Sharing brand partner access to your video

Brands can request brand partner access to long-form and Shorts videos you post as part of a brand deal. Brand partner access allows brands and any third-party entities on behalf of the brand (e.g., influencer marketing agencies) to:

  • View the video’s organic and paid performance metrics in Google Ads.
  • Promote your video as part of a partnership ads campaign.

As a reminder, brands can still target ads to viewers of your YouTube video, as permitted through Google Ads platforms.

Eligibility

  • Creator-initiated brand partner access:
    • YPP creators only: Can either Select an existing reported brand deal OR Search for a brand (to create a new association)
    • All creators: Can only Select an existing reported brand deal
  • Brand-initiated brand partner access request(s): All creators can receive brand partner access requests from brands

Get started with sharing brand partner access to your video

  • Creator-initiated brand partner access: During video upload or edit (after-upload), creators can initiate brand partner access with the brand’s YouTube channel. Once brand partner access is shared, a "Paid promotion" label will be added to your content. Under the "Paid promotions & brands" section, creators have two options:
    • Select an existing reported brand deal: If a brand deal has already been reported by a brand or agency on behalf of a brand, creators can select the relevant brand campaign associated with the video.
    • Search for a brand: If the relevant brand campaign is not already listed, creators can search for and select a brand.
  • Brand-initiated brand partner access request(s): After a video is uploaded, brands or agencies on behalf of brands can send direct requests to creators for brand partner access to their video(s). Creators will receive these requests via email notification or push and inbox notifications on YouTube Studio.

Creator-initiated brand partner access request

As a creator, you can link your videos to a brand during video upload or edit. You can initiate a video link request with a brand by 1) selecting a reported brand deal (any creator) or 2) searching for a brand (only YPP creators).

During both upload and edit, if a brand has reported a campaign you are partnering with them on, you can select that campaign. Otherwise, you'll need to manually search for the brand.

Select from a reported campaign or search for a brand (during upload)

  1. Open the YouTube Studio app or YouTube mobile app .
  2. Tap Create and then.
  3. Start creating your video. Learn more on how to upload a video or create a Short.
  4. Once you get to the "Add details" page, tap Paid promotion & brands and then.
  5. Under "Paid promotion," select Yes.
  6. Under the "Brands" section, select a campaign or search for a brand to link the video:
    • If the brand has reported the campaign you are participating in: Tap Select brand sponsorship. Then, choose from one of the existing campaigns that have been reported and tap Select.
      • Note: If you’re unsure of which campaign code to choose from, please contact the brand for confirmation.
    • If there are no relevant reported campaigns to your video: Search for the brand you want to associate the video with instead, and then tap Select.
  7. Agree to the statement in the pop-up to save.
Note: Upon agreeing, viewer demographics, watch time, retention, engagement, and performance data will be shared with the brand. Learn how to manage video linking.
  1. Return to the "Add details" page, fill in other details and then upload the video, which sends the link request to the brand.

Select from a reported campaign or search for a brand (after upload)

  1. Open the YouTube Studio app or YouTube mobile app .
  2. Select the video you want and edit the setting. Learn how to edit video settings.
  3. Once you get to the "Edit video" or "Edit details" page, tap More options and then Paid promotion & brands .
  4. Under "Paid promotion," select Yes.
  5. Under the "Brands" section, select a campaign or search for a brand to link the video:
    • If the brand has reported the campaign you are participating in: Tap Select brand sponsorship. Then, choose from one of the existing campaigns that have been reported and tap Select.
      • Note: If you’re unsure of which campaign code to choose from, please contact the brand for confirmation.
    • If there are no relevant reported campaigns to your video: Search for the brand you want to associate the video with instead, and then tap Select.
  6. Agree to the statement in the pop-up to save.
  7. Save the video to ensure changes are saved.
Note: Upon agreeing, viewer demographics, watch time, retention, engagement, and performance data will be shared with the brand. Learn how to manage video linking.

Brand-initiated brand partner access request(s)

After you upload a video, a brand can send a request for brand partner access. We will notify you of this request via email and notifications in YouTube Studio Desktop and the YouTube Studio Mobile App asking you to review and accept the request.

Accept a single video request from a brand

You will be taken directly to the "Share access with brand" screen where you can accept or decline the request from one of the following notifications by completing one of the following actions:

  • Email: Select the CTA in your email
  • YouTube Studio Push Notification (Mobile App only): Tap to accept
  • YouTube Studio Inbox Notification (Desktop & Mobile App): Tap on the inbox notification

Turn on automatic acceptance of all pending and future brand partner requests

To help save you time, there is an option to automatically accept all pending and future requests from one Google Ads account. This feature is currently only available on the YouTube Studio Mobile app to creators who receive multiple requests from the same Google ad account.

How to remove brand partner access to your video

You can remove creator-initiated or brand-initiated brand partner access to your video at any time. By doing so, you will remove consent to share non-public video metrics with the brand and remove consent for the brands to promote their video in Partnership Ads. The video may still be promoted in other ad contexts.

Additionally, you can also turn off automatic acceptance of all pending and future requests from a brand through the YouTube Studio Mobile app .

Remove a brand’s brand partner access from your video

  1. Open the YouTube mobile app or YouTube Studio app .
  2. Find the video with brand partner access.
  3. On the video, select the Menu and then Edit .
  4. On the "Edit video" or "Edit details" page, tap Paid promotion & brands .
  5. Under the "Brands" section, tap Remove on the video you want to remove access from.
  6. Tap Remove again to confirm.
  7. Exit the "Paid promotion & brands" screen and "More options" screen, and then select Save on the "Edit video" page to confirm.

Turn off automatic acceptance of pending and future brand partner access requests

  1. Open the YouTube Studio app .
  2. Navigate to Settings.
  3. Under "Earn," tap Brand partner access.
  4. Next to the brand you want to remove, tap Remove and then Remove.

Understand the video-level insights shared

In addition to basic public video metadata that is already available to brands and third party entities (e.g., video format, duration, publishing date, likes, comments), by sharing your video with a brand or accepting a brand partner access request, you are consenting to the sharing of public and non-public video-level performance metrics. The non-public video-level performance metrics are listed below. Creators can view these insights within YouTube Analytics.

Non-public video-level performance metrics shared with brands:

Basic Video Information Video visibility (Private, Public, Unlisted)
Video Performance Total adds to playlist*
Total shares*
Views*
Engaged views*
Engagement Rate*
Reach
Total watch time*
Average view duration*
Average percentage viewed
Likes*
Dislikes
Comments*
Audience Demographics Audience Viewer Age
Audience Viewer Gender
Audience Viewer Country*
Audience Viewer Region*

Note: metrics marked with a * highlights which will be split by organic vs. paid traffic

Understand Partnership Ads

For creators, partnership ads can empower creators by allowing brands to feature their YouTube videos in ad campaigns across the Google Ads platform. Creators benefit from their organic videos being used in ad campaigns, potential for audience growth through data segments, and access to organic view metrics for shared videos. Highlighting creator-made videos in ad campaigns can significantly boost creator visibility and reach. Learn more about Partnership ads.

Frequently asked questions

How long do brand partner access requests last?

While brand partner access requests do not expire after a certain amount of time, the brand can revoke a pending brand partner access request. You can also remove a shared video association at any time. Removing a brand associated with your content will remove the brand’s ability to:
  • View the video’s organic and paid performance metrics in Google Ads.
  • Promote your video as part of a partnership ads campaign.

Additionally, if the requested video is deleted or marked as private, the brand partner access request will expire.

If a brand already uses my videos in their brand campaign, do I need to share brand partner access to my video with their Google Ads account?

We recommend sharing brand partner access to your video with the brand as it will allow the brand to:
  • View the video’s organic and paid performance metrics in Google Ads.
  • Promote your video as part of a partnership ads campaign.

As a reminder, brands can still target ads to viewers of your YouTube video, as permitted through Google Ads platforms.

How will I be notified of brand partner access requests from advertisers?

If you have at least one pending request, and you have opted in to receive push notifications, you will be notified for every video linking request you receive on YouTube Studio mobile app (up to two per day) and email (one per Google ad account). In addition, you will receive weekly recap notifications summarizing all pending requests on your channel if you have at least one pending request.

Will a brand using my content in a partnership ads campaign impact its organic performance?

Running a partnership ads campaign (or 'boosting') for your content will not harm its organic performance because the two are entirely separate processes.
  • Organic performance is driven by the platform's algorithm, based on factors like watch time and engagement. This determines your video's natural reach with viewers.
  • Paid performance is driven by a brand's budget and targeting settings. This brings your video to new, specific audiences.

Boosting simply introduces your content to a new audience; it does not prevent your existing fans from seeing the video or interfere with its potential for organic recommendations.

Will having my content boosted through a partnership ads campaign impact my channel's growth?

Content boosting is a net positive for your channel:
  • Attracts New, Relevant Viewers: Brands invest to place your content in front of audiences most likely to enjoy it. When these new viewers connect with your video, they are likely to subscribe and explore your channel—an action made easier by the prominent button included in the ad.
  • Boosts Overall Views & Engagement: Views from ad campaigns contribute to your video's total view count. This increased activity can send positive signals to the platform's algorithm, potentially improving the video's organic discovery.
  • Deepens Brand Relationships: Allowing a brand to boost your content demonstrates your value as a partner who creates effective material. This can lead to more opportunities and larger partnerships in the future.

In essence, content boosting is a strategic tool that leverages a brand's resources to expand your audience and accelerate channel growth.

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