Choose a task you can demonstrate
Start with an action a viewer wants to complete: set up a welcome email, export a voiceover, or publish a simple portfolio. A narrow tutorial gives you something concrete to show and a reason for the viewer to consider the product.
Candidate titles such as “Set up a consultant welcome sequence” are editorial ideas, not verified search-volume opportunities. Use questions from your viewers or observations from your own analytics when available. Describe a tool comparison only if you can show the differences relevant to the task.
Normal external affiliate links and YouTube’s own Shopping affiliate features are separate routes. Joining a program listed in this directory does not establish eligibility for Shopping, the YouTube Partner Program or any channel feature.
Design a link path that works in the intended format
YouTube currently lists URLs in Shorts descriptions and comments as non-clickable. Clickable external links in long-form descriptions and comments require access to advanced features. Check your channel’s feature access and test the placement in the published format.
The external links policy permits affiliate content in principle, but restricts destinations and excessive affiliate posting. Check the final landing page and the specific affiliate program’s channel rules as separate requirements.
| Format | Path to check | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form tutorial | Relevant link in the description | Advanced-feature access, visible disclosure and accepted destination |
| Shorts excerpt | A related full tutorial or appropriate channel profile link | The path works for viewers; a typed Shorts URL is not clickable |
| Supporting article | A complete walkthrough and dated program comparison | The article adds useful steps and identifies commercial links |
Record a demonstration another person can repeat
Record the plan, version or model where available, date, input and settings. Show the starting state, the key steps and the finished output. Explain the manual correction you needed and which paid feature the result depended on. Keep personal details and credentials out of the recording.
A useful script is: task and result preview; financial relationship; setup; demonstration; limitation; alternative; next step. If the product fails, keep that evidence and explain the condition. A polished montage alone does not establish quality, speed or reliability.
Before comparing products, use the same task and explain any unequal settings. If you cannot run the second product, make a documentation comparison and identify it as such. No first-hand comparison is claimed by this guide.
Match the offer to the workflow and channel
For a tutorial about newsletters, use the email collection and MailerLite vs Kit. For a voiceover task, start with the AI collection and ElevenLabs vs Murf. These pages compare affiliate conditions, not the quality of the generated audio or email delivery.
Send the provider your real channel and a sample tutorial when applying. Ask whether video descriptions, a supporting article and the planned traffic sources are accepted. Confirm brand wording and attribution rules before adding an approved commercial link.
Model both offers with the same audience inputs in the calculator. Your tutorial views are not paying referrals: do not paste a view count into the monthly referral field. Use observed conversions when available, or mark the scenario as hypothetical.
Explain the commercial relationship in the video
For a video endorsement requiring disclosure, US FTC guidance says the description alone is insufficient. Include the relationship in the video and near the affiliate links. Match visual and spoken disclosure to how the endorsement is presented.
Identify a free product, sponsorship or commission arrangement accurately. Use the worksheet to decide where the explanation appears before recording. A platform label does not replace the reader’s need to understand your actual connection.
Give the tutorial a useful life after publication
Add clear chapters and a supporting walkthrough with settings, limitations and sources. An excerpt should direct viewers to the step they need, with a tested link path. Do not distribute the same affiliate pitch through unrelated comments or mass messages.
Track viewer questions, clicks and provider-validated referrals separately. Recheck tutorials when the interface, plan or offer changes; record the update and fix stale link instructions. Choose the next tutorial from unresolved viewer tasks rather than adding another generic list of tools.