Channel · YouTube
YouTube description link: tracking what it brings in
A description link is two questions. The first is for YouTube: will it be clickable? The second has no answer anywhere else: what did it bring in? This page answers both, in that order.
What YouTube allows
Only certain placements make a URL clickable, and the rule changed for Shorts. Here is what the official help center says, as it reads.
| Where the link is | Clickable? |
|---|---|
| Long video description or comment | Yes — provided advanced features are enabled on the channel |
| Short description or comment | No — "to limit spam and scam attempts" |
| Channel profile | Yes — up to 14 links on the channel page |
| Live chat and channel description, horizontal broadcast | Yes |
| The same, viewed in the mobile app in vertical feed | No |
External links to sites that violate YouTube's external links policy are not allowed, regardless of placement.
Checked on September 11, 2026 in YouTube help, « Partager des liens avec votre audience » — the original page. Platforms change their rules: if what you see no longer matches, the source wins.
What the link lets you read afterward — example
38%
of what you sold this month comes from YouTube. Not views, not clicks: sales — because every video carries its own link.
The rule
One link per video
The channel profile link tells you what the channel brings in. The link in each description tells you what that video brings in — and that is the only way to know which one to make again.
With your domain on it, it reads aloud in the video and stays yours. On a Short, where no URL is clickable, it is actually the only link that exists: the one shown on screen, that someone retypes.
Channel: YouTube
When you create the link, you choose its channel — where you are going to share it. On the dashboard, YouTube becomes a row, with its clicks, leads, and sales; and each video a row beneath it.
The three objections
"YouTube's analytics are enough for me."
"My descriptions already have UTM parameters."
"An unknown link under my video — my viewers will be suspicious."
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my link clickable in the description?
Two cases recorded in YouTube's help on 09/11/2026: your video is a Short — URLs are no longer clickable there, neither in the description nor in comments — or advanced features are not enabled on your channel. In the first case, no tool will change that: it is a platform rule.
Is a short link clickable on YouTube?
It follows the same rules as any URL: clickable in a long video description if your channel has access, never on a Short. What it changes is what happens after the click — and it holds on screen when it isn't clickable.
Do I need a different link for each video?
Yes, if you want to know which video sells. One link for the whole channel tells you what YouTube brings in; one link per video tells you which one to make again.
What about the 14 links on the channel profile?
Those live on your channel page — they don't belong to any video. Put a Subtraq link there too: it will measure what the profile brings in, separately from descriptions.
My audience watches from the mobile app — does that still count?
Yes. A link is an address; it doesn't depend on the device or the app. The only limit is YouTube's: where the URL isn't clickable, nobody clicks.
Create one link per video
Tracking starts at the first click — it doesn't reach back to yesterday's videos. Create the link before publishing, paste it in the description, and the video gets its own line in the report.
Create a free accountHow clicks are attributed by channel is explained on the attribution page.