Apply to be a source in YouTube Health features

Note: The criteria and process outlined in this article applies only to authoritative health providers based in the US, UK, DE, BR, ID, JP, FR, KR, CA and MX.

Outside of the countries listed above, organisations with pre-existing, standardised vetting mechanisms such as accredited hospitals, academic medical institutions, public health departments or government organisations who would like to be considered for eligibility in our health features can submit a request via the feedback tool available in the menu from your profile picture.

In the feedback, please include your channel details, channel URL, country and website with '#healthinfo'. This feedback is reviewed on a periodic basis. Eligible channels may take months to show up in our features.

At YouTube, we're committed to connecting viewers with health content from authoritative sources. As our health features grow, we're looking to expand the types of health sources used in some of our Health features. To expand eligibility for authoritative sources, we're introducing an application process for health-focused YouTube channels.

To inform this process, we have worked with third-party health authorities to define principles for how creators share health info online. These health authorities include:

• The Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS)
• The National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
• The World Health Organization (WHO)

Individuals, companies and nonprofits with health-focused YouTube channels in the US, Germany, Mexico, Brasil, Indonesia, Japan, France, South Korea, Canada and the UK can apply for these features. Applicants will be vetted against the eligibility criteria outlined below. Right now, the following are not eligible for consideration:

• Certain types of for-profit healthcare brands
• Channels run by pharmaceutical companies, health insurers or medical device companies

Note: Channels in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, India, Indonesia, Canada, South Korea, France, Brazil and Mexico with pre-existing, standardised vetting mechanisms, such as accredited hospitals, academic medical institutions, public health departments and government organisations, do not need to apply since they are eligible based on the principles outlined by experts convened by NAM and verified by the WHO or via compliance with the NHS standard for creating health content.

Applicants who meet our criteria will be eligible for the:

• Information panels for health source context and
• Health content shelf

For the UK

In the UK, to inform this process we have worked with a third-party health authority, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), to define health information sharing principles for how individuals, companies and Nonprofits with health-focused YouTube channels share health information online.

Experts convened by the AoMRC developed these principles, outlining key aspects of health information sharing. These principles allow us to identify credible sources of health information online in the UK.

Minimum eligibility requirements

• Attest to the health information sharing principles. Experts convened by the CMSS, NAM and the WHO have developed these principles to outline key aspects of info sharing. These aspects help to define what it means to be a credible source of health info on social media. In the UK, applicants must attest to the AoMRC principles instead.
• Be licensed in one of these health professions in the country/region in which you're applying to be an authoritative source. For example, you must be a licensed nurse in the United States to be eligible for the Health features in the United States. If you're applying on behalf of an organisation, you must be a licensed professional in one of these professions. You must also have oversight and review of the content that your organisation posts on YouTube.
  • Licensed doctor (eligible to practice medicine in the relevant country)
  • Licensed nurse/registered nurse
  • Licensed psychologist or equivalent
  • Licensed marriage and family therapist or equivalent
  • Licensed clinical social worker or equivalent

Some professions may not be eligible or applicable in certain countries. Please refer to your country's application form for further details.

Note: LegitScript, a third-party partner, will coordinate licence verification when you apply. LegitScript may work with other licensing bodies and related organisations to verify licensing in each country/region. For example, in the US, LegitScript may work with The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), PsychHub and other related organisations.

Also, you or your organisation's associated YouTube channel must:

• Follow YouTube Channel Monetisation Policies, regardless of whether the channel is monetising.
• Have more than 1,500 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1.5 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days. You can read more about public watch hours and public Shorts views on this article.
• Primarily focus on covering health info.
• Have no active Community Guidelines strikes.

Organisations with pre-existing, standardised vetting mechanisms not based in the US, UK, IN, ID, CA, DE, FR, BR, JP, KR and MX.

If you are not based in any of the countries mentioned above, you can still express interest to be included as a health source in our authoritative health features.

Currently, only organisations with pre-existing, standardised vetting mechanisms such as accredited hospitals, academic medical institutions, public health departments or government organisations can apply to be considered as a health source.

To express interest:

• Click Send feedback using the menu from your profile picture  on YouTube.
• Include your channel details, channel URL, country and website with '#healthinfo'.

This feedback is reviewed on a periodic basis to determine if the channel is affiliated with accredited health organisations, academic medical journals or government entities.

Eligible channels may take months to show up in our features.

How to apply

If you or a representative from your organisation meet the above eligibility criteria, you are welcome to apply here. We'll get back to you with a decision once your channel has been reviewed (typically in about one or two months). Accepted applicants may become eligible to start surfacing in select features in two to three months.

Accepted applicants are reassessed periodically. If you or the channel no longer meet the eligibility criteria, you may no longer be eligible for certain YouTube Health features.