buy them from a retailer. You earn a commission on the qualifying purchase.
You don’t need to stock the shears, ship an order or open your own store. The affiliate side of YouTube Shopping connects your recommendations with retailers’ products. Selling your own merchandise is a separate option.
For a first try, choose a product you already use and could naturally recommend in your next planned video. You can also tag an older upload if its recommendation already includes a clear affiliate disclosure. There is no need to build an entire product-review series before trying the feature.
Can your channel join?
YouTube opened Shopping to eligible Partner Program creators with at least 500 subscribers in March 2026. You no longer need the 10,000 subscribers mentioned in older guides.
You do need to be accepted into the YouTube Partner Program, which has viewing and other requirements as well as the subscriber count. Our guide to when YouTube starts paying you explains those steps. The earlier-entry YPP tier is enough for Shopping; you don’t have to reach the higher tier that unlocks ad revenue sharing.
The program also checks where you, the creator, are based. As of November 2026, the Shopping affiliate program covers these countries and regions:
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the United States.
- Europe: Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom.
- Asia-Pacific: India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Music channels, Official Artist Channels and channels associated with music partners are excluded. So are channels set as Made for Kids or with a significant amount of Made for Kids content.
On a computer, open YouTube Studio → Earn → Programs. Look for Shopping’s Join Now option and review the terms. If you meet the requirements but cannot join, check that you’re signed into the right channel before contacting Creator Support.
If you aren’t eligible, you can still explore ordinary affiliate links in video descriptions. Those programs have their own entry requirements.
Find a product that belongs in your video
After joining, go to Earn → Shopping → Explore affiliate offers to research products and sellers. You will add your chosen product to a video separately, in its Products field.
Start with the recommendation, then look at the rate. In a pruning tutorial, the shears are part of the answer viewers came for. A more expensive gadget with a generous commission still needs a reason to be in that video.
Questions in your comments can help you choose. In YouTube’s profile of Preity Prerna, viewers wanted to find the extracts and tools featured in her haircare and skincare videos. Tagging gave them a direct route to those items.
Open the retailer’s listing to check the exact product, price, stock and shipping. This time, it’s your viewers’ location that matters. If you need to check where they are, look at Top geographies in Studio → Analytics → Audience.
You can compare rates between offers for a suitable product. YouTube’s commission guidance explains that rates vary by product and seller. The rate shown while tagging is an estimate: the purchase-date rate determines what you earn.
Each seller sets an attribution window: how long after clicking your tag a purchase can still count toward your commission. Check that window alongside the rate. A viewer who returns much later to buy may fall outside it.
Add your product tag
For a new upload, add tags through Products on the Details page. To tag an eligible video you’ve already published, use these desktop steps:
- Open YouTube Studio → Content and select the video.
- On Details, find Products in the description area.
- Search for the product and drag your selection into the indicated area.
- Check it’s the product you meant to recommend, then save your changes.
Long-form videos can show a Shopping button. On Shorts, the first tagged product becomes a clickable product sticker; drag another item to the top of your list to feature it instead.
Tags should be meaningfully related to the content. Show or explain the product so viewers understand why you’re recommending it. Relevant accessories can also qualify.
If a particular video won’t accept tags, check its status. Made for Kids content, copyright claims, limited or ineligible monetization, and Creator Music revenue-sharing tracks can prevent tagging.
Tell viewers you earn a commission
When recommending the product, say something like: “I’ve tagged the shears I’m using. If you buy through the tag, I earn a commission.” Put that explanation on screen too, where viewers can notice it.
US FTC guidance calls for a clear disclosure of affiliate relationships. A shopping tag alone doesn’t explain your financial interest. Also select Paid promotion in your video’s details to notify YouTube of the commercial relationship. That label doesn’t replace your explanation. Local advertising rules apply too; the FTC guidance is the US reference.
If an older video has no suitable disclosure, use your next upload for this trial and record the explanation with it. Adding a sentence to the old description alone won’t reach everyone watching the recommendation.
What you earn, and when it arrives
Suppose a retailer offers 6% on an eligible $50 purchase. You earn $3. Ten confirmed purchases at that price and rate give you $30 in commission from $500 in sales. These example amounts are in US dollars.
You can also earn from other eligible items bought after someone clicks a tagged product. A viewer might follow your shears tag and add a planter to the order. Each qualifying item earns at its own rate; not everything in the basket necessarily earns commission.
The money goes through three stages:
- Estimated commission. The purchase appears in your results, but returns or cancellations can change the amount.
- Seller confirmation. After its return and validation period, the seller confirms the commission. YouTube calls this earned revenue. Seller confirmation typically takes 30–90 days.
- Payment through AdSense for YouTube. YouTube gives a 60–120-day window from purchase to payout, including the seller’s confirmation period.
Your balance must also reach the payment threshold for your account currency, such as $100 for a US-dollar account. Check AdSense’s payment page for required verification, payment details or holds. A sale this week can be encouraging without becoming this month’s spending money.
Check whether your first recommendation is working
Open YouTube Studio → Analytics → Revenue → Affiliate to see your results. Look at product clicks, orders and commission for the video you’ve tagged. The report distinguishes estimated commission from seller-confirmed earned revenue.
Clicks show interest; orders show that someone bought. If you see clicks but few orders, inspect the seller’s page. Price, stock and delivery may explain the gap, or viewers may simply be comparing options. A handful of clicks won’t tell you which.
Use a month as an initial observation period, then allow for seller confirmation before judging the final earnings. Compare the commission with the extra work you put into the recommendation. A new product review takes testing, filming and editing whether anyone buys or not.
Recheck tags on videos that keep getting views: a retailer can remove a product, including when it goes out of stock.
Start with one video and one useful product. Once you’ve followed that first recommendation through to a confirmed commission, you’ll have a much better basis for deciding where Shopping belongs on your channel.
