YouTube Monetization Checker
Paste one channel or up to 3. For each one you see whether ads run on its latest videos, whether it has a Join button, and where it stands against YouTube's Partner Program thresholds.
Paste one channel, or up to 3, one per line. We read each channel's latest 3 videos for ads and a Join button, and hold its subscriber count up against YouTube's Partner Program thresholds. YouTube publishes no monetization flag, so you get the evidence and what it adds up to.
Short answer
A YouTube monetization checker looks for public signs that a channel earns money from YouTube. YouTube publishes no monetization flag, so this one reads the evidence. It opens a channel's latest 3 videos and checks each for ads and a Join button. It then compares the subscriber count with the Partner Program thresholds of 500 and 1,000. A Join button means the channel is in the program. Ads on a channel under 1,000 subscribers mean YouTube earns and the creator does not. The checker reads up to 3 channels a run, with no login.
How this YouTube monetization checker reads a channel
YouTube used to leave a monetization flag in the code of every channel page. Old checkers read that flag. YouTube has removed it, so a checker that still shows a plain yes or no is guessing. This one shows you what it found.
| Sign | Where it comes from | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Join button | The watch page of each video | The channel is in the Partner Program. Memberships are a program feature. |
| Ads on a video | The ad slots YouTube attaches to the video player | YouTube shows ads on that video. On its own, it does not prove the creator gets paid. |
| Subscriber count | The public count under the video | Whether the channel clears 500 and 1,000 subscribers |
| Recent uploads | The publish dates of the latest videos | Whether it has 3 uploads in the last 90 days |
The checker reads 3 videos, not one. Ads change from video to video. A creator can switch them off on one upload. A video that went up an hour ago often has none yet. Reading 3 gives a pattern.
Nothing here needs your Google account. The checker reads the same public pages your browser loads, and a run spends no OutlierKit credits.
YouTube monetization requirements the checker compares against
The YouTube Partner Program has two doors. The first opens fan funding. The second opens ad revenue. The numbers below come from YouTube's help pages.
| Expanded program | Full program | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 1,000 |
| Public uploads | 3 in the last 90 days | No rule |
| Watch hours, last 12 months | 3,000 | 4,000 |
| Or Shorts views, last 90 days | 3 million | 10 million |
| What it opens | Memberships, Supers and shopping | A share of ad revenue, plus the rest |
| Where | Eligible countries only | Every country with the program |
A channel needs the subscribers and one of the two view numbers. Watch hours from Shorts in the Shorts feed do not count toward the watch hour line.
- The checker can see subscribers and recent uploads. It marks each with a tick or a cross.
- It cannot see watch hours or Shorts views over a period. Only the owner can, in YouTube Studio. That line stays blank.
- Clearing the thresholds is not the same as being accepted. YouTube reviews every channel that applies.
Working toward the thresholds yourself? Our guide on how to get YouTube monetization fast covers the quickest honest routes. The rules also move. We track them in YouTube Partner Program changes.
What each YouTube monetization check result means
Every channel gets one of six results. The table lists them from the strongest sign to the weakest.
| Result | What the checker saw | How sure it is |
|---|---|---|
| In the Partner Program | A Join button on its videos | Certain the channel is in the program |
| Likely monetized | Ads on two or more of its latest videos, and 1,000 or more subscribers | Strong, but not proof |
| Mixed signs | Ads on just one video | Weak. Run it again in a few days. |
| Ads run, channel not paid | Ads, on a channel under 1,000 subscribers | Near certain the creator earns no ad revenue |
| No sign of monetization | No ads and no Join button, at 500 or more subscribers | Ads may be off, or watch hours may be short |
| Not eligible yet | No ads and no Join button, under 500 subscribers | Certain it is below every threshold |
A channel that hides its subscriber count gets treated as over the line. The checker never calls a channel ineligible on a number it could not read.
Is a YouTube channel monetized if it shows ads? Not always
This is the mistake most monetization checks make. Since late 2020, YouTube's terms let it run ads on any video, on any channel. A channel with 200 subscribers can carry ads. YouTube keeps all of that money.
So the checker reads ads together with the subscriber count. Ads on a channel with 1,000 or more subscribers usually belong to a partner. Ads on a smaller channel get the result "Ads run, channel not paid".
Monetized also says nothing about how much. Two partner channels with the same views can earn very different sums. The YouTube revenue calculator turns a view count into an earnings range, using the figures in our YouTube RPM benchmarks by niche. For the number of views a channel needs, read how many YouTube views it takes to make money.
Ad revenue is one income line
How to check if a YouTube channel is monetized
Five steps. The result in step three is the short answer.
- 01
Paste the channel
Paste a channel URL, an @handle, a UC ID or a link to one of its videos. For several channels, put one on each line, up to 3. - 02
Press Check monetization
The checker opens the channel's latest 3 videos. It looks for ads on each one and for a Join button. It also reads the subscriber count. - 03
Read the result first
Each channel gets one result, such as In the Partner Program or Ads run, channel not paid. The sentence under it says which signs led there. - 04
Check the thresholds
The right-hand list holds the channel up against YouTube's thresholds: 500 and 1,000 subscribers, and 3 uploads in 90 days. Watch hours stay blank, because only the owner can see them. - 05
Open the videos, or download the CSV
Open the list of videos to see which ones carried ads. With more than one channel, download the CSV. It has one row per channel.
You can check one channel by hand. Open a few of its videos in a private window and look for a Join button beside Subscribe. Then watch for an ad before each video. That takes a few minutes a channel. The checker does it in seconds.
Monetization is one fact about a channel. To see whether the channel is growing, run it through the YouTube channel health checker next.
Bulk YouTube monetization checker for agencies and channel buyers
Paste up to 3 channels and each one gets its own card. The CSV button appears once you check more than one. Three kinds of people use the bulk run.
- Agencies sort a prospect list. A channel just under 1,000 subscribers needs different help from a partner with ads on every video. Our guide to managing client YouTube channels covers what to do after the sort.
- Channel buyers check a listing before they pay. A seller who claims a monetized channel should show a Join button or steady ads. See selling a monetized YouTube channel for what else to verify. Always ask for a Studio screenshot too.
- Brands screen creators before a sponsorship, to see who already runs a business on YouTube.
| CSV column | Contains |
|---|---|
| input | What you pasted |
| channel, channel_id, handle | The channel it resolved to |
| verdict | The result, such as Likely monetized |
| subscribers | The public subscriber count |
| videos_read, videos_with_ads | How many of the latest 3 videos were read, and how many had ads |
| join_button | yes or no |
| uploads_last_90_days | Recent uploads among the videos read |
| note | Why a row has no result, such as a dead link |
Have a list of names with no links? The bulk YouTube channel ID finder cleans it first. For the wider money picture, read YouTube monetization strategies.
What this YouTube monetization checker handles
3 channels a run
One per line. URLs, @handles, UC IDs and video links all work.
3 videos per channel
Ads are checked across the latest uploads, not one video
Join button check
The one firm sign of Partner Program access
Threshold list
500 and 1,000 subscribers, and 3 uploads in 90 days
Six plain results
Each one says which signs led to it
Evidence shown
Every video read is listed, marked Ads or No ads
CSV export
One row per channel for a prospect or roster sheet
No login or API key
It reads public pages and spends no credits
Where this YouTube monetization checker stops
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a YouTube channel is monetized?
Paste the channel into the checker above. It reads the channel's latest 3 videos for ads and a Join button, and compares its subscriber count with YouTube's thresholds. YouTube publishes no monetization flag, so no tool can give a certain yes or no. A Join button is the one firm sign, because memberships need Partner Program access.
Is this YouTube monetization checker free?
Yes. You need no login, no API key and no credits. Each visitor can check 12 channels an hour, up to 3 in a run.
Do ads on a video mean the channel is monetized?
No. YouTube runs ads on channels outside the Partner Program and keeps that revenue. Ads on a channel with 1,000 or more subscribers usually mean the channel earns from them. Ads on a smaller channel mean YouTube earns and the creator does not.
What are the YouTube monetization requirements?
For ad revenue, a channel needs 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. An earlier tier opens memberships and Supers at 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days, and 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views. The earlier tier is open in eligible countries only.
Can anyone see a channel's watch hours?
No. Only the channel owner can see watch hours, in YouTube Studio. So the checker leaves that line blank. Any tool that claims to show another channel's watch hours is guessing from view counts.
Why does a big channel show no ads?
A creator can turn ads off on a video, and a brand-new upload often has none for its first hours. YouTube also limits ads on some topics. The checker reads several videos for that reason. A big channel with no ads on any of them has probably chosen to run without ads.
What does the Join button prove?
It proves the channel is in the YouTube Partner Program. Channel memberships are a Partner Program feature. It does not prove the channel earns ad revenue, because memberships open at 500 subscribers and ad revenue needs 1,000.
Can I check my own channel's monetization status here?
You can, but YouTube Studio is the better place. Open Earn in the left menu. It shows your exact subscriber count, watch hours and Shorts views against each threshold, and it tells you when you can apply.
Can the checker tell if a channel is demonetized?
Not for certain. A channel well over the thresholds with no ads and no Join button may have lost monetization, or may have ads turned off. The checker shows No sign of monetization in both cases. Only the owner knows which one it is.
How many channels can the bulk monetization checker read at once?
It reads 3 channels in a run and 12 an hour. If you paste more than 3, it checks the first 3 and lists the others as skipped. Run those as the next batch.
Does the monetization checker work for Shorts channels?
Partly. It reads a channel's long-form videos first, and its Shorts when it has no long-form uploads. Ads in the Shorts feed play between Shorts, so a Short's own page rarely shows any. For a Shorts-only channel, trust the Join button and the subscriber count more than the ad count.
How much does a monetized channel earn?
It depends on views and niche. A finance channel can earn several times what a gaming channel earns from the same views. Use our free YouTube revenue calculator to put a range on any channel from its view count.
Find the videos that earn a monetized channel its views
Monetization tells you a channel can earn. OutlierKit shows which of its videos beat the channel's own average, so you can see what drives the views. New accounts start with 30 free credits, with no card.