YouTube has launched a new feature that allows creators to tag and highlight products directly within their Shorts using visually placed Shopping Product Stickers.
This will turn Shorts into a stronger source of revenue for creators as viewers can now identify and purchase the products they see, without interruption of their viewing experience.
With this change, YouTube aims to monetise Shorts more effectively, following internal data that showed an increase in engagement during recent testing.
According to the company, “Shorts with Shopping product stickers saw over 40% more clicks on products than Shorts with the Shopping button.”
That alone explains why the change from a static shopping banner to interactive stickers could be a game-changer.
Before now, products were only visible in a small banner located at the bottom-left corner of Shorts. Viewers had to tap it to access a list of tagged items.
Now, when a creator tags a product in their Short, YouTube automatically creates a sticker using the first tagged item. Creators are also given the option to reorder products, change the size, and move the sticker around to better fit the content layout.
In Shorts where multiple products are tagged, viewers can tap a small downward arrow on the sticker to expand the full list. From there, clicking any product takes the user straight to the seller’s website. This reduces friction in the buying process and turns entertainment into a near-instant purchase opportunity.
The YouTube Shopping Product stickers are being rolled out globally over the coming week, with South Korea as the only exception for now. However, YouTube says expansion to that market is already in the pipeline.
At the Cannes Lions 2025 event, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan noted the massive viewership potential of Shorts. “Shorts are now averaging more than 200 billion daily views,” he said.
That kind of reach, combined with integrated commerce, shows that YouTube is now squarely placing Shorts as a shoppable entertainment format.
Mohan also disclosed that Google’s Veo 3, an advanced video generator that includes both audio and video features, will soon be integrated into Shorts. While no release date was specified, the addition could bolster how Shorts are created and monetised.
For creators, Shorts are now a tool for commerce, and with direct control over how and where these stickers appear, creators can enhance their content strategy with monetisation in mind.
The feature is available only via the YouTube mobile app, not on Studio or desktop, and changes can be made either during upload or afterward. So, if you’re planning your next Short, you’ll want to consider where that sticker fits.
