Creator Rules Tracker 2026
The numbers creators keep looking up, in one place. Every row links to the official page it comes from. Last checked October 15, 2026.
YouTube
Partner Program (ad revenue)
1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Watch time from the Shorts feed doesn't count toward the 4,000 hours.
Shopping affiliate program
Open to creators in the YouTube Partner Program with at least 500 subscribers who meet the other guidelines. The US is an eligible country. Channels set to Made for Kids and music channels can't join.
Tagging Amazon products
Creators enrolled in the Shopping affiliate program in the US, Brazil or India can tag Amazon products. Earnings are paid through AdSense.
Shorts length
Square or vertical videos up to three minutes long, uploaded on or after October 15, 2024, count as Shorts.
Claimed Shorts over one minute
A Short over one minute with an active copyright claim of any type is blocked globally: not playable, not recommended and not monetized. No channel penalty, and it comes back once the claim is resolved.
Inauthentic content
The former "repetitious content" policy was renamed "inauthentic content" and clarified to include repetitive or mass-produced videos, which can't be monetized. Reused content like commentary and reactions is reviewed under a separate policy.
AI disclosure
Realistic AI-generated or meaningfully altered content must be disclosed with the "AI use" setting under Attributes in YouTube Studio. Minor edits and production help like scripts, titles, thumbnails, captions and idea generation don't need it. YouTube says disclosing won't limit a video's audience or its eligibility to earn.
Tags
Tags can help if your video's topic is commonly misspelled. Otherwise they play a minimal role in discovery.
TikTok
Creator Rewards Program (US)
18 or older (or the age of majority where you live), at least 10,000 authentic followers, at least 100,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days, and a personal account, not a business account. Only videos at least one minute long are eligible.
What Creator Rewards pays for
TikTok said rewards are based on originality, play duration, search value and audience engagement.
Commercial content disclosure
Turn on "Disclose commercial content" when posting. "Your brand" adds a Commercial content label and "Branded content" adds a Paid partnership label. Branded videos without disclosure can become ineligible for the For You feed, and posts can be removed or restricted.
Hashtags per caption
Five hashtags per caption on posts and Reels, rolling out gradually. Instagram announced it on its official @creators account on Threads. Some Help Center pages still show the older limit.
Reposted content
Accounts that mostly share content they didn't create, or didn't meaningfully change, aren't recommended to people who don't follow them. Instagram extended this from Reels to photos and carousels.
FTC (United States)
Free products and payments
Getting a product free, a discount code or a reimbursement is a material connection you need to disclose, the same as being paid.
Where to disclose on YouTube
A disclosure only in the video description isn't enough on its own. Put it in the video itself. For affiliate links, "paid link" right next to the link should be adequate, and the FTC suggests disclosing in both the video and the description near the links.
Paid reviews and fake followers
Businesses can't offer compensation or incentives conditioned on a review being positive or negative. Buying fake followers or views is banned when the buyer knew or should have known they were fake and uses them for a commercial purpose.
Health claims
Claims about the health benefits or safety of foods, dietary supplements and drugs need competent and reliable scientific evidence, including in social media and influencer marketing.
Taxes and money (United States)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Check with a tax professional for your situation.
Form 1099-NEC
Businesses report payments for services of $2,000 or more for payments made after December 31, 2025. The threshold was $600 before that.
Form 1099-K
Payment apps and online marketplaces must send a 1099-K when payments for goods or services total over $20,000 in more than 200 transactions. They may send one for less, and all income is reportable either way.
Quarterly estimated taxes
Individuals generally have to make estimated tax payments if they expect to owe $1,000 or more when they file.
Self-employment tax
Self-employed creators pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare at a rate of 15.3%.
Paid promotion of investments
The SEC requires disclosure when you're paid to promote a security. In 2022 Kim Kardashian agreed to pay $1.26 million after promoting a crypto token on Instagram without disclosing the $250,000 she was paid.
United Kingdom
Finfluencers
Influencers who promote a regulated financial product or service without approval from an FCA-authorised person may be committing a criminal offence.
Cite or share this page
Writers, teachers and creators are welcome to link to or quote this tracker. Please cite it as:
Cowral. "Creator Rules Tracker 2026." Updated October 15, 2026. https://www.cowral.com/creator-rules
Spotted a rule that changed? Email hello@cowral.com with the official source and we'll update the tracker. Read how we research and fact-check.