YouTube Shorts Monetization Eligibility Checker
Changing Feb 1, 2027: new applicants to full YPP will need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours (12 months) or 20 million Shorts views (90 days), double today's thresholds, and everyone will need 10 million Shorts views in 90 days to earn Shorts ad revenue. Existing Partner Program members are grandfathered on entry, and Fan Funding stays at 500 subscribers. This checker still shows the requirements in force today.
Enter your current numbers to check YouTube Partner Program eligibility against the official 2026 requirements for both monetization tiers.
Both tiers accept either a Shorts-views path or a long-form watch-hours path — whichever you meet first counts. Shorts revenue is pooled monthly and split across the whole Shorts feed, with a typical RPM around $0.01-$0.07 per 1,000 views (vs. $2-$12 for long-form), so the earnings estimate above is necessarily a rough range, not a guarantee. Always confirm your actual numbers in YouTube Studio before relying on this for a payout decision.
Check your YouTube Partner Program eligibility for both 2026 monetization tiers — Fan Funding (500 subs) and Full ad revenue (1,000 subs) — against your actual subscribers, uploads, Shorts views, and watch hours, plus an estimated Shorts earnings range.
How it works
- Enter your subscriber count, public uploads in the last 90 days, Shorts views (90 days), and watch hours (12 months)
- Answer four quick yes/no questions about strikes, country eligibility, 2-Step Verification, and AdSense
- See exactly which of the two YPP tiers you qualify for, what's still missing, and an estimated monthly Shorts earnings range from your current view count
Frequently asked questions
What are the official YouTube Partner Program requirements for Shorts in 2026?
Two tiers: Fan Funding requires 500+ subscribers, 3+ public uploads in the last 90 days, plus either 3 million Shorts views (90 days) or 3,000 watch hours (12 months) — no ad revenue, but unlocks Super Thanks and memberships. Full YPP (ad revenue) requires 1,000+ subscribers plus either 10 million Shorts views (90 days) or 4,000 watch hours (12 months). Both tiers also require no active strikes, an eligible country, and 2-Step Verification; full YPP additionally requires a linked AdSense account.
Are the YouTube Partner Program requirements changing?
Yes, on February 1, 2027. New applicants to full YPP will need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 public watch hours (12 months) or 20 million Shorts views (90 days). Separately, everyone will need 10 million Shorts views in 90 days to earn Shorts ad revenue (it pauses below that and resumes automatically when you cross it again). Existing Partner Program members keep their current eligibility, and Fan Funding stays at 500 subscribers. This checker still reflects the requirements in force today; see YouTube Help (Changes to the YouTube Partner Program) for details.
Why is my Shorts payout so small even with millions of views?
Shorts revenue is pooled monthly and split across the whole Shorts feed rather than paid per-view directly, and typical Shorts RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) runs around $0.01-$0.07 — dramatically lower than long-form video RPM, which commonly runs $2-$12 per 1,000 views. Millions of Shorts views can still add up to a modest payout rather than the amount many creators expect.
Can I qualify with Shorts views only, no long-form watch hours?
Yes — both tiers accept either path (Shorts views OR watch hours), so a channel with zero long-form watch hours can still qualify purely on Shorts views, and vice versa.
Related tools
From the blog
Update history
- 2026-10-03 Added an upcoming-change notice and FAQ for the Feb 1, 2027 YouTube Partner Program changes (8,000 watch hours or 20M Shorts views for new applicants; 10M Shorts views needed for Shorts ad revenue); today's thresholds in the checker are unchanged.
- 2026-09-08 Launched: YouTube Shorts monetization eligibility checker for both 2026 YPP tiers (Fan Funding and Full ad revenue), with progress tracking toward each numeric requirement and an estimated monthly Shorts earnings range. Entirely client-side.