Setting up advanced settings and verifying your YouTube channel is an important step to enhance the functionality and credibility of your channel. Here’s a step-by-step guide to YouTube channel advanced settings and verification:
Advanced Channel Settings:
Step 1: Access YouTube Studio
- Log in to your YouTube account and click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Select “YouTube Studio” from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Navigate to Channel Settings
- In YouTube Studio, click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
Step 3: Advanced Settings
- Under “Channel,” click on “Advanced settings.”
Step 4: Adjust Advanced Settings
Here, you can configure various advanced settings for your YouTube channel:
- Channel Name: You can change your channel name, but be cautious as this can affect your channel’s branding.
- Description: Edit or update your channel description, providing more details about your content and what viewers can expect.
- Custom URL: If your channel meets the eligibility requirements (100 subscribers and a channel icon), you can set a custom URL for your channel here.
- Channel Keywords: Add relevant keywords that describe your channel’s content. These can help with search optimization.
- Google Analytics Property Tracking: If you use Google Analytics, you can link your channel to a Google Analytics property for more in-depth insights into your audience.
- Channel Recommendations: Choose whether you want YouTube to show your channel’s recommendations on other channels.
- Country for YouTube Partner Program: Select your country for tax purposes and participation in the YouTube Partner Program.
- Channel License: Indicate the license under which you want to offer your content (Standard YouTube License or Creative Commons).
- Category: Set the category that best describes your channel’s content.
- Video Language: Select the default language for your channel’s videos.
- Google Ads Personalization: Decide whether you want to allow ads personalization using user data for ads that appear on your channel.
- Unlink Channel from Google Ads: If your channel is linked to a Google Ads account, you can unlink it here.
- Subscribers Count: Choose whether to display the exact number of subscribers on your channel or round it to the nearest thousand.
- Made for Kids: Specify if your content is made for kids, which can affect ad targeting and data collection on your videos.
- Advanced Channel Settings: Click on this option to access even more advanced settings, such as community contributions and content ownership.
Channel Verification:
Channel verification adds a verification badge (a gray checkmark) next to your channel’s name, indicating that your channel is authentic. This can enhance your channel’s credibility and help viewers distinguish it from impersonators. To verify your channel, follow these steps:
Step 1: Access YouTube Studio
- Log in to your YouTube account and click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Select “YouTube Studio” from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Go to Channel Settings
- In YouTube Studio, click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
Step 3: Verify Channel
- Under “Channel,” click on “Channel verification.”
Step 4: Verify with a Phone Number
- Click “Verify” next to “Phone number.”
Step 5: Enter Your Phone Number
- Enter your phone number, including the country code, in the provided field.
Step 6: Receive Verification Code
- You’ll receive a verification code via text message on your phone.
Step 7: Enter the Verification Code
- Enter the verification code you received on your phone into the provided field on the YouTube verification page.
Step 8: Verify Your Channel
- Click “Submit” to verify your channel.
Once verified, the gray checkmark badge will appear next to your channel’s name, confirming its authenticity. Verified channels may have access to certain features, such as custom thumbnails and live streaming (if your channel is eligible).
Keep in mind that it may take some time for the verification badge to appear on your channel after the verification process is complete.