YouTube's Link Changes: What It Means For Creators
YouTube
Following the launch of new creator tools for Shorts, YouTube has announced several link updates. Let's explore the updates, their implications, and how creators and their brand partners can adapt.
Certain Links Will No Longer Work
As of August 10th, the clickable social media icons on desktop channel banners have been removed. From August 31st onwards, links in Shorts comments, descriptions, and the vertical Live feed will also become non-clickable. The rationale behind these changes is to curb misuse, such as links leading to malware, phishing, or scams.
New Ways for Creators to Link
While some linking capabilities are diminishing, YouTube is introducing alternative ways for creators to share links safely.
Prominent Clickable Links on Channel Pages
Starting August 23rd, creators can add prominent clickable links in a new section on Channel Pages near the Subscribe button. They can add up to 14 links, including websites, social media accounts, newsletters, merchandise sites, courses, and more, provided they adhere to YouTube's Community Guidelines.
Connecting Shorts to Other YouTube Content
By the end of September, YouTube will enable creators to link their Shorts to other YouTube content, such as long-form videos and live streams. Creators can add a link to both new and existing Shorts through YouTube Studio. This link will appear in the Shorts description with a play button and, when clicked, will redirect viewers to the linked video.
What Creators Lose, What Creators Gain
A Preferred Method for Sharing Links Is Now Gone
YouTube’s decision to remove these linking capabilities has caused some disappointment in the creator community. Creators rely heavily on links in comments and descriptions to direct viewers to branded content links, affiliate links, and other income-generating destinations.
Broader Linking Opportunities
On the flip side, YouTube's move to counteract the issue of harmful links will benefit both creators and audiences. Channel Links provide a broader linking opportunity than the previous method as well. This adjustment aligns YouTube more with Instagram and TikTok, where “link in bio” setups are standard.
A Seamless Bridge Between Shorts and Long-Form
By allowing creators to link their Shorts to other YouTube content, YouTube is enabling them to fully utilize the discovery benefits of Shorts and seamlessly drive viewers to their longer-form videos, as well as to other Shorts. This empowers creators to use Shorts both as an appetizer and a companion to their other videos.
Here are some specific ways creators can use it:
Podcasters can link a key segment of their podcast to its full-length episode.
Influencers can tie together sponsored Shorts with an accompanying sponsored long-form video.
Travel bloggers can connect a condensed version of their vlog to the entire vlog.
Fashion creators can link several 'Get Ready With Me' videos together to form an episodic series.
It Could Be More Than Safety
Restricting links in Shorts might not be just a safety measure. It could be a strategy to keep people on YouTube through ongoing Shorts consumption and related long-form content by limiting the opportunities for viewers to be directed elsewhere. Given the new linking challenges, these changes might also be YouTube's way of encouraging creators to use its Affiliate Shopping program rather than third-party platforms.
How Creators Can Adapt and Navigate Changes
For creators, especially those focusing on Shorts, adaptation will be key. One strategy is to relocate links typically shared in comments and descriptions to Channel Links, complemented by a strong call-to-action in videos and captions. Just like on Instagram and TikTok, creators will have to guide viewers to check the link in their bio.
Another shift is Shorts creators leaning more into long-form videos since links remain clickable in those comments and descriptions. The ability to directly connect Shorts and other YouTube content provides an added incentive for creators to produce accompanying long-form videos for their Shorts too.
Link-Sharing Is Evolving Across Platforms
Changes in link-sharing features on social media platforms have become more frequent in recent times. While some alterations, like Instagram’s Multiple Links or LinkedIn's URL on Profile, have benefited creators, others have made it more difficult. For example, LinkedIn recently did away with Clickable Links, and TikTok imposed restrictions on linking to app stores for certain users. Recent reports even suggest that X is throttling traffic to specific links. Overall, these highlight the need for creators and marketers to stay agile and be creative in the way they drive their audiences to desired destinations.
