Setting Up a YouTube Channel for a Business

Creating a channel with a business name

YouTube's Create a YouTube channel page describes two kinds of channel. A personal channel is one "that only you can manage" and carries your own name. A channel "with a business or other name" is connected to a Brand Account, which YouTube describes as the way to use a different name on YouTube than your Google Account, and it can have more than one owner or manager.

To create one, sign in, open your channel list, choose Create a new channel, then pick a profile picture, name and handle and click Create channel. YouTube notes that this creates a new Brand Account. If you already manage a Brand Account you can pick it from the list instead, but a Brand Account that already has a channel cannot get a second one.

For a business, the choice of whose Google Account creates the channel matters. YouTube's channel permissions migration page warns: "If you delete the primary owner account linked to your channel, the channel will also be deleted." Use an account the business controls long term, not a freelancer's or a departing employee's personal login.

Giving people access: channel permissions

YouTube's channel permissions page says granting permissions "is safer than sharing your password" and lets you choose each person's access level. People with access work through their own Google Accounts in YouTube and YouTube Studio. The roles YouTube lists are:

• Owner: can do everything, including deleting the channel and managing permissions. YouTube notes an owner can't transfer ownership to other users.
• Manager: can view all channel data, manage permissions in YouTube Studio, edit channel details, and create, upload, publish and delete content, but can't delete the channel.
• Editor: can edit everything and upload and publish content, but can't delete the channel or published content, manage permissions or enter into contracts.
• Editor (Limited): the same as Editor, without access to revenue data.
• Subtitle Editor: can add, edit, publish and delete subtitles only.
• Viewer and Viewer (Limited): can view channel details and analytics but not edit; the limited version can't see revenue data.

To invite someone, sign in to YouTube Studio, go to Settings, then Permissions, click Invite, enter their email address and pick a role. YouTube says an invite expires after 30 days. To remove someone, open the same screen, click the arrow next to their role and choose a new role or Remove access. YouTube also notes that invited users can't use YouTube APIs, YouTube Music or the YouTube Kids app on the channel's behalf.

If your channel sits on a Brand Account, the migration page explains that the primary owner can switch from Brand Account user access to channel permissions in YouTube Studio (Settings, Permissions, Move Permissions). Existing Brand Account users are copied across, but you set each person's level and send the invites yourself. YouTube says to opt out again only if you need to complete a channel transfer.

A practical split: the business keeps the Owner role; an agency or video editor gets Manager or Editor; someone who only reports on numbers gets Viewer (Limited).

Verification and feature eligibility

Some features need a verified channel. YouTube's Verify your YouTube account page says phone verification (a code by text or voice call) lets you upload videos longer than 15 minutes, add custom thumbnails, live stream and appeal copyright claims. YouTube says a phone number can be linked to no more than 2 channels per year, which matters if one person sets up several channels.

The feature eligibility page describes two steps up from the basic features:

• Intermediate features, unlocked by phone verification under Settings, Channel, Feature eligibility in YouTube Studio.
• Advanced features, which YouTube says include pinned comments and higher daily upload limits. After phone verification, you get these either by building enough channel history or by verifying with a valid ID or a short video. YouTube says ID and video review usually takes 24 hours, and that these options aren't available to all creators.

Two details for businesses: YouTube says only primary channel owners can verify their identity to get extra features, and not following the Community Guidelines delays eligibility or can remove it.

Handle, channel URL and profile

A handle is the @name that identifies your channel. YouTube's handles page says each channel can have one handle, that it must be unique, 3 to 30 characters for Latin scripts, not case-sensitive, and can include underscores, hyphens and periods (but not at the start or end). Handles can't be sold or transferred. YouTube also warns that characters other than A-Z, 0-9 and those separators can be hard for people to type and may not display properly as links in some apps.

According to YouTube's channel URLs page, your handle gives you a URL like youtube.com/@yourbrand, and every channel also has an ID-based URL (youtube.com/channel/UC...). New custom URLs (youtube.com/c/...) can no longer be set up; existing ones keep working and redirect to the handle URL. Use the handle URL on your website and in your other profiles.

The channel profile page covers the rest, all under Customization, Profile in YouTube Studio:

• Name and handle: each can be changed twice within a 14-day period. YouTube says changing the name removes a verification badge.
• Description, with optional translations of the name and description.
• Links: up to 14, following YouTube's external links policy. The first link is shown near the subscribe button, so make it your website.
• Contact info: an email address for business enquiries.

Keep the channel name, profile picture and banner consistent with your logo and colours; our guide to brand assets for websites lists the files worth having ready.

Custom thumbnails

YouTube's custom thumbnails page says you can pick an auto-generated option or, once your account is verified, upload your own. In YouTube Studio, go to Content, open the video and click Upload file under "Thumbnail". YouTube recommends:

• a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels for videos (2160 x 3840 for Shorts), with a minimum width of 640 pixels;
• JPG or PNG files;
• a 16:9 aspect ratio for videos and 9:16 for Shorts;
• staying under the size limit: 50 MB when uploading on a computer, 2 MB for video thumbnails on mobile.

Thumbnails must follow the Community Guidelines. YouTube says a rejected thumbnail can bring a strike, and repeat offences can remove custom thumbnail access for 30 days or end the account.

Linking the channel to Google Ads

If you advertise with Google Ads, Google's Product Linking help page recommends linking from YouTube's side: in YouTube Studio go to Settings, Channel, Advanced settings, choose Link Account, enter a name for the link and the Google Ads customer ID, choose the permissions to grant, then save. The link is active once the owner of the Google Ads account approves it. The Google Ads account needs administrative access to link.

According to that page, the channel owner can make these available to the linked Ads account:

• View counts: organic (non-paid) metrics for your videos.
• Data segments: audiences based on viewers' past interactions with the channel (previously called remarketing lists).
• Engagement: earned actions from video ads, and channel engagements such as subscriptions used as conversion actions in Google Ads.

Google says linking doesn't give the channel owner control of the Ads account, and doesn't let the advertiser add, delete or change videos on the channel. YouTube's permissions page lists the Owner, Manager and Editor roles as able to link Google Ads accounts. For how campaigns and bidding work, see Google Ads basics.

YouTube and your website

A channel and a website support each other: the channel's first profile link sends viewers to your site, and your site can embed your videos. Whether to embed from YouTube or host video yourself, and how to keep embeds from slowing pages down, is covered in our guide to video on websites.

Frequently asked questions

Should a business channel be on a personal Google Account?

YouTube lets you create a channel with a business name, connected to a Brand Account, that can have more than one owner or manager. Use an account the business controls long term: YouTube warns that deleting the primary owner account also deletes the channel.

How do I give an agency access without sharing the password?

Use channel permissions in YouTube Studio: Settings, Permissions, Invite, then enter their email and pick a role such as Manager or Editor. YouTube says invites expire after 30 days and that permissions are safer than sharing a password.

Why can't I upload a custom thumbnail?

YouTube says custom thumbnails need a verified account. Phone verification in YouTube Studio (Settings, Channel, Feature eligibility) also unlocks videos longer than 15 minutes and live streaming.

Can I still get a custom URL like youtube.com/c/name?

No. YouTube says new custom URLs can no longer be set up; existing ones keep working and redirect to the handle URL. Use your handle URL, youtube.com/@yourhandle, instead.

Want a website that puts your videos to work, with fast embeds and clear links to your channel? See our website development service and all our services, or email [email protected].