Hajra Naz
A new update to YouTube’s Advertiser Friendly Guidelines means videos that drop strong language in the first few seconds can now keep full monetization. Until now, those clips would get slapped with the dreaded yellow dollar sign, cutting ad revenue.
Back in 2022, YouTube cracked down on profanity, violence, and other “brand unfriendly” content. Gaming channels got hit hard since the games they stream often feature violence, and many creators felt boxed in by the profanity rules, which flagged any bad language in the opening seconds.
In 2023, YouTube eased up a bit, allowing videos to keep ads if strong profanity occurred after the first seven seconds. Still, many creators continued to lose revenue due to a single early mistake.
YouTube’s basic monetization levels are:
Now, YouTube says videos can include strong language right from the start—without losing monetization. Connor Kavanagh, who heads monetization policy, put it like this: Videos with strong profanity in the first seven seconds “will now be eligible to earn full ad revenue.”
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The thinking behind the rule was simple: advertisers didn’t want their ads to roll right before someone cursed. But brands now have more tools to choose how much profanity they’re okay with, so YouTube feels comfortable relaxing the rule.
A few limits remain. Using strong language over and over, or putting it in titles and thumbnails, can still get your video restricted. So can mixing profanity with other rule-breaking content.
Still, it’s a big shift—and for creators who’ve seen videos demonetized over a single word, it should make a real difference.
YouTube posted the full update in its Advertiser-Friendly Guidelines if you want all the details.
