How to Fix Monetization Option Not Showing on YouTube: A Comprehensive Guide

Have you hit the watch time and subscriber requirements for YouTube monetization, only to find the dollar sign missing when you try to enable it? Don‘t panic – you‘re not alone. Many creators have been frustrated to see the monetization options disappear, even when eligible.

In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through why this happens and exactly how to get your YouTube channel monetized when the options aren‘t showing up. As an experienced YouTube creator myself, I know how confusing and concerning this issue can be. But there are solutions!

By the end of this guide, you‘ll understand:

The eligibility requirements to monetize on YouTube
All the potential reasons the monetization tab can disappear
Steps to troubleshoot and fix the monetization not showing
How to prevent monetization problems in the future

Let‘s dig in!

YouTube Monetization Eligibility Requirements

Before trying to fix the monetization display issues, you first need to make sure your channel actually meets the eligibility requirements set by YouTube:

1,000 subscribers – You need at least 1,000 subscribers to your YouTube channel. This used to only be 100 subscribers, but YouTube increased it in 2018.
4,000 watch hours – Your channel needs at least 4,000 hours of watch time in the last 12 months. This is equivalent to 240,000 minutes.
AdSense account – You must connect an active Google AdSense account to display ads and get paid.
No copyright or community strikes – If your channel has any active strikes for copyright infringement or community guideline violations, you cannot monetize.

You can check if you meet these thresholds by going to YouTube Studio Analytics and looking at your lifetime subscriber and watch time metrics. Once you pass them, you should be eligible to monetize and see the options.

Why You Might Not See the Monetization Options When Eligible

Frustratingly, sometimes even after hitting the thresholds, the dollar sign and monetization options still don‘t show up in YouTube Studio. Here are the main reasons this can happen:

Copyright or Community Strikes

As mentioned above, any active copyright or community guideline strikes on your channel will disable monetization. You should receive an email from YouTube if you get a strike, explaining the reason. Here are some things that lead to strikes:

Uploading content you didn‘t create and don‘t have commercial rights to
Violating YouTube‘s policies on nudity, hate speech, spam, scams, etc.

Strikes expire after 90 days, so you just need to resolve the underlying issue and wait for the strike to be removed to regain monetization.

Restricted Mode Enabled

If you have Restricted Mode enabled on your videos, it hides certain content from younger viewers and disables ads. Check your video settings and turn this off to restore monetization.

Videos Too Short

All monetized videos must be at least one minute long. If you have a channel with lots of YouTube Shorts or videos under 60 seconds, that could explain missing monetization. Focus on creating longer-form content.

Limited Ads Based on Content

Even if your channel is monetized, certain types of content like education or controversies get limited ads. So you may not see much revenue. YouTube has full discretion over how much ads to show on videos.

Recent Channel Ownership Change

If the owner of the channel changed, such as you purchasing an existing channel, monetization may be temporarily disabled during the transition process.

YouTube Partner Program Bug

One of the most common reasons creators lose monetization is actually due to a YouTube Partner Program bug. In October 2022, hundreds of creators reported losing the ability to see the monetization tab. YouTube confirmed they are investigating the issue.

Steps to Troubleshoot and Restore Missing YouTube Monetization

Now that you know all the potential reasons your monetization may not be showing up properly, here are concrete steps you can take to troubleshoot and fix it:

1. Check Your Channel for Any Strikes

Go to your YouTube Studio, then Status and Features. See if you have any active community or copyright strikes listed. If so, these must be resolved before you can monetize.

For copyright claims, remove any unauthorized content. Dispute claims if you believe they are invalid.
For community strikes, remove any content violating policies. Appeal if you think the strike was a mistake.
You can also try reaching out to whoever claimed your video directly to request the strike be retracted.
Once removed, strikes take 90 days to fully expire.

2. Confirm Watch Time and Subscribers

Double check that you have over 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last year. Look under Analytics > Lifetime metrics. If not yet at the thresholds, you simply have to wait until you reach them. Patience and consistency pays off!

3. Try Different Devices and Browsers

Sometimes the monetization issues are simply a display glitch. Try accessing YouTube Studio from different devices and browsers to see if the options restore. Completely power off and restart your device before trying again.

4. Wait for YouTube to Fix Partner Program Bug

If you confirmed your channel meets the eligibility requirements and this is a new issue, it is likely the known YouTube Partner Program bug affecting monetization status visibility.

YouTube product managers have confirmed they are investigating the problem. On November 1st, Team YouTube tweeted that they believe they have identified the issue and are testing a fix.

The best thing you can do is wait patiently for YouTube to patch the bug on their end and release an app update. This should resolve the missing monetization for impacted creators. There is no action needed on your part, as this is an internal issue at YouTube.

5. Reach Out to YouTube Partner Support

If you‘ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and are still unable to monetize your eligible channel, reach out to the YouTube Partner Support team directly:

In YouTube Studio, click Help > Contact Us
Pick the option for "My issue is about…" and select "Monetization"
Choose the specific monetization issue you are having.
Include your channel details and explain clearly the issue you are facing.

The YouTube support team can investigate further and manually enable monetization on your channel if needed. Don‘t hesitate to contact them! They are there to help you.

Be Patient! Monetization Reviews Take Time

Once you resolve any underlying issues and re-request monetization review, please be patient. It can take YouTube a few days or weeks to manually review and approve monetization, even if your channel meets the criteria.

Follow up with the support team after 10 business days if your monetization is still not enabled. The review process depends on how busy YouTube staff are. Have hope, keep creating great content, and eventually ads will be activated!

How to Avoid Monetization Problems in the Future

Here are some tips to ensure your channel stays fully monetized once you have it enabled:

Review Content Carefully Before Posting – Never upload content without watching it completely first to confirm it complies with YouTube‘s guidelines.
Only Use Royalty-Free Music – Whether it‘s free to use or you purchased a license, only use music you have commercial rights for.
Credit Sources – Always give verbal and visual credit for any images, video clips, or facts you incorporated from copyrighted sources.
Stay on Top of Your Channel‘s Status – Check your Community tab notifications and emails from YouTube regularly for any potential issues to address quickly.
Turn Off Restricted Mode – Ensure your videos have Restricted Mode disabled so ads can be shown and revenue earned.
Appeal Unfair Strikes – Don‘t be afraid to appeal any erroneous copyright strikes or community guideline flags. Provide counter-evidence proving you complied with the rules.

The Key to YouTube Success: Patience and Persistence!

As you can see, issues with the YouTube monetization options not showing properly can be frustrating and concerning. But with the right troubleshooting approach and a lot of patience, you can get your channel successfully monetized.

Stick with the YouTube Partner Program and continue creating awesome content your audience loves. The more subscribers and viewers you attract, the higher your earning potential. With consistency and perseverance, you‘ll hit your monetization goals before you know it!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help other creators maximize their YouTube success.