YouTube Copyright and Strike Helper: claims, strikes and warnings
Understand a claim, strike or warning, see your options in order with their risks, and when it expires.
- Free to use
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
Runs in your browser. Not legal advice.
Your options will show here
Choose what you got and answer the questions. You will see what it means, your options in order, their risks and the YouTube Help pages to read.
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About the YouTube Copyright and Strike Helper
Choose what you got from YouTube: a Content ID claim, a copyright takedown or strike, a Community Guidelines warning or strike, or an age restriction or limited ads. Answer a few questions, such as whether the music is yours or licensed, and see what it means, your options in order with what each involves and its risks, and links to the YouTube Help pages. Enter the date to see when it expires and what is restricted now. It runs in your browser and is not legal advice.
How it works
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Step 1
Choose what you got, or click "Try an example" to see a claim on a gym's workout video.
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Step 2
Answer the questions: whether the music or footage is yours, licensed or used with permission, and how many strikes you have.
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Step 3
Read the options in order, add the date to see your key dates, and open the YouTube Help page before you act.
A claim is not a strike
A Content ID claim typically does not lead to a copyright strike: the copyright owner chooses to block, monetise or track the video, and you can remove the claimed part, leave the claim or dispute it. A copyright strike follows a legal removal request. It expires in 90 days if you complete Copyright School and the channel has fewer than three, and three in 90 days make a channel subject to termination.
Community Guidelines warnings and strikes
A first violation usually brings a warning, which expires after 90 days if you take the policy training. A first strike stops uploads and other features for one week, a second within 90 days for two weeks, and three in 90 days may remove the channel. You can appeal within 6 months. An age restriction or a yellow monetisation icon is not a strike.
What this tool cannot do
It is general information from YouTube Help, not legal advice, and we are not lawyers. It cannot see your channel, tell who owns a song, or decide fair use: only courts can. The order of the options is our suggestion and the dates are our calculation; YouTube Studio shows the exact details. Before a counter notification, talk to a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Content ID claim the same as a copyright strike?
No. A Content ID claim typically does not result in a copyright strike. The copyright owner can block, monetise or track the video. A strike comes from a legal removal request. A dispute without a valid reason, though, can lead the owner to request removal, and a valid request brings a strike.
How long does a YouTube copyright strike last?
It expires 90 days after it was issued if you complete Copyright School and the channel has fewer than three copyright strikes. You only need to complete Copyright School once. You can also ask the claimant to retract the removal request, or submit a counter notification if it was a mistake.
Should I file a counter notification?
Only if the video was removed by mistake or misidentification, including a copyright exception such as fair use, and you are sure. It begins a legal process, YouTube shares it with your name, address and phone number with the claimant, and the claimant can go to court. Talk to a lawyer first.
What happens after a Community Guidelines strike?
For a first strike, you cannot upload videos, live stream, create posts or custom thumbnails, or edit playlists for one week. A second strike within 90 days means 2 weeks without posting, and three in 90 days may remove the channel. Each strike lasts 90 days, and you can appeal within 6 months.
I used a song I found online. What should I do about the claim?
If it is not yours and you had no licence or permission, the claim is probably right. In YouTube Studio you can trim out the part, replace the song with an Audio Library track or erase it; once all the claimed content is gone, the claim is removed. Do not dispute it without the rights.
Sources and checks
Rules last checked
The YouTube Copyright and Strike Helper follows these official pages:
- Learn about Content ID claims (support.google.com)
- Dispute a Content ID claim (support.google.com)
- Copyright strike basics (support.google.com)
- Community Guidelines strike basics on YouTube (support.google.com)
Scores, limits and suggestions marked "our checklist", "our measure" or "our suggestion" are ours, not Google's or the platform's. How our tools work
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