YouTube Communities
YouTube Communities can mean two different things, and mixing them up is the single most common mistake in creator content about this topic:
- Communities (capital C, the newer feature) — a dedicated, fan-initiated discussion space linked to a channel, where subscribers (not just the creator) can start conversations, post photos, and reply to each other, independent of any specific video.
- The Community tab — the long-standing feature where a creator publishes text, image, poll, GIF, and video updates to subscribers. YouTube quietly renamed this to "Posts" in early 2025, though "Community tab" and "Community posts" are still the terms most creators and viewers use.
Both are real, both are currently live on YouTube, and they serve different purposes. This entry covers each on its own terms, then compares them directly.
The Community tab / Posts, explained
The Community tab (officially "Posts" as of 2025) is a channel-level feed where creators share updates between video uploads. It supports engagement-driving formats: text, images, GIFs, short video clips, playlists, polls, and quizzes.
Posts show up in more places than most creators expect:
- The Posts tab on the channel page
- The Posts shelf on the channel's Home tab
- Subscribers' YouTube homepage and Subscriptions feed
- The Shorts feed (image posts specifically)
- As a notification, if the viewer is subscribed and has notifications on
Eligibility for Posts
There is no subscriber minimum today. That's a meaningful change worth stating plainly, because a lot of content still repeats outdated numbers:
| Era | Subscriber requirement |
|---|---|
| Pre-2021 | 1,000 subscribers |
| Oct 2021–2023 | 500 subscribers |
| 2023–present | None |
Instead of a subscriber count, YouTube gates Posts behind "Advanced features" access in YouTube Studio, unlocked by one of:
- Phone/ID verification
- Video verification
- Roughly two months of channel history in good standing
Posts are also unavailable if:
- The channel's audience is set to Made for Kids
- The account is a supervised (parent-managed) account
- The channel is in Germany (per YouTube's help documentation)
Post types and format rules
| Post type | What it is | Key limits |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Written update | No hard character cap published; can't be combined with a poll |
| Image | Up to 10 photos | 16 MB per image; JPG, PNG, GIF, or WEBP; 1:1 aspect ratio suggested |
| GIF | Animated image | Same file rules as images |
| Video | Own or another creator's video | Sharing another creator's video may notify them |
| Playlist | Link to a playlist | Shared via pasted playlist URL |
| Poll | Text or image, up to 4 options | Image poll captions capped at 36 characters |
| Quiz | Up to 4 answers, 1 correct | Optional 500-character explanation; can't be edited after saving |
Monetization connection
Creators can mark a post as members-only, or restrict it to a specific tier, for anyone enrolled in channel memberships. That's the real monetization link. Tipping tools like Super Thanks apply to videos, Shorts, and live chat — not to Community posts directly, despite some guides implying otherwise.
Communities, explained (the newer feature)
YouTube announced Communities on September 18, 2024, describing it as a space where, "for the first time ever, subscribers can chat with each other and the creator directly." It went from limited testing to general availability for eligible creators on June 17, 2025, and expanded from mobile-only to desktop in October 2025.
What makes Communities structurally different from Posts:
- Fan-initiated, not just creator-broadcast. Subscribers can start discussions and posts, not only comment on what the creator shares.
- A dedicated space, separate from the Posts tab, linked from the channel page.
- Continuous dialogue. Conversations aren't tied to a single video or post and can keep going between uploads.
- Creator moderation controls, including holding all posts for review before they appear, and inviting moderators who can remove posts or hide users.
Eligibility for Communities
- Existing access to Posts
- Creator is over 16, and the channel isn't a supervised experience
- Audience isn't set to Made for Kids
- Channel isn't a VEVO channel
- Subscribers typically need to be subscribed for a creator-set minimum period before they can post inside the Community
A note on scope
YouTube Music also has a separate, artist-facing "Fan Communities" feature for forum-style fan discussion tied to music releases. That's a different product from the Communities feature described here, which applies to standard YouTube channels.
Posts vs. Communities at a glance
| Community tab (Posts) | Communities | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can start a post | Creator only | Creator and subscribers |
| Where it lives | Posts tab, Home shelf, feeds | Dedicated space linked from channel |
| Conversation style | Broadcast + comments | Ongoing, multi-directional discussion |
| Launched | Long-standing (renamed "Posts" in 2025) | Announced Sept 2024; general availability June 2025 |
| Platform availability | Mobile, desktop | Mobile and desktop (desktop added Oct 2025) |
| Subscriber minimum | None | Creator-set minimum subscription period to post |
How this fits into a broader channel strategy
Community posts and Communities both work best alongside a consistent upload schedule and strong suggested videos performance — they extend engagement between uploads rather than replacing the need for monetized playbacks and healthy ad revenue from core content. Creators building out channel permissions for a team should note that moderation tools for Communities (holding posts, assigning moderators) are managed separately from general Studio roles.
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Is the "Community tab" the same thing as "Communities"?
No. The Community tab (renamed "Posts" in 2025) is where creators publish updates to subscribers. Communities is a separate, newer feature where subscribers themselves can start and join discussions in a dedicated space linked to the channel.
Do I need a minimum number of subscribers to get the Community tab / Posts?
No. YouTube removed the subscriber threshold in 2023. Access today depends on having "Advanced features" enabled in YouTube Studio via ID verification, video verification, or channel history — not a subscriber count.
Can I make a Community post members-only?
Yes. If your channel has channel memberships set up, you can restrict a post to members, or to members at a specific level.
Is Communities available on desktop?
Yes, as of October 2025. It launched mobile-only in 2024–2025 but has since expanded to desktop.