YouTube Enhances Engagement for Creators with Updated Shopping Buttons for Shorts and Expanded Communities Feature

In a recent update, YouTube has rolled out an updated shopping button for Shorts, providing creators with more options to engage with their audience and promote products. The new feature allows creators to place product-specific stickers on their Shorts, making it easier for viewers to find and purchase products.

The previous shopping button in Shorts appeared as a banner in the bottom left-hand corner of the video. When clicked, it would open a list of tagged products for viewers to shop. However, the new shopping button now features a product sticker that appears on the playback screen. When viewers tap the sticker image, they are redirected to the retailer's website for that product.

If multiple products are tagged in a Short, tapping the down arrow on the sticker will open a product list. Creators can rearrange the list to determine which product a sticker will be generated for, and can change the size and placement of the sticker using the YouTube main app.

In an experiment conducted in the U.S. in May 2025, Shorts with shopping product stickers saw over 40% more clicks on products than Shorts with the previous shopping button. While some advertisers may prefer the previous display, the updated format provides more options for promotions with a more upfront presentation style.

YouTube is also expanding access to its Communities feature, giving all creators that have access to posts the ability to use Communities as well. Communities provide a text-based discussion board element to channels, adding another social media-aligned way for creators and their fans to interact.

YouTube began testing Communities last July and expanded them to more channels in February this year. Now, a heap more channels will get access to this feature, which will receive notifications via email and a banner notification displayed on their channel pages on mobile.

YouTube is also adding new sorting options for Community posts, including "Top Posts" and "Newest." "Top Posts" ranks comments based on their likelihood to interact, while "Newest" view is a reverse chronological feed. These sorting options mirror the experience available on the main app and make it easier for creators to prioritize key engagements.

Finally, YouTube is rolling out four new animated gifts that livestream viewers can send during a broadcast: "Victory Spin," "Hooray," "Seal Splash," and "Rockstar." These new gifts provide additional options for viewers to get attention and donate to streamers in the app. Currently, these new gifts are only available to creators and viewers in the U.S.

Overall, these updates from YouTube are designed to make it easier for creators to engage with their audience and promote products, while also providing a more engaging and lively space for discussions through Communities and new sorting options for Community posts.