// HOW-TO · MONETIZATION

How to add Amazon affiliate links to YouTube videos (2026)

YouTube added Amazon to its Shopping affiliate program in 2026. Here's how to enroll, link your Amazon account, and tag Amazon products in your videos.

Last verified · 2026-08-28 · by Moe Ameen

YouTube's Shopping affiliate program added Amazon on August 27, 2026, which means eligible US creators can now tag Amazon products directly in their videos and earn a commission when viewers buy. The tag shows up as a shoppable product on the video itself, and YouTube's own testing found that converts far better than a link buried in the description. Setting it up is a linking exercise across two programs; the earning is a content exercise, because you only make money on the products you actually feature in published videos.

This guide walks the whole setup — the eligibility check, enrolling in YouTube Shopping, connecting an Amazon Influencer or Associates account, and tagging products across Shorts, long-form, and livestreams — then the part most guides skip: how to keep enough shoppable video flowing that the tags have somewhere to live. For the wider strategic picture, see the guide on [YouTube's Amazon affiliate integration](/guides/youtube-amazon-affiliate-monetization-strategy).

The steps

  1. Check that you meet the eligibility bar. Amazon tagging sits on top of YouTube's Shopping affiliate program, so you qualify for that first. That means being in the YouTube Partner Program and meeting YouTube's Shopping affiliate eligibility for your region — check the current bar in YouTube Studio, since it is tied to channel size and standing. You also need an Amazon Influencer or Associates account in good standing. Confirm all three before you start; the Amazon tagging option won't appear otherwise.
  2. Turn on the YouTube Shopping affiliate program. In YouTube Studio, open the Earn tab and find the Shopping section, then accept the affiliate program terms to switch on product tagging for your channel. This is the layer that lets you attach shoppable products to your videos, and Amazon is one of the retailers available inside it as of August 2026.
  3. Set up your Amazon Influencer or Associates account. Sign up for the Amazon Influencer program, or use an existing Amazon Associates account. The Influencer program is Amazon's creator-focused affiliate track and is the usual fit for video creators. Get it approved and active before you try to link — a pending or closed Amazon account will block the connection.
  4. Link your Amazon account to your channel. In the Shopping settings, connect your Amazon account to your YouTube channel. This handshake is what routes commissions to you: without it, tags won't earn. Follow the on-screen linking flow and confirm the connection shows as active before you rely on it.
  5. Tag Amazon products in a video. When you upload or edit a video, open the products panel and add Amazon items from the curated catalog YouTube surfaces, tagging the specific products you actually feature. If something you reviewed isn't in the catalog, request it through YouTube Support. You can also enable auto-tagging, which lets YouTube identify and tag eligible Amazon products in your recent uploads for you.
  6. Cover Shorts, long-form, and livestreams. Tagging isn't limited to one format. Add product tags to Shorts, standard long-form videos, and livestreams, so a product can sell from a 30-second clip and a 20-minute deep-dive alike. Match the format to the buying intent — a quick Short for impulse items, a long review for considered purchases.
  7. Disclose the affiliate relationship. Affiliate earnings count as paid promotion under FTC guidance and Amazon's own terms, so disclose clearly. State in the video and description that you earn a commission from purchases, and use YouTube's paid-promotion disclosure where it applies. This isn't optional — Amazon can terminate associates who don't comply, and undisclosed promotion risks platform penalties.
  8. Double down on what actually sells. Watch which tagged products convert in your analytics, then make more content around the winners — a follow-up review, a comparison, a "best of" roundup. Affiliate income compounds when you feed proven products more video, not when you tag once and move on.

Common gotchas

  • The tag only earns on published video. No amount of setup pays if you aren't consistently putting out product-focused content for the tags to live in.
  • US-only for now. Creators outside the US can't tag Amazon products yet, even though viewers everywhere can see and buy tagged items.
  • A pending or closed Amazon account silently blocks linking. Get the Influencer or Associates account fully approved before you try to connect it.
  • Not every product is in the curated catalog. If an item you featured isn't taggable, request it through YouTube Support rather than assuming it can't be added.
  • Skipping disclosure risks your whole affiliate account. Amazon enforces its operating agreement, and undisclosed paid promotion breaches FTC guidance.
  • Commissions vary by category and can be low, so volume and product fit matter more than tagging one expensive item once.
Legal note

Affiliate promotion is regulated. US creators must clearly disclose that they earn commissions from tagged products under FTC endorsement guidelines, and Amazon's Associates/Influencer operating agreement requires its own disclosures and prohibits certain practices — violations can get your Amazon account terminated. Use YouTube's paid-promotion disclosure where applicable and state the affiliate relationship in the video and description. Rules and eligibility differ by country and change over time, so verify the current YouTube and Amazon terms before you rely on them.

Where Kompozy fits

Every step above assumes one thing you have to supply yourself: videos worth tagging. Amazon tags earn nothing without a steady stream of reviews, demos, hauls, and roundups for them to live in, and one product deserves more than one video — a quick Short for the impulse buy, a long-form review for the considered purchase, a comparison against alternatives. Producing that range by hand for every product you promote is the real work, and it's where an affiliate channel stalls.

Kompozy generates that inventory from a single product brief. Persona Shorts and Persona HeyGen turn one write-up into avatar-led review and demo video fronted by the same consistent face and voice — and that consistency isn't cosmetic, because affiliate sales run on buyer trust and a recognizable host earns it. Listicle Video builds the "top five" roundup over B-roll, Photo Posts and Carousels cover the image angle, and a Blog article gives the purchase a searchable home. Because it holds one Persona Brief across everything, a whole product catalog stays on-brand as you scale from one tag to fifty.

Then it takes the same content beyond YouTube, where you monetize the same products through description-link affiliates or native shopping. Kompozy schedules and publishes across the eight social platforms plus blog and email in one pass, so a product review works for you everywhere at once instead of only on the video you tagged. Creator ($49/mo for 2,500 credits) fits a solo affiliate channel; Pro ($299/mo for 18,000 credits) suits running a full product catalog across platforms; Enterprise is custom.

Frequently asked questions

Can any YouTuber add Amazon affiliate links to videos?

No. As of August 2026 the feature is for eligible US creators who are in the YouTube Partner Program, enrolled in YouTube's Shopping affiliate program, and hold an active Amazon Influencer or Associates account linked to their channel. It isn't available outside the US yet.

Where do the Amazon tags appear?

As shoppable product tags on the video itself — in Shorts, long-form videos, and livestreams — rather than only as a link in the description. YouTube's testing found on-video tags drove over 110% more product clicks than description links alone.

How much do YouTube Amazon affiliate tags pay?

You earn Amazon's standard associate commission on qualifying purchases, which varies by product category and is generally a small percentage of the sale. Earnings scale with how much shoppable content you publish and how well it matches buyer intent, not with any single tag.

Do I still need to disclose affiliate links?

Yes. FTC guidance and Amazon's own terms require you to clearly disclose that you earn a commission. State it in the video and description and use YouTube's paid-promotion tools where they apply.

Related tutorials

← All how-to guides · Get Started