How to Tag Products on YouTube Shorts

Transforming your YouTube Shorts from simple bites of entertainment into a direct source of revenue is now easier than ever by tagging products right in your videos. This allows viewers to go from watching your content to shopping for your products in a couple of clicks, all without leaving the YouTube app. This guide will walk you through exactly how to set up your channel, tag products in your Shorts step-by-step, and share actionable strategies to create content that genuinely converts.

First Things First: What is YouTube Shopping and Why Use it in Shorts?

YouTube Shopping is a powerful suite of features that allows eligible creators to showcase and sell products from their own stores directly on the YouTube platform. For a long time, this was mostly limited to long-form videos and on-channel store tabs. Now, it's fully integrated into YouTube Shorts, a format that's all about quick, engaging, and often impulsive actions.

Here’s why that matters:

• It Removes Friction: Think about the old way. A viewer sees a product they like in your video, pauses it, goes to the description, finds a link, clicks it, gets taken to an external browser, and then they can finally shop. By tagging products, you reduce this process to a single tap on the screen. The viewer sees a small shopping bag icon and can instantly bring up the product details.
• It Captures Impulse Buys: Shorts content is fast-paced. Viewers are scrolling and consuming content a mile a minute. When a product catches their eye, you want to make it as simple as possible for them to act on that impulse. A tagged product does exactly that, capturing their interest at its peak.
• It Enhances the Viewer Experience: Instead of feeling like a disruptive ad, a well-placed product tag becomes a helpful feature. Viewers who are genuinely interested in what you're wearing, using, or showcasing can easily find it without having to ask in the comments and wait for a reply on where to get products.

Are You Eligible? A Quick Checklist Before You Start

Before you get into the fun part, you need to make sure your channel meets YouTube’s criteria. This step's a big deal – if you miss one of these, the "Shopping" features won't even be an option for you. Let's run down the list:

• You’re in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP): This is the main gateway. To be in YPP, you generally need at least 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
• Your Channel Is Not "Made for Kids": Your channel's primary audience setting must not be designated as "Made for Kids," and you can't have a significant number of videos set as such.
• You’re Based in an Eligible Country: YouTube Shopping is available in many countries but not all of them. Check YouTube's official help documentation for the most current list of supported regions.
• You Have a Clean Record: Your channel must not have any active Community Guideline strikes related to hate speech.

Meeting all of these requirements unlocks the "Shopping" tab in your YouTube Studio, which is where the setup begins.

How to Set Up YouTube Shopping: Connect it All Together

Once you've confirmed you’re eligible, the next move is to connect your online store to your YouTube channel. This allows YouTube to pull in your product catalog, including names, images, and prices. YouTube integrates seamlessly with several popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Spring, and Spreadshop.

Step 1: Navigate to the Shopping Tab in YouTube Studio

This is your starting point. You will need to take these steps on a desktop web browser for the initial setup.

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. From the left-hand menu, click on the Earn section.
3. Inside the "Earn" section, click on the Shopping tab at the top. If you don't see this tab, you likely don't meet the eligibility requirements yet.

Step 2: Connect Your Product Store

Next, you will select and link your product catalog to your channel.

1. Once you are in the Shopping tab, look for the 'Connect a retail platform'. Supported platforms include Shopify, Spring, Spreadshop, SUZURI, and Fourthwall. Click Connect a Retail Platform.
2. Select your retail platform of choice and you’ll be guided through their specific process to link your store. Typically, this involves logging into your store’s dashboard and authenticating the connection to YouTube.
3. Once you've followed their instructions, your store should be listed in the "Products" section of your Shop. From there, you can organize the products you want to feature.

After your store is connected, YouTube will automatically import your product listings. This can take a little time to sync, so don't worry if your items don’t show up for selection immediately. It might take from a few minutes to thirty minutes!

How to Tag Products Step-by-Step: Your Guide to Shoppable Shorts Tagging

With the backstage setup complete, you are all ready to start tagging products in your YouTube Shorts videos. You have two options: either tag a video as it's being published or you can return and tag the products in your content later. Let’s look at how both get done.

Method 1: Tagging Products While Uploading a New Short (on Mobile)

Most creators build and upload Shorts directly from their phones. Here's how to integrate product tags into your content uploading process:

1. Open the YouTube app on your mobile phone.
2. Press the "+" button and select "Create A Short," then either record a video live or upload a prerecorded one from your gallery.
3. Edit your clip inside the YouTube app by adding text, music, or various other filters you wish to include, then click "Next."
4. In the "Add details" post editor screen, where you input the caption and other information, you will find an option to "Tag products."
5. Click the "Tag products" option. A new dialog box will open, displaying the items connected from your e-commerce store.
6. From here, search for and select the products featured in your Short. You can include up to 30 different items on each video.
7. Then, simply hit "Done." Your items are now tagged in the Short.
8. Finish posting your video, and you're ready to start generating sales.

Method 2: Tagging Products on Existing Shorts Videos (On Desktop)

Don't miss the opportunity to add monetization elements to previously uploaded Shorts. You can go back and tag products on existing content as well.

1. Login to your YouTube Studio account.
2. In the left menu, click the "Content" button.
3. Find the video where you want to tag products and click the "Details" icon (it looks like a pen).
4. On the video details screen, navigate to the Shopping tab. You will find a list of all your products available to be added.
5. Tag the products from your catalog that appear in the video. You can add up to 30 products to each video.

Best Practices for Shoppable Shorts That Actually Get Views and Sales

Just because you've tagged your video with products doesn't mean they will sell automatically. To be truly effective, you need a social media strategy that connects the content with your products in mind, creating Shorts that resonate with your viewers.

Stay Away From Hard Selling, Keep it Natural

YouTube Shorts viewers have zero tolerance for obvious ads. You will get more sales if you integrate the products into your content authentically, as if you were recommending something or showing a product in action, instead of directly asking for the sale.

Create Videos Showing the Product in Action

A "how-to" video, demonstration, or a product review is a great way to show a product in action. For example, you could create a video on "3 ways to style this scarf" or "my morning skincare routine with these products."

Verbal or Visual Calls to Action Are Important

A verbal prompt like, "Check out the tagged products on screen" or "Click the shopping icon to buy this product" can help drive conversions. A visual call-to-action could be something as simple as an on-screen arrow pointing to the icon.

Keep It Engaging and Provide Value

Your viewers are on Shorts to have an enjoyable time, learn something new, or be entertained. If your video isn't engaging, no one will watch it. Your first priority should always be to provide good entertainment and value for the audience. The product tags are there for viewers who become interested in buying.

Optimize Your Title and Description with Keywords

You should use relevant keywords and hashtags to increase your video's visibility. You can even include a note like "(Shop the products)" in your title to let viewers know.

Monitor Your Results and Performance

YouTube Analytics will show you how many clicks you get on your shopping links. You can also see which of your videos are driving the most sales and double down on what works.

Final Thoughts

Tagging products in your YouTube Shorts can turn your audience into customers with just one click. When you set up the process correctly, it will be a seamless way to drive sales for your business.

Creating a consistent stream of shoppable Shorts is where the real work begins. I believe a tool like Postbase can help you with that. Planning your Shorts from a visual calendar will help you strategize your campaigns, spot content gaps, and showcase products across all platforms like Shorts, TikTok, Reels, and more.