Manage your merch shelf

The merch shelf allows eligible creators to showcase their official branded merchandise on YouTube. The shelf appears on the video page of eligible channels, but may not show on all video pages. 

In this article, you’ll learn how to organize your merch shelf and see our merch FAQs.

Learn how you can get started with the merch shelf here.

As we take steps to prioritize the well-being of our extended workforce, reviews of items for the merch shelf and related features on YouTube are likely to take much longer than usual. This means:

  • If you’re new to merch on YouTube, you may not be able to turn on the merch shelf and related features until our review capacity returns to normal.
  • If you’re already live with the merch shelf, want to add new merchandise items or modify the name or description of existing ones, you may need to wait longer than usual for those items to be reviewed and approved for display on your channel.

Organize your merch shelf

The merch shelf will display up to 12 products to your viewers. Here’s what can change the order of merch your viewers see:

  • By default, your retailer selects the specific items and the order of display based on, among other things, product recency, sales performance, and availability.
  • If you want to change the retailer’s default order on your merch shelf, you can select up to 12 specific items to display on the shelf and order them yourself for your entire channel or video.
Note:  For a percentage of viewers, we may randomize the selection and order of merch items on the merch shelf. Randomization of merch items will help us better understand how viewers interact with the merch shelf, including possible effects on sales.

Organize your merch shelf for your entire channel

To arrange your shelf for your entire channel

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, click Monetization.
  3. Click the Merchandise tab. You'll only see this option if your channel is eligible.
  4. Click Organize on the “Status" card.
  5. Drag, drop, and order up to 12 items. Viewers may see fewer items depending on the device they’re using.
    • On desktop: The first 4-5 items will appear, and viewers will have to interact with the shelf to see more items.
    • On mobile: Only the first item is displayed on mobile devices. Viewers can see the other items by interacting with the shelf.
  6. Click Save.
    • If you’ve previously ordered items for specific videos, you’ll see 2 options:
      • Save to videos that don’t have a customized display: The new arrangement will be saved to videos where you haven't customized the order of your merch. 
      • Save to all videos: Will overwrite any video-level arrangements and set the newly organized shelf as the standard arrangement for the entire channel.

To go back to automatic arrangement

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, click Monetization.
  3. Click the Merchandise tab. You'll only see this option if your channel is eligible.
  4. Click Organize on the “status card.”
  5. Drag and drop all items back to the inventory list or clear the selection.
  6. Click Save.

Organize your merch shelf for individual videos

Your merch shelf will display the same items and in the same order on your videos as the merch shelf set up on your channel. You can also select up to 12 specific items and order them for display on the merch shelf on individual videos instead.
If you don’t choose a specific item order for individual videos, your merch will be arranged in the same way as your channel.
The following instructions will tell you how you can choose the item order for individual videos. 

To arrange your shelf for an individual video

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, click Videos.
  3. Click on the video where you want to customize your merch shelf. 
  4. In the left menu, click Monetization.
  5. Click the Merchandise tab. You'll only see this option if your channel is eligible.
  6. Click Organize on the “Status" card.
  7. Drag, drop, and order up to 12 items. Viewers may see fewer items depending on the device they’re using.
    • On desktop: The first 4-5 items will appear, and viewers will have to interact with the shelf to see more items.
    • On mobile: Only the first item is displayed on mobile devices. Viewers can see the other items by interacting with the shelf.
  8. Click Done.
  9. In the top-right corner, click Save.

To go back to channel-level arrangement 

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, click Videos.
  3. Click on the video where you want to remove video-level customization of your merch shelf. 
  4. In the left menu, click Monetization.
  5. Click the Merchandise tab. You'll only see this option if your channel is eligible.
  6. Click Organize on the “status card.”
  7. Drag and drop all items back to the inventory list or clear the selection.
  8. Click Save.

If you want to go back to automatic arrangement, you'll be able to do so at the channel level. 

Showcase merch beyond the shelf

Store tab in the channel page

All channels live with the merch shelf and with at least 1 item eligible to be displayed on the shelf will automatically get a Store tab in their channel page. This tab will showcase all of your items currently displayed on the merch shelf. You can link out to the 'Store' tab from comments, description and Community posts by simply copy and pasting its URL
Pin an item on your live stream
If you stream and you’re eligible for the merch shelf, you can promote one item at the top of your live feed.

Pin your merch during a live stream

  1. Start a live stream using the Live control room.
  2. Click the Merchandise tab below the live stream preview.
  3. Select one merch item you’d like to promote > click or drag it to the “Pinned merchandise” panel > click Pin Merchandise.
  4. Your merch item will now be seen at the top of your live stream. 

 Unpin your merch from a live stream

  1. Go to the Live control room.
  2. Click the Merchandise tab below the live stream preview.
  3. Click Unpin.
If a user clicks on merch from the pin or any other merch features for channels that have Teespring turned on, and then makes a purchase on Teespring during a channel’s YouTube live stream, this will trigger a live purchase notification inside the live chat.

Get more out of description links to your store

If your channel is using the merch shelf, you can add a link to your official merch store in video descriptions and when users click on the link, they get a preview of your official merch items directly on YouTube. This way, viewers can browse your official merchandise without interrupting their watching experience and, once they are ready to buy, they can click again to go to your official store and complete their purchase.

Feature merch on end screens

If you’re eligible for the merch shelf, you can add merch to your end screens. Follow these instructions:
  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, select Videos.
  3. Find the video where you want to add merch to an end screen and then click Editor.
  4. To add merch:
    • If the video already includes an end screen, click on an empty slot and then click Merchandise.
    • If the video doesn't have an end screen, click Add an end screen and then choose your template.
  5. Place your merch end screen at your preferred time and place on screen.

Merch shelf FAQs 

How do I get my merch items displayed on the shelf?

Once you create or modify your merch items with your official merchandise retailer and submit them to YouTube, the items will be reviewed for compliance with our policies. This review typically takes a few business days.
How do I know if my merch items are under review?
To find out the status of the product review for your merch items:
  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, click Monetization.
  3. Click the Merchandise tab. You'll only see this option if your channel is eligible.
  4. Click Organize on the “status card.”
  5. In the “Organize items” panel:
    • Items which are under review will be marked as “Under Review”
    • Items in the panel without this label have been reviewed and are available for display on the shelf.

I can’t find some of my merch items in YouTube Studio

If you have questions about specific merch items not appearing in the “Organize items” panel, please reach out to your merch retailer.

The merch shelf doesn’t appear on my video, why?

The merch shelf won’t appear if:

  • Your video’s audience is set as made for kids
  • Your video already shows Ticketing or Donations
  • Your video has a copyright claim against it
  • Your viewer is not in a country or region where the merch shelf is available
  • Your viewer is watching your video on a mobile browser, smart TV or game console
  • You have no approved, in-stock merch items
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