Short answer, two paths exist. Shorts views do not count toward the 4,000 valid public watch-hour requirement for long-form monetization.
There is a Shorts-specific eligibility path that uses Shorts views instead. YouTube outlines YPP eligibility and revenue models here: and .
What counts in practice
| Path | What helps you qualify | Key caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form path | Public watch time on long-form videos, plus subscribers | Shorts feed watch time is excluded from the 4,000-hour metric |
| Shorts path | Valid public Shorts views in a fixed 90-day window, plus subscribers |
