You can sell products and services on YouTube through four paths: YouTube Shopping — display your products inside content (requires YPP); video description links — no YPP required, but clickable links in long-form videos require Advanced Features per YouTube's Help Center; Cards and End Screens external links — require YPP; and digital services and courses — direct viewers to an external platform where the purchase takes place.
| Path | Requirements | Requires YPP? | Geographic restriction? |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shopping — your own products | YPP + subscriber threshold + no Hate Speech strike | Yes | Check Studio for availability |
| YouTube Shopping Affiliate — other brands' products | YPP + subscriber threshold + specific countries | Yes | Yes — specific countries only |
| Video description links | No YPP — but Advanced Features required for clickable links | No | No |
| Cards & End Screens (external links) | YPP | Yes | No |
| Services / digital products / courses | External platform + link in description | No | No |
Key takeaways:
- Video description links require no YPP, but per YouTube's Help Center they only become clickable in long-form videos after enabling Advanced Features. External links in Cards and End Screens require YPP.
- YouTube Shopping for your own products requires YPP. To check whether it's available in your country, open YouTube Studio → Earn → Shopping and see if the store connection option appears.
- The YouTube Shopping affiliate program (other brands' products) is currently available in: the United States, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brazil, Taiwan, and Japan — per YouTube's Help Center.
- If your content includes paid promotion, YouTube requires you to check the "contains paid promotion" box in YouTube Studio. Failing to do so may result in action against your content or account.
- Selling your own courses, services, or digital products via a description link does not constitute "paid promotion" under YouTube's policy — that policy applies to commercial relationships with third parties.
What are the three paths for selling products on YouTube?
YouTube provides a native commerce feature called YouTube Shopping that lets eligible creators display their products inside videos, Shorts, and livestreams. Any channel can add links to video descriptions; clickable links in long-form videos require Advanced Features to be enabled. External links via Cards and End Screens require the channel to be in the YouTube Partner Program.
The key distinction is where the transaction is completed. With YouTube Shopping, the viewer sees product details and pricing inside YouTube before being redirected to the retailer's checkout. With external links, the viewer leaves YouTube directly when they click the link.
Path 1: YouTube Shopping — promoting your own products
According to YouTube's official Shopping help page, to promote your own products your channel must meet these minimum requirements (verify current requirements before acting — these criteria may change):
- You are in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)
- Your channel meets the subscriber threshold for YPP, or is an Official Artist Channel
- Your channel audience isn't set as Made for Kids, and your channel doesn't have a significant number of videos set as Made for Kids
- Your channel hasn't received any Hate Speech Community Guideline Strikes
⚠️ How to check geographic availability
YouTube's Help Center does not publish a fixed list of countries eligible for YouTube Shopping (your own products). To check, open YouTube Studio → Earn → Shopping. If the option does not appear, your channel may not meet one of the eligibility requirements (YPP membership, subscriber threshold, Made for Kids classification, or Hate Speech strikes) or the feature may not be available for your account or region. See the official eligibility page to identify the specific reason.
Once confirmed eligible, you connect your store via YouTube Studio → Earn → Shopping → Connect store. The list of supported platforms appears within the setup flow in YouTube Studio.
Path 2: YouTube Shopping Affiliate — other brands' products
The YouTube Shopping affiliate program lets eligible creators tag products from other brands in their content and earn commission when viewers purchase. According to YouTube's Shopping affiliate program help page, the eligibility requirements are:
- Your channel is in the YouTube Partner Program and meets the subscriber threshold for YPP
- You are based in the United States, South Korea, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brazil, Taiwan, or Japan
- Your channel is not a music channel, an Official Artist Channel, or associated with music partners (which may include music labels, distributors, publishers, or VEVO)
- Your channel audience isn't set as Made for Kids
- Your channel doesn't have any active Community Guideline strikes
According to YouTube's Help Center, commissions are paid through AdSense for YouTube within 60 to 120 days of the purchase to account for customer returns. If a customer returns the product, the commission is reversed.
Path 3: External links — available to any channel
Placing external links in video descriptions is available to any channel per YouTube's link policies and account features, with no YPP requirement. For Cards and End Screens, the external link option explicitly requires YPP membership — as documented in YouTube's Cards help page and End Screens help page.
How do you sell your own merchandise on YouTube?
If your channel qualifies for YouTube Shopping, you connect your store and tag products on your videos. According to YouTube's Help Center, products can be tagged on new videos at upload or added to existing videos after publication.
If your channel does not qualify for YouTube Shopping, or the feature is not yet available in your country, you place your external store link (on Shopify, Etsy, or any other platform) in video descriptions. YouTube requires no permission or enrollment for this.
📋 Where you can add product links within a video
- Video description: Clickable external links can be added to the description — available to any channel.
- Cards: Video, playlist, and channel cards are available to any channel. The external link (Link) card type requires YPP per YouTube's Help Center.
- End Screens (external link): Per YouTube's Help Center, can be added to the last 5–20 seconds (minimum video length: 25 seconds) — requires YPP.
How do you sell courses, services, and digital products via YouTube?
YouTube does not provide a system for selling courses or services inside the platform. The practical model: you create content on your channel and direct viewers via a description link to an external platform (such as Teachable, Gumroad, or your own website) where the purchase takes place.
Your free videos on YouTube function as an acquisition point — a viewer discovers you through your content and follows a link in the description to your sales page outside of YouTube.
What to include in your description when selling a course or service
YouTube allows multiple links in a video description. You can place your course page or booking link at the top of the description so it is visible before the viewer needs to click "Show more," and add further links below for additional resources.
When is paid promotion disclosure required on YouTube?
According to YouTube's paid promotion policy page, if your content includes paid product placements, endorsements, or sponsorships, you are required to notify YouTube by checking the paid promotion box in your video settings. The steps are:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio
- From the left menu, select Content
- Click the video you want to edit
- Select More options
- Check the box next to "My video contains paid promotion like a product placement, sponsorship, or endorsement"
- Select Save
According to YouTube's Help Center, when you check this box, YouTube automatically shows viewers a disclosure message for 10 seconds at the beginning of the video. YouTube continues to run ads on these videos and may replace an ad that conflicts with the promoted brand. The video is also removed from the YouTube Kids app.
❌ Common mistake: not disclosing paid promotion
YouTube's Help Center states: "If you don't follow those obligations, we may act against your content or account." For a full overview of YouTube monetization policies, see our YouTube monetization guide. Beyond that, advertising laws in your jurisdiction may impose additional disclosure requirements. YouTube's Help Center explicitly states that creators and brands are responsible for understanding and complying with local and legal obligations — the platform checkbox is a minimum, not a complete compliance solution.
Does selling your own products require a paid promotion disclosure?
No. According to YouTube's Help Center, paid promotion policy applies to content "created for a third party in exchange for compensation" or where "a third party's brand, message, or product is integrated directly into the content." Selling your own products, courses, or services via a description link does not involve a third-party commercial relationship, and therefore does not trigger the paid promotion disclosure requirement.
What is YouTube's responsibility versus yours when selling through YouTube Shopping?
YouTube's Help Center explicitly states: your official merch retailer or platform — not Google — is responsible for all aspects of merchandise sales, including warehousing, order fulfillment, shipping, refunds, customer service, and inventory management. All payments for the sale of products are made through the retailer or platform. YouTube and AdSense are not involved.
For products from other brands (affiliate program), any transactions on the retailer's website are governed by that retailer's own terms and conditions, including their privacy policies. The retailer handles the final price, fees, taxes, and the entire order fulfillment process.
Which path is right for your channel right now?
🔀 Decision map
- Is your channel in YPP?
- No: Start with video description links (Advanced Features needed for clickable links). Cards and End Screens for external links require YPP.
- Yes: Move to the next question.
- Does YouTube Shopping appear in your YouTube Studio → Earn → Shopping?
- Yes: Connect your store + tag products + add external links in parallel.
- No: External links in descriptions and Cards — effective and available immediately.
- Do you sell a service, course, or digital product?
- Place your sales page or booking link in the description of relevant videos — no YPP required, no geographic restriction.
- Do you want to earn commission promoting other brands' products?
- Check your eligibility in our YouTube affiliate marketing guide — requirements differ from selling your own products.
Common mistakes when selling on YouTube
❌ Mistake 1: Waiting for YPP before selling anything
What happens: Creators delay revenue generation believing YPP is a prerequisite for any form of selling. The reality: Video description links require no YPP (though Advanced Features are needed for them to be clickable in long-form videos). Cards and End Screens for external links do require YPP per YouTube's Help Center.
❌ Mistake 2: Connecting the store but not tagging products on existing videos
What happens: Creators link their store to YouTube Shopping but leave existing videos untagged. The fix: According to YouTube's Help Center, you can tag products on videos after publication. Use the Bulk Tagging feature in YouTube Studio (Earn → Shopping → Tag Products) to tag products across multiple videos at once. Once selling, monitor tagged product performance through YouTube Analytics to identify which videos are driving product discovery.
❌ Mistake 3: Skipping the paid promotion disclosure
What happens: Promoting a third party's product in exchange for compensation without checking the disclosure box. The consequence: YouTube's Help Center states that failure to follow these obligations may result in action against the content or account. Disclosure is also a legal obligation in many jurisdictions, independent of YouTube's platform policy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a store link in my YouTube description without being in YPP?
Yes. Placing external links in a video description requires no YouTube enrollment and is available to any channel. Video description links do not require YPP. However, per YouTube's feature access page, those links are only clickable in long-form videos after the channel has enabled Advanced Features. The external link Card type and external website option in End Screens both explicitly require YPP membership, as documented in YouTube's respective help pages for each feature.
Does YouTube take a percentage of sales made through my connected store?
No. YouTube's Help Center explicitly states that all payments for the sale of merchandise are made through the retailer or platform — "YouTube and AdSense are not involved." YouTube provides the display surface; the financial transaction is entirely between the buyer and your store or retailer.
How do I know if YouTube Shopping is available in my country?
The most accurate way is to check directly: open YouTube Studio → Earn → Shopping. If the option to connect a store appears, the feature is available for your channel. If it does not appear, your channel may not meet one of the eligibility criteria, or the feature may not be available in your region — check the official eligibility page in the YouTube Help Center to identify the specific reason.
Does selling my own course via a description link require a paid promotion disclosure?
No. According to YouTube's Help Center, the paid promotion policy applies to content created for a third party in exchange for compensation, or where a third party's brand is integrated into the content. Promoting your own course, service, or product via a description link does not involve a third-party commercial relationship, so the paid promotion disclosure requirement does not apply.
Can I sell a paid course directly on YouTube without an external platform?
YouTube does not provide a course sales system within the platform. Per YouTube's Help Center, private videos can be shared with up to 50 email addresses — not designed as a commercial sales solution. Selling courses at scale requires an external platform (such as Teachable, Gumroad, or your own website) linked from your video descriptions.
Official sources
- YouTube Help — Get started with Shopping on YouTube (eligibility)
- YouTube Help — YouTube Shopping affiliate program overview and eligibility
- YouTube Help — Add cards to videos
- YouTube Help — Add end screens to videos
- YouTube Help — Add paid product placements, sponsorships and endorsements
- YouTube Help — Feature access for YouTube Creators (Advanced Features)