Upload and match policies

Features described in this article only apply to users of YouTube Studio Content Manager. For info on general YouTube policies, learn more here.

In Studio Content Manager, there are two types of policies:

  • Upload policies: Policies applied to videos uploaded to a YouTube channel you own.
    • Upload policies allow you to create a partner-uploaded claim and tell YouTube what action to take with these videos (monetize, track, or block).
  • Match policies: Policies applied to videos that other people upload to their channels.
    • Match policies are applied when Content ID finds your content in other people’s videos. A claim is created that tells YouTube what action to take with these videos (monetize, track, or block).

Upload policies and match policies work in the same way. Both consist of rules about whether to monetize, track, or block the claimed video. They only differ in how they’re applied to a video — by you or by Content ID. Learn more about how policies are applied.

You can set one policy that applies to both your videos and user-uploaded videos that contain your content. But, if your policy contains custom Content ID matching criteria, it can’t be used as an upload policy. Learn more below.

Add conditions to match policies

Upload policies are only applied to your own videos — no Content ID matching is involved. Because of this, the only relevant condition for upload policies is Viewer location. The conditions described below won’t appear when you’re setting your upload policy.

Match policies tell YouTube what action to take with a claimed video (monetize, track, or block). Match policies can also include instructions on when Content ID should claim a video. You can tell Content ID to automatically claim videos based on the:

  • Match type: Type of content that matches your reference file: audio only, video only, or both.
  • User video match amount: Length or percent of the uploaded video that matches your reference file.
  • Reference match amount: Length or percent of your reference file that matches the uploaded video.

You can also select the option to route claimed videos for manual review when creating your match policy. Learn more about creating policies.

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