CLAIM VS STRIKE DECODER
Beginners lose channels by treating a claim like a strike — or a strike like a claim. Pick what happened and get the plain answer: what it is, what it does to your money and your standing, what it is not, and the deadlines that matter.
| Content ID claim | Copyright strike | |
|---|---|---|
| Who starts it | An automated match against a rights holder's reference files | A formal legal removal request from the rights holder |
| Your video | Usually stays up (or is blocked by the holder's setting) | Removed |
| Your money | Revenue redirected or tracked, per the holder's choice | The video earns nothing |
| Your channel | Not a strike; does not count toward termination | Expires in 90 days with Copyright School; 3 in 90 days can end the channel |
| Partner Program | Claims alone do not block an application | Sits on your record through review; keep the channel clean |
And separate from both: a Community Guidelines strike is YouTube enforcing its own rules, and an active one blocks a Partner Program application outright. The decoder covers it.