YouTube opens shopping tools
YouTube lowered its shopping affiliate threshold to 500 subscribers across 12 markets, making commerce tools available to earlier‑stage creators. (thekeyword.co) The change comes as platforms lean into creator monetization while Twitch tightens TwitchCon security and safety rules — a sign platforms are investing in both commerce and event trust. (gamerant.com)
YouTube published the update to creators and industry outlets on March 25, 2026 as part of an expansion of its shopping and Partner Program eligibility. (tech.yahoo.com) The shopping tools and affiliate features are available to eligible creators based in the United States, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, Singapore, Brazil, Taiwan and Japan. (support.google.com) To join the expanded Partner Program (and become eligible for Shopping tools) channels must meet new entry rules: reach 500 subscribers, publish at least three public uploads in the prior 90 days, and hit either 3,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days. (support.google.com) YouTube says eligible creators can tag products across Shorts, on-demand uploads and live streams, and will find partner listings, commission details, promo codes and sample-request options inside a new Affiliate Hub in YouTube Studio. (blog.youtube) YouTube’s creator-facing documentation cites platform tests showing product tags plus timestamps and description links drove 43% more clicks on products in US videos during an internal experiment (January 2025). (youtube.com) Separately, Twitch published a March 25, 2026 event update that introduces a dedicated IRL streaming policy, permission-based “no-camera” lanyards, a reservation-only meet-and-greet system and commitments to increase on-site security staffing for TwitchCon. (blog.twitch.tv)
