YouTube Shopping in Indonesia surges as watch time soars 400% in one year

Indonesia’s embrace of YouTube Shopping has delivered a surge in engagement, with watch time for shopping content skyrocketing more than 400% in just one year, the company reported. The platform’s daily reach and engagement among Gen Z have underpinned this growth.

As the first country in Southeast Asia to roll out its YouTube Shopping affiliate programme, Indonesia has demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm, YouTube said. The platform’s ecosystem - strengthened by partners such as Lazada - has created a trusted space where creators and audiences connect authentically.

“This is a very interesting phenomenon and YouTube sees it as something important to continue supporting, because one of the principles for us at Google is how we can create an open ecosystem. Over the past year, we have seen the enthusiasm of the public and its great potential, as well as helping creators’ economy and giving impact to brands,” said Veronica Utami, country director of Google Indonesia.

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This unprecedented growth is underpinned by a multi-format, creator-driven ecosystem. YouTube’s content offerings - from Shorts to long-form videos - allow creators to foster community ownership and translate engagement into business results. The number of channels in Indonesia with more than one million subscribers has also increased over the past year, now exceeding 3,000.

The platform’s impact is tangible. Gen Z audiences view YouTube as their resource for researching and validating products, with 90% agreeing that YouTube hosts the most trustworthy creators for purchase recommendations.

Dewi Vanow, a YouTube creator, shared her experience: “When I first discovered YouTube Shopping, I thought, ‘maybe this isn’t for me,’ because I’m not the type to sell or do affiliate. But after trying and committing, the audience response was incredible. Many often ask, ‘Where can I buy this, Kak?’ or ‘Which product are you using?’ From there I started tagging stores or products I used so viewers could easily find them.”

Vanow said that taking that small step had a major impact, boosting her income from YouTube Shopping to 40–50% of her previous earnings and turning a hobby into a new business.

Partners in the eCommerce space are seeing similar benefits. Shopee reported that in just nine months, the number of videos with product tagging increased fivefold, with individual videos tagging up to 60 products - quadrupling product recommendations in key categories such as Muslim fashion, mom-and-baby, mobile-and-tablet, and home living.

“YouTube’s philosophy is clear: we only succeed if our creators succeed. By empowering creativity with new AI tools such as Gemini and Veo, and introducing features like Stickers on Shorts, we are committed to providing diverse ways for creators to build sustainable careers,” Utami said.

Beyond creator success, YouTube’s multi-format storytelling ensures focused audience attention in a “flow state,” translating into measurable business outcomes.

Rajan Vishwadeep, principal partner, client leadership at WPP Media, said that three strategies stand out to unlock YouTube’s multi-format potential: long-form content builds narratives and emotion; short-form collaborations keep creators authentic and close to young audiences; and combining both formats drives reach, engagement, and conversions.

ROI on YouTube in Indonesia is more than four times higher than linear TV and 1.5 times higher than other digital platforms, demonstrated by campaigns recognised at this year’s YouTube Works Awards. A standout example is the Lifebuoy #KetempelanDingin campaign, which used a mix of content formats and collaborated with creators to reach over 418 million views.

“The YouTube Works award is a meaningful recognition of Lifebuoy’s bold efforts to stay relevant with our consumers, especially Gen Z. We understand that to make a real impact, we need to be present where the audience is - and most importantly, where they place their trust in creators,” said Erfan Hidayat, marketing lead for the skin cleansing category, Unilever Indonesia.

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