Uploading videos to monetise with ads

There are a few factors to consider when you're uploading a video that you want to monetise with ads.

Check for ad suitability during upload

You can use the Checks page during upload to screen your video for ad suitability and copyright claims before publishing it. These checks help you learn about potential restrictions to monetisation so that you can adjust them before publishing.

Copyright and ad suitability 'checks' in upload flow

How self-certification helps

With self-certification, all creators in the YouTube Partner Programme have more control over monetisation decisions. You can also see the expected monetisation status and revenue potential in real time.

For creators with a high-accuracy rating history: we'll use your input for the initial monetisation decision. Then you can publish and monetise your video immediately after you upload it. If our systems find any discrepancies with your rating, there's a small chance that it could change. Most discrepancies are found within one hour.

For creators that are new to Self-Certification or have a low-accuracy rating history: we'll rely more on our automated systems for monetisation decisions. There's also a 'checking' monetisation icon to make it clear when a review is still in progress. Videos can't be monetised with ads until system checks are complete.

To check your rating history, check out Understand your rating status.

Understand our monetisation icons

Here are what the different icons mean:

 Green: Monetisation is 'on', and the video is ready to publish.

 Yellow: Your content can run limited or no ads from all advertisers. You can either publish, edit the video and re-upload it, or request a human review of your content.

 Red: You turned on monetisation, but because there's a copyright claim on the video, it can't be monetised. Sometimes, you can file a dispute.

 Grey: You chose not to turn on monetisation for this video.

 Checking: System checks are still running. You can still make a video public while checks are running, but we recommend waiting for these to complete before publishing. To maximise revenue, wait until this icon is replaced with either a green, yellow or red icon, which means that the check is complete. Bear in mind that most creators won't see this icon because our systems are usually quick or we've relied on your self-certification input.

Learn more about what each icon means in our monetisation icon guide.