YouTube has launched its Shopping Affiliate Programme in the UK, allowing eligible creators to tag products from retailers directly inside their content.

Retailers taking part in the new programme include Boots, Currys, Debenhams, Etsy, Marks & Spencer, Next, and Wayfair.

Creators will be able to embed links to products from these brands in their videos, Shorts, and livestreams on the platform, earning a commission from qualifying purchases.

The programme is supported by affiliate marketing platform Awin, and is available to creators signed up to YouTube’s Partner Program who have at least 500 subscribers.

The launch was confirmed on LinkedIn by YouTube’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, Alison Lomax.

“Today,” she said, “we’re taking the next step by launching the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme in the UK. This opens up huge new opportunities for creators to tag products in their content and for viewers to seamlessly shop from creators they trust.”

To support the launch, the platform is rolling out new tools, including “using AI to do the heavy lifting, like auto-tagging products shown in videos”, the company said. It added that “Shopping is in YouTube’s DNA”, suggesting that content creators on its platform have become “trusted advisors” on what to buy.

Rival platform TikTok has long offered similar functionality through its TikTok Shop feature, which also allows users to purchase products directly through content on the app. The technology has proved highly profitable, with chief marketing officer at e-commerce platform Rithum describing it as one of the defining retail trends of 2026.

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