YouTube

YouTube partners with Shopify to add in-video check out

Andrew Romero | Jul 19 2022 - 7:49 am PT

On tons of platforms, including YouTube, creators have a huge influence over what products are popular or viable for viewers. To make it even easier for viewers to buy products recommended by creators, YouTube is adding on-site check out so users won’t even have to leave the video for their shopping.

In its current state, shopping on YouTube is just an okay experience. Creators can add links to their favorite gear in the description as well as add merch thumbnails, which brings you to a different website where you can check out the product and decide if you want to buy it. While this is a nice addition, it isn’t what YouTube is envisioning as the future of shopping with creators.

Today, YouTube announced a partnership with Shopify to enhance the shopping experience for viewers who want to get the latest gear from creators and influencers. Contrary to housing external links for viewers, YouTube is adding native shopping to media, meaning users don’t have to leave the video to complete a purchase. Creators will also be able to tag products to live streams via the Live Control Room.

Most of this will be made possible with Shopify’s real-time inventory tracking, allowing viewers to purchase items that are in stock and ready to be sent out. Google has been working with Shopify for a while now, so we expect the integration to be smooth.

YouTube stated the new onsite checkout features will be rolling out for creators in the US, with no mention of expansion plans into other regions. Creators will also need to meet a couple of eligibility requirements to enable YouTube’s new shopping features. According to Engadget, creators need to have 10,000 or more subscribers, monetization enabled, mostly non-child-focused content, and a spotless policy violation record.

Another addition for viewers is a new shopping center in the Explore tab. This feature will be coming next to users in the US, India, and Brazil and will allow viewers to look for videos based on products that interest them. YouTube also plans on expanding the shopping in Explore features into more regions “later this year.”

Both of these features are intriguing ones, to say the least. We’re not entirely sure how well the new features will work from the get-go, but we’re excited to see how they are used among creators and viewers alike.