Figuring out YouTube's demonetization rules can be really confusing. In this guide, we'll explain what can get your videos demonetized, point out some surprising banned words, and share tips to help you get your revenue back.
Why Does YouTube Demonetize Videos?
YouTube Demonetization means that creators lose the ability to receive income from one video or even an entire channel. This can occur due to various reasons such as copyright infringement, breaching video hosting rules, or showcasing controversial content.
You need to follow YouTube's monetization policies if you want to make money from your channel. Let’s look through the main reasons that lead to demonetization:
- Spam, deceptive practices, and scams
- Nudity and sexual content
- Child safety risks
- Harmful or dangerous content
- Hate speech
- Harassment and cyberbullying
Try to avoid everything mentioned above, but there's another key guideline to follow for keeping your monetization: YouTube's Advertiser-friendly content rules. These include:
- Inappropriate language – be careful to not use rude words, profanity, or vulgarity.
- Violence – blood, injury, violence, etc., are restricted to show in your videos.
- Shocking content – content that may upset, disgust, or shock viewers.
- Drug and tobacco-related content – as drugs and tobacco are harmful to society YouTube will not allow such content.
- Firearms-related content – creators are not allowed to promote aggressive behavior and content focused on the sale, assembly, abuse, or misuse of any type of firearms.
- Controversial issues.
One more thing, if your videos are often being reported by the viewers this also can lead to YouTube demonetization. When it comes to managing those reports, you can always rely on the support of YouTube Certified Partners specializing in channel protection and safety.
List of Demonetized Words and Banned Words on Youtube
YouTube's guidelines highlight certain words that can trigger a video's demonetization. Some of these banned words on YouTube relate to inappropriate themes like swear words, racial slurs, drug use, and more.
Using certain words, even abbreviated or censored, can ruin your chances of making money on YouTube. Terms such as “hell”, “damn”, or other frequently used words like “bitch”, “douchebag”, "asshole", and “shit”, especially when in your title, thumbnail, or throughout your video, can be red flags.
Be sure to check YouTube's content type restrictions to avoid using the wrong words.
How to Know if a Video is Demonetized
When a video undergoes demonetization or limited monetization, the creator will notice specific icons next to their video:
Yellow dollar: This means limited monetization, indicating that the video doesn't comply with some of YouTube's platform rules. This icon comes with a comment offering directions on necessary modifications to remonetize the video.
Red dollar: This indicates that the video is not eligible for monetization, typically resulting from a severe breach of the platform's guidelines.
With these icons signaling potential monetization issues, it's essential to know the do's and don'ts. Now, let's ensure your content stays in the green.
Channels That Was Demonetized – Highlights of The Year
In 2024, several prominent YouTube channels faced demonetization, but one stood out:
In September 2024, political commentator Candace Owens's YouTube channel was temporarily suspended and demonetized following an interview with Kanye West, during which antisemitic remarks were made. YouTube cited violations of its hate speech policies as the reason for the action. Owens attributed the suspension to mass reporting by "Zionists" and suggested it was linked to her recent debate with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. The suspension prevented her from uploading content and resulted in the loss of monetization for her 2.4 million followers.
AIR Partners Hit 125+ Billion Views
Looking for a boost? Get an expert YouTube channel audit to unlock hidden growth spots!
Another channel we partnered up with struggled with yellow sign issues. This channel had 223 yellow marks issues in total. We got managerial access to submit appeals on the partner's behalf, working with our security team to remove YM from videos where appeals were rejected. Our hard work paid off when 205 YM issues were successfully resolved. Un-surprisingly, that pulled the channel back up and we saw real improvements that followed.
But that wasn’t the only case. For example, another one of our partners, a kids channel with over five million subscribers, have nearly lost their channel entirely due to new regulations on children’s content. However, we acted swiftly, analyzed the issue and guided the appeal process. Within just one month, their monetization was successfully restored.
Regulations aren’t the only cause for a creator to almost lose their channel. Our next partner, a family and lifestyle channel with over 14 million subscribers had one of their channels hacked. AIR Media-Tech assisted in restoring everything by guiding the creator through all necessary procedures. And, despite the challenges, we successfully recovered the channel in just a few days.
How to Not Get Demonetized on YouTube?
To ensure you remain in good standing and maintain your monetization, here are some golden rules for you:
- Follow YouTube's ad rules strictly.
- Use royalty-free music and images.
- Avoid excessive profanity, hate speech, or derogatory language.
- Ensure your video thumbnails are relevant and appropriate.
- Engage positively with your audience; avoid harassment or bullying.
- Use YouTube's tools to check for potential issues before publishing.
- Disclose sponsorships and follow YouTube's guidelines for sponsored content.
- Moderate and review comments to filter out inappropriate ones.
- Create unique content; avoid reposting or using large chunks from other sources.
To ensure your safety in case anything happens to your channel, consider diversifying your revenue streams through Cross-Platform Content Distribution. It can secure your work and provide an alternative income source.
How to Get Monetization Back on YouTube
While all the rules can guide you to avoid demonetization, sometimes things can go sideways. If you ever find yourself in a bind, let's learn how to reclaim your revenue stream:
- Pinpoint the reasons leading to your video or channel's demonetization.
- Figure out the appropriate measures to counter these issues.
- Engage with the YouTube Team via the email you got concerning the demonetization, soliciting a review.
This process might take a while, but if you're looking for quicker results, consider teaming up with specialized services to regain your monetization. If for some reason you can’t or do not want to monetize your content in the standard way, you can always tap into alternative monetization options on YouTube.
Understanding YouTube's monetization rules might be tough, but it's essential for those wanting to earn from their channels. If you face any troubles with monetization or want to boost your YouTube earnings, just drop us a line and we'll provide all the services to help you!
Channel
