How To Set Up The YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program On Your Channel (2023)

Big news for creators! YouTube just announced their YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program, which is a new way to monetize your channel by tagging products directly from brands, and earning a commission for sales. The new platform is fully integrated with YouTube Shopping/Google Shopping, and more merchants are being added every week.

Up until now, most creators embedded affiliate links in the video descriptions, from Amazon or other merchant directly. The approach worked, but with the advent of YouTube’s new search trend and the recent introduction of Google Search Generative Experience (SGE), the way users will find and interact with content might change forever.

In addition to the affiliate program, YouTube also announced lower qualification requirements to become part of their YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which means it will be easier for new creators to start monetizing their channels.

What is the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program?

The newly announced YouTube Shopping affiliate program offers a new way to earn money on YouTube by helping your audience find products they love.

Through this program creators can:

• Help your fans shop: By tagging products in your content, fans can quickly scan for helpful information like pricing and keep watching your video while they checkout on the retailer’s site.
• Get more from your YouTube business: The affiliate program helps get your great shopping content in front of more brands and viewers across YouTube, increasing your overall earnings potential with YouTube. You’ll also earn a competitive commission when fans buy.
• Spend more time creating: Since you can tag products, get insights, and review earnings all in one place, in YouTube Studio, you can spend more time creating content people love and less time managing links.

If you are a creator, here are some recommendations from YouTube after you joined the new program.

1. Check to see if the product you want to feature is available for commission.
2. Create a Short to get started quickly. Start tagging and creating longer form videos next.
3. Let fans know they can shop your video by calling out the shopping button in the lower-left corner of your video.

How to set up the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program (Step-by-step)

1. Sign in to your YouTube Studio and select Earn

You’ll see the Earn icon on the left menu.

2. Under Ways to earn > Shopping tap on View.

If you have multiple programs approved, the option should be under Shopping.

3. Click on Get Started.

Under Recommended for you, you should see a YouTube Shopping affiliate program pop-up.

4. Click Continue.

5. Read and accept the terms and conditions.

6. Select Join Program and wait for the confirmation.

7. Done! You are now part of the program.

How to tag a product using the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program?

Now that you are part of the program, you might be wondering how to tag a specific product. It’s pretty straightforward, follow these steps.

1. On YouTube Studio, select the Content Tab

2. Choose a video and click on Edit.

3. On the right pane, click on Products.

4. Filter by seller or product name, click on Add.

5. Once you added all products, click on Save.

And you are done! Your products will show up under the video description on YouTube.

Does it work in YouTube Shorts?

Yes, it does. Although in Shorts the video descriptions are far less engaging. Still, users are able to click, interact with the products tagged

Considerations and Limitations

YouTube is rolling out this program gradually, and so far only for US creator. Also, merchants are limited to the following ones.

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