YouTube News

YouTube said 1.3 million creators joined its Shopping affiliate program

Made On YouTube brought affiliate tagging to 35 countries and brand-deal workflow changes inside YouTube Studio.

By The Creator Wire Staff Published Sept. 23, 2026

YouTube said more than 1.3 million creators now earn through its Shopping affiliate program by tagging products on long-form videos, livestreams, and Shorts. The figure landed in a September 23 announcement at Made On YouTube.

YouTube said gross merchandise volume tied to those tags grew 13 times over the last two years. A recent in-house study found on-video shopping tags generated more than twice as many clicks as product links in descriptions, including on Shorts and living-room viewing.

Affiliate tagging is set to reach 35 countries by the end of 2026. U.S. creators can tag Amazon products today; YouTube said India and Brazil will gain the same option in the coming weeks, with additional markets before year end. Cross-border viewers will see localized purchase links while creators collect commission on qualifying sales.

New affiliate campaigns let retailers and brands pay bonuses or higher rates when creators feature chosen products. YouTube also opened Creator Partnerships brand tools in 20 countries, with one-click codes so partners can read performance data and put paid media behind sponsored uploads.

Studio will soon use Ask Studio to draft responses to brand briefs and tune media kits. YouTube is testing dynamic sponsored segments that can run across up to 20 long-form videos at once with regional targeting. YouTube said it will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on incentives for agency partners brokering high-impact creator collaborations.

Source: YouTube