YouTube Expands Self-Certification Yellow Timestamps Feature, Offering Creators Insight into Advertiser Guideline Violations

YouTube / Self-Certification Timestamp

YouTube will be rolling out its Self-Certification Timestamp feature to more creators. This feature allows creators to self-rate their videos against YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines when uploaded via desktop. They can then appeal any yellow icons they receive for Limited or No Ads and have human experts indicate the specific violations and their corresponding timestamps in the video.

Why It Matters: The inability for creators to remove segments where violations occur and resubmit for review is a current limitation. However, having more detailed information about violations can empower creators to ensure their future videos meet YouTube’s advertising guidelines, thereby enabling them to earn money via ads.

Increased transparency regarding policy violations has become a focal point for many platforms recently. Instagram and TikTok have also endeavored to provide creators with more insight into why their content might be ineligible for recommendations or monetization.