What you need to set up a YouTube channel for children

You need a Google account to create any YouTube channel, but the account itself does not have to belong to the child. Most parents create a channel under their own Google account and manage it for their child, or they create a separate Google account specifically for the channel and keep the password themselves.

If your child is under 13, YouTube's terms of service require parental consent. Google does not verify age automatically — you declare it when you create the account. If you say the account holder is under 13, Google restricts certain features like direct messaging and the ability to upload videos without a parent's permission.

You will also need to decide whether the channel will be public (anyone can find and watch videos), unlisted (only people with the link can watch), or private (only people you invite can watch). This choice affects who sees your child's content and who can comment.

Key Takeaways

  • Create the channel under your own Google account or a separate account you control, since children under 13 cannot legally own YouTube accounts.
  • Set the channel to private or unlisted if you want to limit who watches your child's videos and who can comment.
  • Turn off comments entirely or set them to "held for review" so you approve each one before it appears.
  • Do not include your child's full name, school name, address, or regular schedule in video titles, descriptions, or comments.
  • YouTube's algorithm recommends videos to viewers based on what they watch — private or unlisted channels bypass this entirely.

Steps to create the channel

Go to youtube.com and sign in with the Google account you want to use. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Create a channel." YouTube will ask you to name the channel and choose a profile picture. You do not have to use your child's real name — many parents use something like "Emma's Art Videos" or "The Martinez Family Channel" instead.

After you name the channel, YouTube takes you to the channel homepage. From there, click "Customize channel" to add a banner image, write a channel description, and set privacy settings. The description is where you can write a sentence or two about what the channel is for — for example, "Videos of my daughter learning to play piano" — but keep it brief and do not include personal details.

Once the channel exists, go to Settings (the gear icon) and then "Channel" to find privacy controls. Choose whether the channel is public, unlisted, or private. If you choose unlisted, only people with the direct link can find the channel; if you choose private, only people you specifically invite can watch.

Managing comments and who can interact

Comments are where most safety problems happen on children's channels. YouTube lets you turn comments off entirely, hold all comments for your review before they appear, or allow comments but filter out certain words. For a child's channel, holding comments for review is the safest middle ground — you see each comment before your child or anyone else does.

To set this up, go to Settings, then "Community," then "Comments." Select "Hold all comments for review." Now every comment that someone tries to post will sit in a queue until you approve it. You can delete comments that are rude, off-topic, or contain personal questions about your child.

You should also turn off direct messaging if your child's account is under 13. Go to Settings, then "Channel," then look for messaging or chat options and disable them. This prevents strangers from sending private messages to your child.

What to avoid putting in videos

Do not include your child's full name, school name, or the town where you live in video titles, descriptions, or audio. Avoid showing your home address, license plate, or the name of your child's sports team or extracurricular activities. These details help strangers build a picture of your child's routine and location.

Be careful about what is visible in the background of videos — street signs, house numbers, and distinctive landmarks can reveal location. If you film outdoors, choose generic backgrounds or film in a way that does not show identifying details.

Do not respond to comments that ask personal questions about your child, even if the question seems innocent. If someone comments "What school do you go to?" or "Where do you live?", delete the comment and do not answer it publicly.

How YouTube's recommendation system works with private channels

YouTube's algorithm recommends videos to users based on their watch history and what similar viewers watch. If your channel is public, YouTube may recommend your child's videos to other users, and your child's videos may appear in the "recommended" section of other videos. This means strangers can discover your child's content without you knowing.

If you set the channel to private or unlisted, YouTube does not recommend the videos to other users. The algorithm only shows videos to people you have explicitly shared the link with or invited. This is why private or unlisted is safer for children — it removes the possibility of random discovery.

Even if you make a channel unlisted, be careful who you share the link with. Anyone with the link can watch and comment (unless you have held comments for review). Do not post the link on public social media or share it with people you do not know.

Uploading your first video

To upload a video, click the camera icon with a plus sign in the top right corner and select "Upload video." Choose the video file from your computer. YouTube will ask you to add a title, description, and thumbnail image (the small picture that shows before someone clicks play).

In the title and description, do not include your child's full name or location. For example, use "Learning to Tie Shoes" instead of "Emma Rodriguez in Los Angeles Learns to Tie Shoes." Keep descriptions short and factual.

Before you publish, click "More options" and check the privacy setting one more time. Make sure it is set to private or unlisted, not public. You can also choose whether to allow comments, and if you do, remember that you have set them to be held for review first.

Monitoring and updating privacy settings over time

Check your channel settings every few months to make sure nothing has changed. YouTube sometimes updates its features, and you want to confirm that comments are still held for review and the channel is still set to the privacy level you chose.

As your child gets older, you may want to revisit whether the channel should remain private or become unlisted or public. This is a conversation to have with your child — explain why you made certain choices and ask if they want to change anything. If you do make the channel public later, review all old videos and comments to make sure nothing in them could be a safety concern.

Keep the password to the Google account in a safe place. If your child eventually takes over the channel, you can change the password and transfer ownership, but until then, you should be the only one who can access account settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child have their own YouTube account if they are under 13?

No. YouTube's terms of service do not allow children under 13 to create or own accounts. You must create and manage the account yourself. If you create an account and mark the user as under 13, YouTube restricts certain features like messaging and uploading without parental permission.

What happens if someone comments something inappropriate on my child's video?

If you have set comments to be held for review, you will see the comment before it appears publicly and can delete it without publishing it. If comments are already live, you can delete them at any time by clicking the three dots next to the comment and selecting "Remove." You can also block the user who posted it.

Is it safe to make my child's channel public?

Public channels are riskier because YouTube's algorithm recommends videos to strangers, and anyone can find and comment on them. If you want other people to watch, unlisted is safer — only people with the direct link can find it, and you control who gets the link.

Can I delete videos after I upload them?

Yes. Go to YouTube Studio, click "Videos" on the left, find the video you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select "Delete forever." Once deleted, the video is gone and no one can watch it, but it may take a few hours to disappear from search results and recommendations.

What should I do if my child wants to stop making videos?

You can delete individual videos, or you can delete the entire channel. To delete the channel, go to Settings, then "Advanced settings," then "Delete channel." YouTube will ask you to confirm. Once deleted, the channel and all its videos are permanently removed.