The safety of our creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We rely on our community to help maintain a safe and trustworthy platform. Please review these Community Guidelines carefully, along with the full policy documentation.
YouTube does not allow spam, scams, or deceptive practices that exploit users or manipulate engagement. We also prohibit content designed primarily to redirect users off YouTube through misleading tactics.
If you find content that violates this policy, please report it using YouTube’s reporting tools. You can also report an entire channel if multiple violations are found.
What This Policy Means for You
Do Not Post Content That Includes:
- Spam, scams, or deceptive practices
- Misleading content intended to manipulate users
- Content designed to trick users into leaving YouTube
- Artificial or fake engagement activity
Prohibited Content Types
1. Video Spam
Not allowed:
- Excessive or repetitive uploads with little value
- Content that promises rewards but redirects users off YouTube
- Videos designed to drive traffic to harmful or deceptive websites
- Attempts to generate fast money through misleading claims
- Autogenerated or low-quality content created without human review
- Mass-uploaded affiliate or copied content without rights
- Content that promotes harmful downloads or privacy risks
2. Misleading Metadata or Thumbnails
Not allowed:
- Titles, thumbnails, or descriptions that misrepresent content
- Clickbait that promises content not actually shown
- Fake news-style framing without relevant content
- Celebrity images or trending topics used without relevance
- Misleading claims about events, analysis, or media that are not included in the video
3. Scams
Not allowed:
- “Get rich quick” schemes
- Fake investment or cash gifting programs
- Pyramid schemes
- False promises of guaranteed financial or health outcomes
- Claims like “earn $50,000 instantly”
4. Engagement Manipulation (Incentivization Spam)
Not allowed:
- “Subscribe for subscribe” (Sub4Sub) schemes
- Selling likes, views, or comments
- Artificial subscriber growth incentives
- Giveaways requiring engagement exchanges (e.g., “subscribe to win channel ownership”)
5. Comment Spam
Not allowed:
- Repeated or irrelevant promotional comments
- Links to phishing, scams, or harmful websites
- False claims about free content (movies, shows, etc.)
- Pyramid scheme invitations or referral spam
- Mass posting identical comments across videos
- Unrelated self-promotion (“check out my channel” spam)
6. Third-Party Content Abuse
Not allowed:
- Streaming TV shows without permission
- Re-streaming copyrighted music or albums using third-party tools
- Unauthorized redistribution of content during live streams
- Failure to remove or correct infringing third-party content after warnings
Important Notes
- Encouraging normal engagement (likes, comments, subscriptions) is allowed
- This list is not exhaustive—other deceptive behaviors may also violate the policy
- External links, URLs, and verbal redirects are also covered under this policy
Enforcement and Consequences
If content violates this policy, YouTube may:
- Remove content
- Issue a warning or strike
- Suspend monetization
- Terminate a channel or account
Warnings and Strikes System
- First violation may result in a warning (no penalty in some cases)
- Optional training may allow warnings to expire after 90 days
- Repeated violations within 90 days may lead to strikes
- 3 strikes within 90 days may result in channel termination
- Repeat offenders may lose access to policy training options
