YouTube Expands Livestream Donation Features with New Gift Goals System

YouTube is rolling out an expanded "gift goals" feature for livestream creators, enabling them to set donation targets and offer viewer rewards to boost engagement and community building. The experimental feature, launched August 28, 2025, marks YouTube's latest effort to enhance monetization opportunities for business growth on YouTube.

This expansion builds on YouTube's successful Super Chat goals program introduced last year, now making similar functionality available to all livestream creators. The move represents a significant shift in how creators can monetize their content while fostering stronger viewer relationships.

Making Donations More Engaging

The new gift goals system allows creators to establish specific donation targets within set timeframes during vertical livestreams. Creators can customize both the monetary goals and associated rewards, gamifying the donation process to encourage viewer participation.

"Creators in the experiment will be able to set a target gift amount and pick a timeframe to achieve the goal before sharing it with their viewers," YouTube explained in their announcement. "With gift goals creators get a new way to engage with their audience and build community."

Enhanced Monetization Features

YouTube's broader strategy for livestream monetization includes several complementary features:

• Engagement leaderboards that rank viewers based on participation
• The new "Jewels" donation system currently being rolled out
• Competitive donation mechanics to encourage viewer participation

For creators looking to maximize their success, implementing essential YouTube tools for content optimization alongside these new features can significantly enhance their channel's performance.

Practical Applications for Creators and Viewers

Content creators can leverage this new feature by:

• Setting strategic donation goals aligned with their community's interests
• Creating compelling rewards that motivate viewer participation
• Using the system to fund specific projects or content improvements

To maximize the effectiveness of these new features, creators should develop a comprehensive video content strategy for long-term success.

Viewers benefit through:

• More interactive livestream experiences
• Clear visibility of contribution impact
• Opportunities to receive creator rewards

The rollout of gift goals represents YouTube's continued commitment to developing creator monetization tools while enhancing viewer engagement. As livestreaming continues to grow as a content format, such features may prove crucial for creators looking to build sustainable revenue streams through their YouTube presence.

For more information about YouTube's latest features and updates, visit YouTube's Official Creator Blog.