Ask who runs the campaign
An offer using the words AdWords, Google Ads or advertising should explain the actual campaign arrangement. Establish who owns the advertising account, who selects the video and what reporting you receive. A label is not evidence that a campaign exists. Do not hand over channel passwords; clarify appropriate access arrangements if account involvement is genuinely required.
Separate media budget and service charges
Request a breakdown of the amount intended for advertising and any setup, management or reporting fee. A fixed package may not expose the same information as a campaign billed on actual spend. Compare quotations on a consistent basis, including currency and the campaign objective. Do not assume every currency unit paid becomes media spend or a guaranteed number of interested viewers.
Specify the audience and acceptable placements
Discuss the countries, languages, audience characteristics and creative that fit your objective. Those choices should relate to the people you want to reach, not merely the lowest nominal cost. Ask which settings are controllable and which are not. Agree on what happens if a video cannot run or a chosen audience is not available under the campaign configuration.
Evaluate reporting against the campaign objective
A useful report identifies the promoted video, dates, spend and relevant outcomes. Check that the evidence belongs to your campaign rather than an example account. YouTube states that paid-campaign views and watch time do not count toward YPP eligibility thresholds, so an ad-based discovery campaign should not be sold as guaranteed monetization progress. Track enquiries or conversions separately when those are your business goal.
Are ad-based views automatically monetization watch hours?
No. YouTube distinguishes paid-campaign metrics from the watch-time requirements used for program eligibility. Evaluate advertising for its audience and business objective.