iWorld
YouTube adds Amazon to Shopping affiliate programme for US creators
Eligible creators can tag Amazon products in videos and earn commissions on qualifying sales
MUMBAI: The shopping cart is rolling straight into the content feed. YouTube has added Amazon to its Shopping affiliate programme, giving eligible creators in the US a new way to turn product recommendations into commissions across Shorts, long-form videos and livestreams.
Under the integration announced on Thursday, creators can select eligible Amazon products through YouTube Studio’s product picker and attach them directly to their content. Amazon will provide a curated selection of requested and trending products, while creators can also ask YouTube Support to make specific products available for tagging.
The system also comes with an automatic tagging option. When enabled, YouTube can scan recent uploads to identify eligible Amazon products and apply tags, while future content can also be tagged automatically.
For creators, the move adds another revenue route beyond conventional affiliate links buried in video descriptions. YouTube Studio will provide aggregate data on clicks, sales and estimated revenue, although creators will not get a product-by-product or video-by-video breakdown of purchases.
Amazon commissions will be paid through creators’ existing AdSense arrangements. Commissions are locked on a monthly cycle and paid through the applicable AdSense payment cycle. Returned products can reduce commission balances and may temporarily push reported revenue into negative territory.
The programme is currently limited to eligible US creators, who must be part of the YouTube Partner Programme and the US YouTube Shopping affiliate programme. They must also hold an active Amazon Influencer Programme or Amazon Associates Programme account and link their YouTube channel to the relevant account.
Interestingly, the audience does not have to be entirely American. Viewers outside the US may also see the product tags, with YouTube’s Shopping system able to match tagged products with trusted local merchant offers where available. If a local match cannot be found, viewers may instead be directed to an Amazon storefront.
The addition of Amazon brings one of the world’s biggest online marketplaces into YouTube’s existing Shopping affiliate ecosystem, tightening the link between creator recommendations, product discovery and purchases across multiple content formats.
