I started my first YouTube channel on November 25, 2023.

The following day, on November 26, 2023, I uploaded my first video to YouTube.

I've created 17 videos including 16 long-form videos and 1 short video. With that, I met the requirements to apply for the YouTube partner program.

Requirements For YouTube Monetization

In order to be eligible for YouTube monetization, you must meet the following requirements.

First, you should have at least 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, and,

✅ Option 1 ➡ 4,000 watch hours in the past 365 days or,

✅ Option 2 ➡ 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days

Getting the first 1,000 subscribers on YouTube isn't too difficult if you create quality content and provide value to your viewers.

I focused on the first option to get my channel monetized. It took me 7 months to reach 4,000 watch hours, and at that time, I had 1950 subscribers.

Apply For the YouTube Partner Program

I was thrilled and proud of my achievement because, as an ordinary person, getting the opportunity to monetize my first YouTube channel felt like a big challenge.

After that, I applied for the YouTube partner program and then waited for their response.

During that time, I was so excited and I kept counting the days until I could monetize my channel.

After 7 days, I received a reply from YouTube.

I was shocked and disappointed because they rejected my monetization application!

Violations of the YouTube Monetization Policies

I was confused by their decision because I know I create original and authentic content.

They rejected my application, because of violations of the YouTube monetization policies.

However, they didn't provide me with any specific reason for the rejection.

So, I had to go back and read all of the YouTube monetization policies.

It was a lengthy read with several pages and took me several hours to complete and understand.

After going through their policies, I realized that I had used similar titles and tags on many of my videos to improve SEO and boost their rankings.

But I know that my content is different from video to video and it's not repetitive or duplicative.

I also mention this in my thumbnails and my viewers know what's in my content.

But YouTube can not understand and read my thumbnails because they're in Sinhala language.

So, YouTube understands it as I'm uploading repetitive and duplicative content just to get views.

After that, I clearly understood why YouTube rejected my monetization application.

Reapply for the YouTube Monetization

Now it's time to reapply! ⏰

There were two options to reapply.

One option is to make an appeal video and send it to YouTube and the other one is to reapply after editing and deleting videos.

I made some changes by editing my videos. I updated the thumbnails, titles, descriptions, and tags for all of my videos.

On August 21, 2024, I reapplied for the YouTube partner program.

Five days after reapplying, YouTube sent me feedback, and here it is!

This is how I turned my YouTube horror story into a success story! 😇

It's simple and easy. I only followed these four steps.

1. Keep patient
2. Take time to understand the mistakes
3. Learn from the mistakes
4. Make the corrections

I believe that anyone can succeed on YouTube by creating original, high-quality content with good effort and dedication.

Don't let rejections bring you down!

Use them as stepping stones to build an even greater success in your life!

Thank You for Reading! 💕

• Please feel free to share your feedback.
• Stay connected for more insightful content.