YouTube Monetization for Beginners: From Eligibility to Approval and Income Activation (2026 Guide)

If your goal is to earn money from YouTube officially and safely, you need to follow a clear roadmap instead of random attempts:
understand the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), meet the required eligibility metrics, complete the application requirements, wait for review, and finally activate monetization features on your videos.

This guide helps you identify exactly where you are now and what the next step is toward enabling monetization without confusion.

The YouTube Monetization Journey: Eligibility → Application → Review → Activation

Monetization on YouTube is not a single button—it’s a sequence of stages inside YPP:

• Eligibility: Reach the required subscriber and watch-time/view thresholds.

• Application: Apply from YouTube Studio → Earn and accept the terms.

• Review: Your channel is placed in the review queue once requirements are completed.

• Activation: After approval, you can enable monetization features for your channel and videos.

Importantly, YouTube reviews the entire channel, not just individual videos.

Official YouTube Monetization Requirements (Two Eligibility Paths)

To qualify for YPP, you must meet one of the two official paths:

1) Long-form video path

• 1,000 subscribers

• 4,000 valid public watch hours within the last 12 months

2) Shorts path

• 1,000 subscribers

• 10 million valid public Shorts views within the last 90 days

Note: Watch time from the Shorts feed does not count toward the 4,000-hour requirement.

What Counts Toward Eligibility — and What Doesn’t

Understanding valid metrics is essential because miscounted views or hours often delay eligibility:

Counts:

• Public watch hours from long-form videos

Does NOT count:

• Private or unlisted videos

• Deleted videos

• Ad campaign views

• Shorts watch time toward the 4,000-hour rule

• Live streams that are unlisted, deleted, or not converted to VOD

How to Apply for YouTube Monetization

After reaching eligibility:

1. Open YouTube Studio → Earn

2. Click Apply Now

3. Accept the base terms

4. Create or link AdSense for YouTube

5. Wait for the “In progress” review status

Requirements Beyond Numbers

Meeting the numbers alone is not enough. Before applying, your channel must also:

• Have advanced features access enabled

• Link an active AdSense for YouTube account (or be ready to create one)

• Have no active Community Guidelines strikes

• Be fully prepared for policy-based channel review

Linking AdSense for YouTube Correctly

To complete monetization setup:

• Go to YouTube Studio → Earn → Sign up for AdSense

• Confirm the correct email address

• Accept the association

• Return to Studio and verify the step shows Done

Incorrect setup here is a common cause of payment delays.

Activating Monetization on Individual Videos

After YPP approval, monetization must be enabled per video:

• Open YouTube Studio → Content → Select video → Edit

• Turn Monetization → ON

• If the video is longer than 8 minutes, enable mid-roll ads if desired

Is YouTube Monetization Available in Every Country?

No. Availability depends on YouTube Partner Program support in your region:

• Check the official YPP availability page for your country

• If unavailable, you may need alternative income methods until access opens

• Even in eligible countries, policy compliance and channel health still matter

Final Thoughts

YouTube monetization becomes straightforward when you follow the correct order:

1. Reach eligibility through one official path.

2. Ensure your country and channel meet policy requirements.

3. Apply via YouTube Studio → Earn and link AdSense properly.

4. Wait for review and activate monetization on videos after approval.

By treating monetization as a step-by-step system, you transform YouTube earnings from confusing numbers into a clear, achievable process.