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How to block your YouTube videos in specific regions
The feature is only available for creators using YouTube Studio Content Manager

How to block your YouTube videos in specific regions

Jan 04, 2025
01:38 pm

What's the story

YouTube offers a feature that allows content creators to block their videos from being viewed in certain territories. The tool, called "geo-fencing," comes handy for those who own the rights of a video only in certain regions and want to keep viewers outside these areas from accessing their content. The feature is only available for partners using YouTube Studio Content Manager.

Feature

Geo-fencing: A tool for rights management

The geo-fencing feature can also be leveraged to block videos in territories where the creator owns the rights. To do this, creators have to set an upload policy instructing YouTube to restrict their video in regions of their ownership. They can either use a pre-defined policy for global blocking or create a custom one detailing the regions where they want their video blocked.

Extras

Blocking videos outside ownership territories

For creators who only own rights to a video in select regions and want to block viewers from other areas from watching their content, YouTube offers the "Block outside ownership" option. This tool lets them enforce a block policy in all the regions except where they own. However, don't use this feature if other partners hold rights to the video in other territories, as it would block it there too.

Steps

How to block a video?

To block a video, sign in to YouTube Studio Content Manager and from the left menu, select 'Videos.' Tap the video you want to block. Next, click on the 'Rights Management' tab. Under the 'Ownership' section, click on 'Specific territories.' Now, choose an option: 'Own in selected territories' or 'Own everywhere except selected territories.' Once done, click the checkbox next to 'Block video outside your territories of ownership.' Finally, press 'Save.'