How to get the YouTube Silver Play Button (Creator Awards) — why 100K subscribers isn’t always enough, and how redemption and shipping work (October 2026)
Shortsmith team · Updated
The YouTube Silver Play Button is the award YouTube sends to channels that pass 100,000 subscribers; its official name is the YouTube Creator Award. The next tiers are Gold at 1,000,000, Diamond at 10,000,000 and Red Diamond at 100,000,000 subscribers. It isn’t automatic, though. YouTube reviews every channel before sending an award and looks at recent activity, policy history and whether the content is original, and it gives awards at its own discretion.
This guide is based on the “YouTube Creator Awards & Recognition” page on YouTube for Creators, checked on October 28, 2026.
The tiers — Silver, Gold, Diamond and Red Diamond
There is one award per subscriber milestone, and each time a channel crosses a new milestone it is reviewed again.
| Award | Subscribers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 100,000 | The first tier, usually called the “Silver Play Button” |
| Gold | 1,000,000 | The same eligibility checks run again |
| Diamond | 10,000,000 | Same criteria, same redemption process |
| Red Diamond | 100,000,000 | The highest tier |
What YouTube checks besides subscribers
Besides passing the milestone, a channel has to meet all of the following. You don’t need to be in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
- The channel is active — it has uploads within the last 6 months.
- No active Community Guidelines violation, and none received in the last 365 days.
- The channel complies with YouTube’s Terms of Service.
- It hasn’t been rejected from or suspended in YPP.
- It isn’t terminated or linked to a terminated account.
- It has no deceptive, spammy or scam content.
- Its main content is original. Channels built on compilations, mixes, curation or heavy use of someone else’s copyrighted content or characters may be ineligible.
Inflated subscriber counts
In the review step, YouTube looks for channels in good standing — free from copyright strikes, Community Guidelines violations and artificially inflated subscriber counts. Awards are at YouTube’s sole discretion, and every channel is reviewed before an award is issued.
Passed 100K but heard nothing? Check these first
If your channel passes the review, a notification arrives in Studio within 10 days of hitting the milestone. If that window passes with nothing, look for a condition you might be missing. The two people overlook most are “no violation in the last 365 days” and “uploads in the last 6 months”: a strike that has already expired still counts if you received it within the past year.
For lost codes, YouTube points creators to an interactive eligibility check on the Creators site, where you can get your redemption code again.
| Your situation | Condition at stake | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You haven’t uploaded for more than six months | Uploads in the last 6 months | Start uploading again, then check |
| You got a Community Guidelines strike a few months ago (now expired) | None in the last 365 days | Wait until a year has passed since the strike |
| A YPP application was rejected | No YPP rejection or suspension | Read the rejection reason and fix what it points to |
| The channel is mostly clips of other people’s videos | Original main content | Shift toward videos where your commentary and editing are clear |
| You got the notification but lost the code | — | Use the eligibility check to get the code again |
How to redeem — code, redemption site, order
Channels that pass the review get a notification with a unique redemption code, which you enter on the Creator Awards redemption website.
- Find and copy the redemption code YouTube sent you (if you lost it, get it again from the eligibility check).
- Go to the Creator Awards redemption website and enter the code.
- Enter your shipping info and choose how your channel name should appear on the award.
- Select “Order Now” to finish.
Use your full legal name for shipping
YouTube asks for your full legal name in the shipping info, in case you have to pick the award up from a customs or delivery office. The channel name goes in its own field for the engraving.
Shipping, customs and damage
Once you submit, the award is handcrafted. The “How it works” section says building and shipping takes 2–4 weeks depending on where you live, while the FAQ on the same page says delivery takes approximately 2–3 weeks. Orders placed after June 1, 2023 can be tracked.
- When it ships, the delivery company emails you a tracking number. Sign up for tracking notifications so you don’t miss it.
- If the delivery company asks for more documents or information, responding is your responsibility. If you don’t, the award may be returned or lost, and you may have to buy a replacement.
- Some countries charge customs duties or taxes that the recipient must pay; YouTube says it legally can’t cover them (for example Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan — not limited to these).
- You have seven days after delivery to report damage to Society Awards through their form, with photos of the award and the box, so keep the packaging. A free replacement is granted only after the original is returned and evaluated.
Countries where awards aren’t available
Channels in Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Yemen (13 in total) can’t use the program.
Don’t sell or give it away
Creator Awards are for personal use only and may not be sold or distributed to anyone outside your channel team. Breaking this can lead to forfeiting the award, losing eligibility for future awards and possibly having your YouTube or Google account terminated. Listing it for resale or as a giveaway prize falls under this too.
Aiming for Silver with a Shorts channel — “original” is the key test
Shorts can grow subscribers fast, but a channel that mostly stitches together other people’s clips can pass the milestone and still fail the “main content is original” check. Even when you use source footage, your contribution has to show — commentary on why each moment matters and a storyline you chose. The test is close to YPP’s reused content policy.
In Shortsmith you pick a job type at the top of the Create page. Choose “Script + AI voice-over” and the AI writes a script for the angle you pick and narrates it, adding commentary on top of the source scenes. No tool can earn the award for you, though: rights to the source and policy compliance stay with the creator, and whether you get an award is decided by YouTube’s review.
FAQ
How many subscribers do I need for the Silver Play Button?
100,000. Gold is 1,000,000, Diamond 10,000,000 and Red Diamond 100,000,000.
Do I need to be monetized (YPP)?
No, YPP membership isn’t required. But a channel that was rejected from or suspended in YPP isn’t eligible.
I passed 100K subscribers but got no notification.
Channels that pass the review get a Studio notification within 10 days. Check uploads in the last 6 months, Community Guidelines violations in the last 365 days and the original-content requirement.
I lost my redemption code.
Use the interactive eligibility check on the YouTube Creators site to get your code again.
How long does shipping take?
2–4 weeks for building and shipping depending on where you live (the FAQ says about 2–3 weeks). In some countries the recipient pays customs duties and taxes.
Can I sell my Silver Play Button?
No. Awards are for personal use only; selling or giving them outside your channel team can lead to forfeiture or account termination.
Sources
- YouTube Creator Awards & Recognition — YouTube for Creators · checked
- YouTube Partner Program overview & eligibility — YouTube Help · checked