YouTube updates its Ad-Friendly Guidelines for Inappropriate Language

The Platform updates highlight the guide to using profanity in user videos and how their ad revenue will be impacted through it.

After hearing concerns from creators that its profanity policy resulted in a stricter approach than intended, YouTube has updated its advertiser friendly guidelines.

The platform last updated its guidelines in November and aimed to improve the clarity and enforcement of its advertiser-friendly content guidelines and make it easier for creators to monetize brand safe content. 

The new changes taking effect on March 7 are as follows:

• Usage of moderate profanity at any time in the video is now eligible for green icons. 
• Usage of stronger profanity, like the f-word in the first seven seconds or repeatedly throughout the majority of the video can now receive limited ads. The previous update said it would receive no ad revenue. 
• Video content using profanity, moderate or strong, after the first seven seconds will now be eligible for green icons, unless used repetitively throughout the majority of the video.
• YouTube has clarified its guideline on how profanity in music is treated; moderate or strong profanity used in background music, backing tracks, intro/outro music can now earn full ad revenue. Previously, this wouldn’t receive any ad revenue.
• Use of any profanity (moderate or stronger profanity) in titles and thumbnails will still be demonetized and cannot run ads.

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Other than this, the platform plans to re-review the videos that received a yellow icon as a result of the November update by March 10th and, if they get a green icon, the new monetization status will be reflected in Studio. 

Some videos may remain demonetized if they still violate other Advertiser-friendly content guidelines. Users can refer to their rating status page in Studio to check which guidelines may impact their videos.