Linking a YouTube channel to a Google Ads account allows the linked Google Ads account to run ads based on interactions with your channel’s videos. The linked Google Ads account can be granted permissions to access video ads' organic view metrics, show ads to people who visit and interact with your channel and get insights about how people interact with your channel after viewing your ads.
If you’re an advertiser collaborating with a YouTube creator, you can link their video to your Google Ads account. Linking a video made by a YouTube creator to your Google Ads account allows the linked Google Ads account to view video performance insights, such as organic view count and show ads to people who have watched the video. Also, by accepting the video link request, the creator enables you to promote their video as part of your ad campaigns. Remember that you’re responsible for securing sufficient rights to use the video as an ad. This may require you to have a separate agreement with the creator or other rights holders. Use this feature when you’re collaborating with a YouTube creator and linking a video from their channel.
This article shows you how to link and unlink your Google Ads account to a YouTube channel or a YouTube video.
Before you begin
To link a YouTube channel or video to your Google Ads account, your Google Ads account needs to have administrative access, otherwise you won't be able to link it. In Google Ads, you can check your access level or check who has administrative access to your account from the 'Account access' page. Learn more About access levels in your Google Ads account.
Additionally, if you are linking to a YouTube channel or a YouTube video that is managed by someone else, it is recommended to engage with the channel owner before sending the link request to ensure that it’s accepted.
Benefits
When you link your Google Ads account to a YouTube channel or a YouTube video, you can take advantage of the following features.
Link a YouTube channel to a Google Ads account
When you link a YouTube channel to a Google Ads account, the YouTube channel owner can choose to make the following features available to your linked Google Ads account:
-
View counts: View organic (non-paid) metrics for your videos.
- Data segments: Create data segments (previously known as 'remarketing lists') based on viewers’ past interactions on linked channels.
- Engagement: From linked channels, view earned actions metrics from video ads and use engagements (for example, subscriptions) on the channel as conversion actions in Google Ads.
You can link up to 10,000 YouTube channels to a single Google Ads account and link up to 300 Google Ads accounts to a single YouTube channel.
Bear in mind that:
- Linking accounts doesn't give the YouTube channel owner control over the Google Ads account. In addition, linking accounts doesn't let the advertiser add, delete or modify videos from the linked YouTube channel. You can now limit the content on your YouTube channel to only be used in linked Google Ads accounts. To find out more about this feature, check the section below.
- If your Google Ads account is overseen by a manager account, linking your YouTube channel can allow the Google Ads manager account to access your YouTube channel metrics. If you've enabled data segment sharing in your Google Ads account, a manager account can share data segments with other managed accounts.
- If personalised ads are turned off on a YouTube channel, earned action reports and data segments won't be available for videos hosted on the YouTube channel.
Link a video made by a YouTube creator to a Google Ads account
Linking a video made by a YouTube creator is useful if you are working with a YouTube creator and want to see more insights about the video and run ads using their video. It gives you insights into how the video is performing and lets you reach a wider audience with your ads. When you link a YouTube video to a Google Ads account, the YouTube channel owner may make the following features available to your linked Google Ads account:
- View counts: View organic (non-paid) metrics for the video.
- Data segments: Create data segments (previously known as 'remarketing lists') based on video views, as permitted by Google ad platforms. Learn how to use your data segments to advertise on YouTube.
Bear in mind that:
- Remember that you’re responsible for securing sufficient rights to use the video as an ad. This may require you to have a separate agreement with the creator or other rights holders.
- Linking accounts doesn't give the YouTube channel owner control over the Google Ads account. In addition, linking accounts doesn't let the advertiser delete or modify the linked videos on the YouTube channel. You can now limit the content on your YouTube channel to only be used in linked Google Ads accounts. To find out more about this feature, check the section below.
- Linking YouTube videos doesn’t mean that these videos are exclusive to the linked Google Ads accounts. A YouTube video may be linked to multiple Google Ads accounts, including accounts owned by another advertiser.
Only allow linked Google Ads accounts to use videos as ads
This setting is available for channels within the YouTube Partner Programme. With this feature, you can prevent unlinked Google Ads accounts from using channel videos as ads.
You can access this feature in Studio under Settings > Channel > Advanced settings.
To run ads using your channel content, ensure that your channel or a specific video is linked to the Google Ads account.
- Warning: When video ad control is enabled, ads running from the unlinked Google Ads account will stop running.
Instructions
Link or unlink Google Ads accounts in YouTube (recommended approach)
Link a Google Ads account to a YouTube channel
- Sign in to your YouTube Studio.
- Click Settings, then click Channel.
- Click the Advanced settings tab.
- Click Link Account.
- Enter a name for the link, a Google Ads customer ID and choose which permissions you'll grant.
- Click Done.
- Click Save.
- After the owner of the Google Ads account approves your request, your YouTube channel will be linked to that Google Ads account.
Unlink a Google Ads account from a YouTube channel
- Sign in to your YouTube Studio.
- Click Settings, then click Channel.
- Click the Advanced settings tab.
- Click Unlink next to the account that you’d like to unlink.
- Click Unlink in the window.
- Click Save.
Link or unlink YouTube channels in Google Ads
Link a YouTube channel to a Google Ads account
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
.
- Click Data Manager.
- Click Connect Product.
- Find 'YouTube'.
- To add a channel
- First Channel: Click Add channel.
- Additional channels: Click the plus button
- Select 'Link channel'
- In the 'Link a YouTube channel' dialogue, search for a channel or enter its URL and click Next.
If the YouTube channel belongs to you and uses the same email credentials as the Google Ads account, log in to the YouTube channel in a separate tab to be identified as an owner.
- Do one of the following:
- If you’re identified as the channel owner based on the email used, you will be asked to add a link name and decide which data of the YouTube channel can be shared to the Google Ads account.
- Click Next to proceed to the summary screen.
- Click Link to link the YouTube channel with the Google Ads account. The link will be established automatically.
- You’ll view a confirmation screen. Click Done to close the dialogue and return to the overview page.
- If the YouTube channel doesn't belong to you, you’ll be asked to provide the email address of the channel owner:
- Enter the email address of the channel owner.
- Click Next to review the summary of the link request.
- Click Link to send the link request. After the owner of the YouTube channel approves your request, that channel will be linked to your Google Ads account.
- If you’re identified as the channel owner based on the email used, you will be asked to add a link name and decide which data of the YouTube channel can be shared to the Google Ads account.
.Unlink a YouTube channel from a Google Ads account
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
- Click Data Manager.
- Find 'YouTube', then click Manage and link.
- Under 'Linked', find the channel and click Unlink in the 'Actions' column.
Cancel a link request that you've sent
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
- Click Data Manager.
- Find 'YouTube', then click Manage and link.
- Under 'Sent', find the channel under the 'Actions' column, then click Cancel request.
Accept a link request that you've received
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
- Click Data Manager.
- Find 'YouTube', then click Manage and link.
- Under 'Received', find the channel under the 'Actions' column, then click View request.
- To approve the link, click Approve.
- To reject the link, click Reject.
Link or unlink YouTube videos in Google Ads
To link a YouTube video to a Google Ads account it is recommended to reach out to the YouTube channel owner before sending out the link request. Use this feature if you are collaborating with a YouTube creator and want to link their video to your Google Ads account. Read more about the differences between linking to a YouTube channel and to a YouTube video under the Benefits section.
Link a YouTube video to a Google Ads account
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
- Click Data Manager.
- Find 'YouTube'.
- To add a video
- Click the plus button
.
- Select 'Link video'.
- Click the plus button
- In the 'Link a YouTube video' dialogue, search for a video or enter its URL.
- Click Submit to send the link request. When submitted, a summary screen is displayed. Click Done to come back to the 'Linked accounts' page.
- Until accepted, the link request is displayed under 'Sent'.
- Click ‘Review request’ in the email notification
- Be redirected to the YouTube studio
- Click on ‘Link’ to accept the request to link
Unlink a YouTube video from a Google Ads account
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
- Click Data Manager.
- Find YouTube, then click Manage and link.
- Find the video and click Unlink in the 'Action' column.
Cancel a link request that you've sent
- In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon
- Click Data Manager.
- Find YouTube, then click Manage and link.
- Under 'Sent', find the video, then click Withdraw request.
Note: Linking a YouTube video to a Google Ads account can’t be yet initiated from YouTube studio.
Related links
YouTube and video ads related links
- About video ad formats
- Create a video campaign
- About YouTube ads and view metrics
- About YouTube engagements as conversions
- Expand your reach to YouTube users
- Skippable in-stream ads
About Product Linking
- About the 'Linked accounts' page and Product Linking
- Product Linking: Link your Google products during the Enhanced onboarding experience
Google products
- Product Linking: Link your Google Business Profile to Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link Ads Creative Studio and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link Ads Data Hub and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Using Google Analytics and Google Ads together
- Product linking: Link Hotel Centre and Google Ads
- Product linking: Link your Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts
- Product Linking: Link Google Marketing Platform and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link Optimize and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link Google Play and Google Ads accounts
- Product Linking: Link Search Console and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link YouTube channels and Google Ads accounts
Google Partners
- Product Linking: Link Customer Match partners and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link to Hubspot via Zapier
- Product Linking: Link Salesforce and Google Ads accounts
- Product Linking: Link Shopify to Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link Zapier and Google Ads
- Product Linking: Link Zapier during campaign creation
