- Copyright strike vs copyright claim
- What happens at 1, 2 and 3 strikes
- The 3 ways to resolve a copyright strike
- Will deleting the video remove the strike?
- How to see your copyright strikes
- Copyright strikes vs Community Guidelines strikes
- What to do in the first hour after a strike
- How to avoid strikes in the first place
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
A YouTube copyright strike means a video was removed after a valid legal copyright removal request. One strike expires after 90 days if you complete Copyright School, but 3 active strikes put your whole channel at risk of termination. Deleting the video usually doesn't remove the strike.
A copyright strike is far more serious than the copyright claims most creators bump into. A claim usually just means someone else's content was spotted in your video and they get to decide what happens to it, such as tracking or blocking. A strike means the video has been taken down after a legal removal request, and it counts against your channel. Here's what that means, how long it lasts and the three ways to get rid of one.
Copyright strike vs copyright claim
| Copyright claim | Copyright strike | |
|---|---|---|
| What triggers it | Matching content found in your video | A legal copyright removal request |
| What happens to the video | Usually stays up, may be blocked or restricted | Removed from YouTube |
| Counts against your channel? | No | Yes, 3 active strikes risks termination |
If you're dealing with a claim rather than a strike, the process is different and far less risky. The rest of this guide is about strikes.
What happens at 1, 2 and 3 strikes
| Active copyright strikes | What YouTube does |
|---|---|
| 1 | Removes the video. Complete Copyright School and the strike expires in 90 days. |
| 2 | Same again. Each strike expires in 90 days if Copyright School was completed. |
| 3 within 90 days | Your account and any associated channels are subject to termination, your uploads become inaccessible and you can't create new channels. |
A single video can only carry 1 copyright strike at a time, but separate videos can each pick one up. That's how channels reach 3 faster than they expect, often after one rights holder flags a batch of uploads in one go.
The 3 ways to resolve a copyright strike
- Complete Copyright School and wait 90 days. It's 4 questions about how copyright works on YouTube, and you only ever have to do it once. Without it, YouTube says the strike stays active on your channel.
- Ask for a retraction. Contact the person or company who filed the removal request and ask them to withdraw it. If they agree, the strike goes.
- Send a counter notification. If the video was removed by mistake, or your use counts as an exception such as fair use, you can submit a counter notification. Only do this if you're confident, because it's a legal process.
Will deleting the video remove the strike?
Usually not, and this is the misunderstanding that ends channels. YouTube is clear that deleting a video doesn't resolve a copyright strike. The one exception is a scheduled removal request. In that case, the strike email from [email protected] tells you that you have 7 days to delete the video yourself and avoid the strike. Read that email carefully before you delete anything, because outside that window deleting achieves nothing.
How to see your copyright strikes
- Sign in to YouTube Studio (here's how to open YouTube Studio in Chrome if it won't load).
- On the Dashboard, look under Active copyright strikes.
- For detail, go to Content, filter by Copyright and find the video marked Removed.
- Hover over Copyright in the Restrictions column and click See details to see who filed it and which part of your video was flagged.
If you can't get into your channel, the details are in the email YouTube sent when the content was removed. Watch out for fake strike emails. Real notices come from [email protected], and phishing messages pretending to be YouTube are common. Never sign in through a link in a suspicious email: open Studio yourself instead.
Copyright strikes vs Community Guidelines strikes
They're separate systems. Copyright strikes come from rights holders. Community Guidelines strikes come from YouTube itself when content breaks its rules, and they have their own warnings and penalties. You can have both at once, and each is tracked on its own. A Community Guidelines warning usually comes first, and a first strike freezes uploads for a week. If your account is already limited, see why YouTube is restricted on your account.
What to do in the first hour after a strike
- Read the email from [email protected] in full and note whether it mentions a 7-day window.
- Open Studio and check how many active strikes you now have.
- Complete Copyright School so the 90-day clock can run.
- Decide whether a retraction or counter notification is realistic for this video.
- Search your other uploads for the same music, clip or source, and fix them before anyone else flags them.
How to avoid strikes in the first place
- Use music and footage from libraries that clearly license them for YouTube, and keep a record of the licence.
- Don't assume crediting the owner makes it fine. A credit isn't permission.
- Be careful with clips from TV, films and sports. These rights holders are among the most active at filing removal requests.
- If you rely on fair use, make sure your use comments on, critiques or transforms the original rather than just reposting it.
My verdict
Treat your first copyright strike as a warning shot. Complete Copyright School straight away so the 90-day clock starts, check whether a retraction or counter notification is realistic, and audit your other uploads for the same issue before a rights holder does it for you. Two strikes means you're one bad week away from losing the channel.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a YouTube copyright strike last?
90 days, as long as you complete Copyright School. Without it, YouTube says the strike stays active on your channel.
How many copyright strikes before YouTube deletes your channel?
3 copyright strikes within 90 days make your account and associated channels subject to termination.
Does deleting a video remove a copyright strike?
Usually not. Only a scheduled removal request gives you 7 days to delete the video and avoid the strike.
How do I remove a copyright strike?
Complete Copyright School and wait 90 days, ask the claimant for a retraction, or submit a valid counter notification.
What is Copyright School?
A short course of 4 questions about how copyright works on YouTube. You only need to complete it once.
