# How to share promo codes on YouTube

Canonical: https://usecode.sh/guides/share-promo-codes-on-youtube
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

YouTube splits in two. In long-form, description and pinned-comment links are clickable, so a code plus link block works directly. In Shorts, YouTube made links in descriptions and comments non-clickable to fight spam, so the code itself and one channel-profile link do all the work. A stable code page serves both halves with the same URL.

## Where links actually work on YouTube

| Surface | Clickable? | Use for codes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Long-form description | Yes, with advanced-features access | Code as text next to its link, one pair per brand |
| Long-form pinned comment | Yes | Repeat the top code so latecomers see it without opening the description |
| Shorts description and comments | No, non-clickable by policy since August 2023 | Code as text plus spoken; the link cannot help you here |
| Channel profile links | Yes, up to 14, first one shown by the Subscribe button | Your code page as the first link |

## Reading the numbers

YouTube analytics show clicks on description links but nothing about code usage, and Shorts give you no link data at all. Copies on your code page are the missing column: a Short that spikes [copies](/guides/code-copies-vs-link-clicks) with zero clicks is working exactly as Shorts are supposed to, and without copy counting it would look like a dud. Reporting that to a brand credibly is covered in [how to report code engagement](/guides/report-code-engagement-to-brands).

## Related guides

- [How to manage expired creator codes](https://usecode.sh/guides/manage-expired-creator-codes)
  A dead code at checkout costs more than the sale. The lifecycle system for expiring, pausing, and replacing creator codes across old content.
- [Why promo-code copies do not show up as link clicks](https://usecode.sh/guides/code-copies-vs-link-clicks)
  Buyers who use your promo code often never click your link, so click analytics record nothing. What the copy path looks like and how to measure it.
- [How to report promo-code engagement to brands](https://usecode.sh/guides/report-code-engagement-to-brands)
  A reporting format that makes brands trust your numbers: views, taps, and copies clearly labeled as engagement, lined up against their redemptions.
- [The promo-code link in bio, explained](https://usecode.sh/guides/promo-code-link-in-bio)
  A promo-code link in bio is a page organized around codes instead of links: tap to copy, one stable address, and copy counts a link page cannot see.
- [How to share promo codes on Instagram](https://usecode.sh/guides/share-promo-codes-on-instagram)
  Instagram captions are not clickable and bios cap at 150 characters, so codes need a system: where codes actually work on Instagram and how to keep them all findable.

## Sources

- [YouTube Help: sharing links with your audiences](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/13748639) (verified 2026-08-13)
- [YouTube Help: YouTube Shopping affiliate program eligibility](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/13376398) (verified 2026-08-13)