YouTube Shorts are short vertical videos that can run up to 3 minutes. The catch for affiliate marketers is simple. YouTube says that, to reduce spam and scam attempts, URLs placed in Shorts comments and Shorts descriptions are non-clickable.
So you cannot paste a tracking link under a Short and expect people to tap it. Here are the routes YouTube does allow, plus the rules to follow along the way.
Where Links Can Work
Tubefilter reported in August 2023 that YouTube would stop making links in Shorts descriptions and comments clickable starting August 31.
YouTube's sharing page lists several clickable options. They are channel profile links, external brand deal links, the related video link in Shorts, and YouTube Shopping affiliate program links.
A related video sends viewers to another video on YouTube, so the clickable affiliate link has to sit inside that video or its description. Your channel profile can hold up to 14 links. A brand deal link is for sponsorships, not affiliate tags.
Tag Products With YouTube Shopping
The YouTube Shopping affiliate program is the built in way to put an affiliate link on a Short. YouTube says the channel must be in the YouTube Partner Program, meet a subscriber threshold, and be based in a supported country.
You can tag up to 60 products per video or Short. Tagged products show up as a Shopping product sticker. YouTube says each brand or retailer sets its own commission rate, and 100 percent of commissions from affiliate merchants currently go to creators. YouTube calls this rate temporary.
YouTube pays commissions through AdSense 60 to 120 days after the purchase, and a returned purchase reverses the commission.
Check Program Rules And Disclose
Your affiliate program has its own terms, and they can be stricter than YouTube's. Amazon lists YouTube as an accepted network. It asks for a public page, in most cases at least 500 organic followers, and at least three qualified sales within the first 180 days.
Disclosure matters too. The FTC says to put the disclosure in the video itself, not just the description, and to use both audio and visual since some viewers watch muted. It says a disclosure in a YouTube description alone is unlikely to be sufficient. For affiliate links, the FTC suggests this wording: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Stay Clear Of Spam And Learn How Shorts Earn
YouTube says affiliate content does not violate its Terms of Use, but excessively posting it from dedicated accounts may violate its spam policies. Its inauthentic content policy covers content that is repetitive or mass produced.
Ad revenue is a separate income source. Joining the Partner Program takes 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified watch hours or 10 million qualified Shorts views in 90 days. Creators keep 45 percent of their allocated Shorts revenue. YouTube says changes start on February 1, 2027.
Affiliate marketing on YouTube Shorts starts with one fact. URLs in Shorts descriptions and comments are not clickable. A related video, profile links, brand deal links, and YouTube Shopping tags are the legitimate routes.
Check your program first, build original and varied Shorts, tag only products that fit the guidelines, and disclose in the video itself. YouTube says program lists and thresholds change, so check YouTube Help first.
Visit blogsepaise.com/affiliate-marketing-on-youtube-shorts for the detailed information.
