Use this article to learn how to check your video's monetisation status and to understand what each monetisation icon means. You can also learn what it means when the monetisation icon next to your video changes.
Note: Whether you earn revenue on a video depends on several factors, including copyright claims, revenue sharing and advertiser-friendliness. For more info, learn how to upload videos to monetise with ads.
Check video monetisation status
To check your video's monetisation status:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, select Content
.
- In the Monetisation column, you can find the monetisation icons. For info about what each icon means, you can hover over it.
.To filter your video list by monetisation status:
- Click the filter bar
Monetisation.
- To show videos with green icons, tick Monetised. To show videos with red and grey icons, tick Not monetised. To show videos with yellow icons, tick Limited.
- Click APPLY.
Monetisation.Monetisation icon guide
Use this table to learn what each monetisation icon means.
| Icon and description |
When the icon is shown |
What the icon means for your video's monetisation status | Tips about this monetisation status |
|---|---|---|---|
 Checking |
This icon is shown next to a video when our systems are checking a video for ad suitability. | While the ad suitability check is in progress, we don't show ads on your video. |
Our systems check for ad suitability during the upload process. This check usually takes less than 20 minutes and at most 1 hour. When the check is complete, the icon turns green, yellow or red. To maximise revenue potential, we recommend that you wait for checks to be completed before making your video public. |
| This icon is shown next to a video when it meets our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. | The video is eligible for most ads. | Bear in mind that you may not get all the ad revenue for the video. Sometimes, your revenue may be temporarily held because of a copyright dispute or invalid traffic. | |
| This icon is shown next to a video when its audience is set as Made for Kids. | The video is only eligible for non-personalised ads. | - | |
| This icon is shown when you upload a video of a cover version of a song and a music publisher claims it. This music publisher previously agreed to share revenue with creators in the YPP who make music covers. | The video splits revenue with the music rights holders. You get some, but not all, of the revenue for this video. | Learn more about revenue sharing and monetising eligible cover videos. | |
| This icon is shown next to a video when revenue is being held separately during the Content ID dispute process. | After the Content ID dispute has been settled, we pay the revenue to the appropriate party. | If the status description says 'Copyright claim': this means that the video was found to contain copyrighted material and the copyright owner is reviewing your dispute or appeal. Learn more about monetisation during Content ID disputes. | |
| This icon is shown next to a video when it doesn't meet all of our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. | Brands can choose to opt out of content that doesn't meet our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. Therefore, the video may earn less revenue compared to content that's suitable for advertisers. |
If the status description says 'Ad suitability': this description means that our automated systems have assessed this video. You can request a review, which means that a policy specialist will review the video again and, if appropriate, can change the video's monetisation status. If the status description says 'Ad suitability – under review': this description means that a policy specialist is reviewing the video. The specialist can keep or change the monetisation status and their decision is final. If the status description says 'Ad suitability – confirmed by review': this description means that our policy specialists have reviewed the video and believe that it doesn't meet our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. The yellow icon status can't be changed. Note: If a video has invalid traffic, it won't result in a yellow icon. Yellow icons are only applied to videos based on our advertiser-friendly content guidelines. |
|
 Ineligible |
Most often, this icon is shown next to a video when there's a copyright claim on the video. | The video can't be monetised. | If the status description says 'Copyright': this description means that a rightsholder has either claimed your video using Content ID or has submitted a complete and valid copyright removal request. This situation happens when your video uses copyright-protected work without authorisation. As a result, you're no longer monetising the video. |
 Off |
For watch page ads, this icon means that you chose not to turn on monetisation for the video. If you get this icon on your Shorts, it means that you haven't accepted the Shorts Monetisation Module in YouTube Studio. | The video isn't monetised. | If the status description says 'Copyright': this means that someone else owns the copyright on the content in your video. Ads are running and revenue is going to the copyright owner. The good news for you is that the copyright owner is open to sharing revenue with you. If you change the monetisation status to 'On', you'll get partial revenue for this video. |
Why the monetisation icon may change from green to yellow
Sometimes a video's monetisation icon changes from green 
What you can do about icon changes
Before you set your video to live
During the upload process, we recommend that you wait to publish your video until after the checks process has been completed.
After your video is live
After you've uploaded your video, the video's monetisation status may change during the next 24 to 48 hours. It generally stabilises after 48 hours. Bear in mind that it can change again based on how viewers interact with your video.
If you think that the yellow icon on your video is a mistake, you can request a human review. After a policy specialist has reviewed a video and made a final decision, the monetisation icon shouldn't change.