YouTube Policy

YouTube shipped its biggest batch of changes this year in July 2026: clarified monetization rules for AI and repetitive content, a redesigned Insights tab, custom Shorts thumbnails, and more. Here is every update, with dates and action steps.

YouTube terminated major AI channels in December 2025 and widened the crackdown in 2026. Learn which policies changed, what counts as AI slop, and how to build an AI-assisted channel that keeps earning.