As an experienced YouTuber with over 100,000 subscribers, I often get questions from viewers about properly configuring their account settings. With so many options to manage, it can get confusing!
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll share insider tips on the most critical account settings areas that every serious YouTuber needs to know. Whether you‘re just getting started or looking to take your channel to the next level, optimizing these core configs will set you up for YouTube success.
Monetization Eligibility
Enabling monetization is key for earning revenue from your YouTube channel. To qualify for the YouTube Partner Program, you‘ll need:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months
- A linked AdSense account approved by Google
- Content that complies with all policy guidelines
You can easily check your eligibility and apply right from the Channel Status tab:
- Click Channel Status and Features
- Select Feature Eligibility
- Review qualifications and click Apply if eligible
It can take about a month to become fully approved, so get this process started ASAP!
Audience Targeting
You‘ll also want to carefully consider your audience age targeting settings based on your content type. This can be managed under Channel Status > Advanced Settings.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Set as made for kids | Designate channel as child directed (stricter ad rules) |
| Disable personalized ads | Prevent remarketing/interest-based ads |
| Disable embedding | Stops third parties hosting your content |
I recommend creators producing family content enable the "made for kids" designation. All others should leave personalized ads on for revenue.
Defaults for Uploads
The upload defaults allow you to set channel-wide permissions and configurations that apply to every new video.
Visibility
I typically make all my videos public to maximize reach, but you may want to upload unlisted or private videos in certain use cases:
- Unlisted: Share video links directly without appearing public on your channel
- Private: Video remains fully restricted and only visible to direct links
Licensing
Enabling creative commons licenses makes it easy for others to share your content with attribution. I use the CC-BY license to allow reuse. You can update this under Channel Status > Upload Defaults.
Comment Moderation
Managing comments at scale can be tricky. Under upload defaults, I recommend enabling:
- Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review
- Require manual approval for all new comments
This allows you to screen comments effectively before public visibility.
Assigning Channel and Video Permissions
When collaborating with others, you can grant different permission levels under Channel Status > Permissions:
- Channel managers: Full analytics, upload, edit and moderation abilities
- Video upload access only: Adds new video content
- Playlists/captions: Edit existing playlists or subtitles
Structure your permission levels carefully based on roles! Don‘t grant channel manager access unless required.
Community Management
Fostering a positive community starts with good moderation practices:
- Add trusted moderators to help screen comments and content
- Block specific words or spam phrases
- Require approval for new users‘ comments
- Hide potentially divisive comments from public
With the right community defaults applied, you can nurture a supportive, engaging audience built on trust.
Optimizing your YouTube account settings might seem complicated initially, but just focus on configuring these core areas:
- Monetization eligibility
- Audience targeting
- Upload defaults
- Permissions
- Community moderation
Fine tuning these to fit your specific channel goals will help set you up for long term success on the platform.
For even more pro tips, be sure to subscribe to my channel!
