YouTube monetization checker
YouTube pays ad revenue once a channel hits a subscriber count and either a watch-hour or a Shorts-view target, and both targets are measured over rolling windows. Enter your numbers from YouTube Studio and how fast each one is growing, and this checker shows which requirements you meet and which you are still missing. It then estimates how many months you need at your current pace, counting old watch hours and Shorts views that drop out of the window.
How close you are
Progress on each requirement for ad revenue. You need subscribers plus one of the two other bars.
The next 12 months at your pace
Projected totals at the end of each month. Watch hours and Shorts views are rolling totals, so older activity drops out as new activity comes in.
| Month | Subscribers | Watch hours (12 mo) | Shorts views (90 days) | Eligible |
|---|
How the checker works
It compares your numbers with the Partner Program thresholds for ad revenue and for the lower fan funding tier, then projects them forward month by month.
Rolling windows are the tricky part. Watch hours cover 12 months and Shorts views cover 90 days, so the checker assumes your older activity drops out evenly while your current pace adds new activity.
Check the bars
Ad revenue needs 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views.
eligible = subs ≥ 1,000 and (hours ≥ 4,000 or Shorts views ≥ 10M)
Grow subscribers
Subscribers add up month after month.
subs in m months = subs + subs per month × m
Roll watch hours
Each month, about one twelfth of the current total drops out and a month of new hours comes in, until the total settles at 12 months of your pace.
hours in m months = hours + (hours per month − hours ÷ 12) × m
Roll Shorts views
The same idea over 3 months.
views in m months = views + (views per month − views ÷ 3) × m
Find the month
The first month in which every requirement is met, or "not at this pace" if the rolling totals settle below the bar.
YouTube monetization questions
What are the requirements to monetize a YouTube channel?
To earn ad revenue through the YouTube Partner Program, channels have needed 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days. There is also a lower tier for fan funding and shopping features at 500 subscribers, 3 recent uploads and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views. YouTube changes these rules, so check its help pages before you apply.
Do Shorts views count towards watch hours?
No. Watch time from the Shorts feed does not count towards the 4,000 hours. Shorts have their own route through views in the last 90 days. Long videos and Shorts are two separate paths, and you only need to complete one of them alongside the subscriber count.
Why did my watch hours go down?
The 4,000 hours are counted over a rolling 12 months, so hours from more than a year ago drop out every day. If your channel is not getting as many hours now as it did a year ago, the total shrinks. This checker models that drop-off when it estimates how long you have left.
Do private or deleted videos count?
Only public videos count towards watch hours. Hours on videos you made private, unlisted or deleted stop counting, so think twice before removing old videos while you are working towards monetization.
What else does YouTube check besides the numbers?
You need to live in a country where the program is available, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, turn on 2-step verification for your Google account and link an AdSense account. YouTube also reviews your channel against its monetization policies, which rule out reused or mass-produced content.
How long does the review take?
YouTube says reviews usually take about a month once you apply, but it can take longer. If you are rejected, you can usually apply again after 30 days, once you have changed what the reviewers flagged.
Is this checker connected to my channel?
No. It runs on the numbers you type in and does not connect to YouTube. Copy your figures from YouTube Studio for the most accurate result.