YouTube monetization checker
Ad revenue on YouTube unlocks once a channel reaches a subscriber count plus either a watch-hour target or a Shorts-view target, and those targets only count recent activity. Type in the figures from YouTube Studio and how quickly each is rising, and the checker marks which requirements you already meet and which are still open. It then estimates the months left at your pace, allowing for older watch hours and Shorts views that fall out of the counting window.
Where you stand today
Progress towards ad revenue on each requirement. Subscribers are always needed, plus either one of the other two.
Your channel over the next year
Expected totals at the end of each month. Watch hours and Shorts views are rolling figures, so old activity leaves the count as new activity joins it.
| Month | Subscribers | Watch hours (12 mo) | Shorts views (90 days) | Eligible |
|---|
What the checker does
Your numbers are compared with the Partner Program thresholds for ad revenue and for the smaller fan-funding tier, and then carried forward one month at a time.
The rolling windows are what make this tricky. Watch hours count over 12 months and Shorts views over 90 days, so the checker assumes old activity leaves at an even rate while your current pace keeps adding new activity.
Compare with the thresholds
Ad revenue requires 1,000 subscribers together with either 4,000 watch hours or 10 million Shorts views.
eligible = subs ≥ 1,000 and (hours ≥ 4,000 or Shorts views ≥ 10M)
Add new subscribers
Subscriber gains simply accumulate month after month.
subs in m months = subs + subs per month × m
Roll the watch hours forward
Each month roughly a twelfth of the current total falls away and a month of fresh hours arrives, until the total levels off at a year of your pace.
hours in m months = hours + (hours per month − hours ÷ 12) × m
Roll the Shorts views forward
The same approach over a three-month window.
views in m months = views + (views per month − views ÷ 3) × m
Find the qualifying month
The first month where every requirement is met, or "not at this pace" if the rolling totals level off under the target.
YouTube Partner Program FAQ
What does a channel need to be monetized on YouTube?
For ad revenue in the Partner Program, channels have needed 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 public watch hours over the last 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views over the last 90 days. A lower tier for fan funding and shopping has asked for 500 subscribers, 3 recent uploads and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views. YouTube does change these, so read its help pages first.
Does time spent watching Shorts count as watch hours?
No. Viewing in the Shorts feed is left out of the 4,000-hour total; Shorts have their own path based on 90-day views. The two routes are separate, and you only need to finish one of them on top of the subscriber count.
Why has my watch-hour total fallen?
Because it covers a rolling 12 months, hours older than a year drop away every day. If your channel is getting fewer hours now than it did a year ago, the total shrinks. The checker includes that drop-off when it works out how long you have left.
Do hours on private or deleted videos count?
Only public videos count. Making a video private or unlisted, or deleting it, takes its hours out of the total, so be careful about clearing out old uploads while you are still working towards the target.
What else does YouTube look at apart from the numbers?
You must live in a country where the program runs, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, use 2-step verification on your Google account and connect an AdSense account. YouTube also reviews the channel against its monetization policies, which exclude reused or mass-produced content.
How long is the YouTube review?
YouTube says a review usually takes around a month after you apply, though some take longer. If the answer is no, you can generally reapply after 30 days, once you have fixed what the reviewers pointed out.
Does this checker read my channel data?
No. It only uses the numbers you type and never connects to YouTube. Copy them from YouTube Studio for the most accurate answer.