What are YouTube's monetization requirements?
Last verified September 23, 2026 · re-checked weekly · answered from 2 verified rules
You need 1,000 subscribers, plus one of two things: 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Watch hours from the Shorts feed do not count toward the 4,000. Meeting a threshold triggers a policy review rather than automatic acceptance.
The two routes are genuinely separate
Both start at 1,000 subscribers. Only the second number differs, and which one applies to you depends on what you post rather than on anything you choose.
The detail that catches people is stated on the same page: qualified watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts feed do not count toward the 4,000-hour threshold. A channel posting mostly Shorts is not slowly accumulating watch hours toward the long-form route. It is on the 10-million-views route whether it meant to be or not, and time spent chasing watch hours is wasted.
- 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or
- 1,000 subscribers + 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days
- Shorts-feed watch hours do not count toward the 4,000
Hitting the number is not being accepted
The thresholds decide when your channel is reviewed, not whether it passes. Once you apply, the channel goes through a review against YouTube's policies and guidelines.
That is where the inauthentic-content rule bites. Content that is mass-produced or repetitive has always been ineligible for monetization, and a channel that reached the threshold on reposted or templated output can clear the numbers and still be turned down.
What this answer is based on
Two ways into the Partner Program, and Shorts-feed hours do not count
Monetization eligibilityYPP inauthentic-content rule (renamed July 15, 2025)
Monetization & AIFull text and guidance for each of these rules is on the YouTube rules page.
Related questions
How many subscribers do you need to monetize on YouTube?
1,000, on both routes. The subscriber count is the same whether you are going through long-form watch hours or through Shorts views - only the second requirement differs.
Do Shorts views count toward the 4,000 watch hours?
No. YouTube states that qualified watch hours from Shorts views in the Shorts feed do not count toward the 4,000-hour threshold. Shorts have their own route instead: 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Does hitting 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours guarantee monetization?
No. Meeting a threshold makes your channel eligible to be reviewed. The review checks the channel against YouTube's policies, and content that is repetitive or mass-produced is ineligible for monetization regardless of the numbers.
How long do the 4,000 watch hours have to be earned in?
The last 12 months. The Shorts route uses a much shorter window - 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
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