What Does Made for Kids Mean on YouTube? Features It Turns Off

If you've seen a "made for kids" notice on a video, or been asked about it while uploading, you're not alone in finding it confusing. It's an audience setting, and it changes how a video behaves for everyone who watches it. That matters if you're a parent wondering why you can't comment, and it matters even more if you run a channel for a small business and want to know what the setting switches off. I've read YouTube's help centre page on it, so what follows sticks to what YouTube says. This isn't legal advice, and I'll point you to the official guidance for the hard calls.

What does made for kids mean on YouTube?

Made for kids is a setting that creators choose for their channel or individual videos. YouTube's help centre says you must tell it whether your content is made for kids, because of the US children's privacy law COPPA and other laws, wherever you are in the world. Once a video is set as made for kids, YouTube limits data collection on it and restricts certain features. The help page also says these videos are more likely to be recommended alongside other kids' videos.

In short, it's a label about the audience a video is meant for, and it comes with a set of built in limits.

What features are turned off on YouTube made for kids videos

This is the part viewers notice. According to YouTube's help page, these features are turned off on made for kids videos and live streams:

• Autoplay on home.
• Cards and end screens.
• Video watermarks.
• Channel memberships.
• Comments.
• The donate button.
• Likes and dislikes on YouTube Music.
• Live chat.
• Merchandise and ticketing.
• The notification bell.
• Playback in the Miniplayer.
• Super Chat and Super Stickers.
• Save to playlist and Save to watch later.

The help page also lists extra restrictions at channel level, covering channel memberships, the notification bell, posts and Ask Studio. If you've been wondering why a video has no comments, this is one of the answers. The audience question is also one of the things YouTube asks during upload, which I cover in my guide to how long YouTube takes to process a video.

How to tell if a YouTube video is made for kids

The help page I read doesn't describe a single badge for viewers, so I won't promise one. What you can notice is the behaviour. If comments, the notification bell and save options are missing from a video that normally has them, the audience setting may be why. If you're a viewer and a video looks wrong to you, the help centre also says that where YouTube has set a video as made for kids and the owner disagrees, the owner can usually change it themselves.

How to set your YouTube channel or video audience as made for kids

If you're a creator, the help page gives these routes in YouTube Studio. You can set it for the whole channel, or for each video.

For your whole channel

1. Open YouTube Studio and go to Settings.
2. Choose Channel, then Advanced settings.
3. Find the Audience section and pick one option: Yes, set this channel as made for kids; No, set this channel as not made for kids; or I want to review this setting for every video.
4. Click Save.

The channel setting applies to your existing and future videos, but an individual video setting overrides it. If you skip the channel setting, you have to identify each video.

For a video while you upload

1. Start your upload in YouTube Studio.
2. On the Basic info tab, find Audience.
3. Choose Yes or No.

The timing of the wait afterwards is covered in my guide to how long YouTube takes to process a video.

For videos you've already uploaded

1. In Studio, go to Content.
2. Select the videos you want to change.
3. Choose Edit, then Audience.
4. Select Yes, it's made for kids, then Update videos.

For live streams, the help page says to set it when you create the stream in the Live Control Room, or update archived streams from the Live tab in Content. It also says the setting isn't available in Creator Studio Classic or the classic live streaming tools. Menus vary by app version, so follow the labels you see in Studio.

How YouTube decides whether content is made for kids

YouTube's help page doesn't leave the decision wholly with you. It says YouTube uses machine learning to flag videos that are clearly aimed at children, and that it may override your choice if there's an error or abuse. It also tells creators not to rely on those systems to set their audience for them.

For guidance on whether your own content counts, the help page points you to YouTube's article on determining if your content is made for kids, or to legal counsel. That's the right route for grey areas. I'm not going to guess where the line sits for a toy review, a cartoon or a family cooking video, because it's a judgement the official guidance is built for.

What if YouTube set your video to made for kids and you disagree

The help page describes two situations. If YouTube set the audience and you disagree, you can usually change it yourself. If you'd already set the audience and YouTube detects an error or abuse, the video may show as Set to made for kids, and you can't change it. In that case you can appeal once per video. A successful appeal removes the setting. An unsuccessful one keeps it, and you're expected to review your settings from then on.

What happens if you get the made for kids setting wrong

YouTube's help page warns that not setting your audience accurately can lead to compliance issues with the US Federal Trade Commission or other authorities, and that YouTube may take action on your account. So take the question seriously, and read the official guidance rather than guessing.

What made for kids means for parents and viewers

• Expect fewer interactive features on those videos, including no comments and no notification bell.
• A missing feature on a children's video is usually the setting working as designed, not a fault.
• If you want to hide a channel you're tired of seeing, my guide to blocking a YouTube channel you no longer want to see covers the viewer side.

Frequently asked questions

What does made for kids mean on YouTube?

It's an audience setting. YouTube's help centre says creators must say whether content is made for kids, and videos set that way have limited data collection and restricted features.

Why can't I comment on a made for kids video?

Comments are one of the features YouTube turns off on made for kids videos and live streams, according to its help page.

Where do I set made for kids in YouTube Studio?

For a channel, go to Settings, Channel, Advanced settings, then Audience. For a video, use the Audience option in the Basic info tab during upload or in Content later.

Can I change a made for kids setting that YouTube applied?

Usually yes, if YouTube set it and you disagree. If it shows as Set to made for kids after an error or abuse flag, you can't change it but you can appeal once per video.

Does YouTube decide this, or do I?

Both. You set the audience, but YouTube uses machine learning to flag clearly child directed videos and may override your choice, so it tells creators not to rely on those systems.