Checklist before uploading a gaming video

Ten minutes of review before you hit publish can prevent the usual ad-revenue surprises. This checklist is ordered by how often each item causes trouble for gameplay channels. It reduces risk; it cannot promise any outcome, because YouTube's systems and reviewers decide. Sources are YouTube's help pages, linked below.

A. The opening (first 15 seconds)

• Is there graphic violence, meaning brutal killings or severe injuries focusing on bodily fluids or body parts, in the first seven seconds? YouTube's guidelines place that in the no ad earnings tier.
• Is there any between seconds 8 and 15? The gaming page lists limited ads for it.
• If yes: move it later, cut away, or blur it. See the seven seconds rule and how to blur gore.
• Does the cold open or intro count? The guidelines say "first seven seconds of the video" without more detail, so assume the count starts at the beginning of the finished video.

B. The thumbnail

• Custom thumbnail uploaded, not an auto-picked frame.
• No graphic injuries or gore visible, including at small size.
• No strong profanity in the image text.

More: thumbnails and ad suitability.

C. The title and description

• Describes the video rather than selling gore.
• No strong profanity in the title. The guidelines treat profanity in titles and thumbnails more strictly than in the video.

D. Music and audio

• Listen to the entire video once with headphones. Are there songs, including quiet ones, vocals, or radio in the background?
• Was game music or radio turned off or kept on a separate track?
• Is any music you added licensed for monetized YouTube use? Keep the licence details.
• Is your microphone picking up music from speakers or a stream?

Why it matters: with a Content ID claim the claimant can monetize, block or track the video, per YouTube's Content ID page. More: music in game clips and Content ID claims.

E. Language and sensitive topics

• Heavy profanity at the start or throughout most of the video can matter. There is no seconds number for it.
• Anything excluded even in games: sexual violence, graphic torture, hate-motivated violence, graphic violence against minors or real, named people.
• Is the video mostly a compilation of brutal kills? A focus on gratuitous violence is treated more strictly than ordinary play.

F. The game publisher

• Does the publisher have a public policy on fan videos? Read it. It is separate from YouTube's ad rules.
• Are you showing leaked or pre-release material, or a big story spoiler? Those are commonly restricted.

G. After you publish

• Open YouTube Studio and check the video's monetization status and any copyright claim details.
• Read any notices fully. A copyright claim and an ad suitability label are different things, with different fixes.
• If you re-edit, upload the new version or use Studio's tools if offered for the claim.
• If a decision looks like a mistake, check whether Studio offers a review request for it (YouTube limits this to eligible videos). It can confirm as well as reverse a decision.

Printable version

1. First 15 seconds: no graphic gore, or blurred.
2. Thumbnail: custom, no injuries.
3. Title: descriptive, no strong profanity.
4. Audio: no unlicensed songs, radio off or muted.
5. Topics: nothing in the excluded categories.
6. Publisher policy: read and followed.
7. Studio: status and copyright checked after upload.

Automating the first two steps

Clip Preflight checks A and part of D for you. It scans the first 15 seconds for frames that look graphically violent and marks time ranges that sound like music, with timestamps you can fix in your editor. It cannot check thumbnails, titles or copyright ownership, and it can make mistakes.

Run the free check on your clip

Runs in your browser; your footage is never uploaded. Pro (one-click fixes) is coming soon.