What is a policy?
A policy is a set of rules that specify how a content owner wants YouTube to handle a claimed video.
When you claim a video, you assert ownership over the (audio, visual, or audiovisual) content of the video. As an owner, you choose whether users can view the video and whether YouTube displays advertisements with the video. You say how you want YouTube to handle the video by associating a policy with it.
You can handle a claimed video in one of three ways:
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Monetize: Allow users to view the video and display advertisements with it
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Track: Allow users to view the video without advertisements; collect statistics about video views
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Block: Disable users from viewing the video on YouTube
A policy consists of one or more if-then rules that collectively determine which of the three actions to take. For example, a policy that monetizes the video for viewers in the United States and Canada and blocks it for the rest of the world consists of two if-then rules:
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| (1) If the user’s location is the United States or Canada | Monetize the video |
| (2) If the user’s location is elsewhere | Block the content |
The user’s location is the most common condition for a policy rule, although other conditions are available for policies used with YouTube’s Content ID system; see Usage policies and match policies for details.
YouTube recommends creating policies that apply everywhere (worldwide). You should include territory rules in a policy only when you need to treat viewers differently within the territories where you own rights.
YouTube provides three predefined policies: Monetize in all countries, Track in all countries, and Block in all countries. You can create custom policies for more granular control over your content; see Create custom policies for details.
YouTube associates a policy with a video whenever someone claims the video. When a video has multiple valid claims and therefore multiple valid policies associated with it, YouTube applies whichever policy results in the most restrictive action. If one policy says to monetize the video and another says to block it, YouTube blocks the video. See Which policy applies? for more details about how YouTube determines which policy to apply to a given video.