Snapchat has tied its top creator payouts to a watch-time threshold: since May 7, 2026, creators must maintain at least 100 hours of Total Spotlight View Time over the previous 28 days to qualify for maximum Creator Rewards, according to Snapchat’s official help documentation and reporting from EmitPost.

The change shifts the incentive from posting volume to sustained attention. Snapchat measures Total Spotlight View Time across a rolling 28-day window and surfaces the running total in the Insights tab under “Daily Rewards Eligibility,” so creators can track where they stand day to day. Those below 100 hours can still earn, but at reduced levels.

The mechanics: Snapchat places ads between Snaps in Public Stories and within Spotlight, and creators in the program receive a share of revenue. Spotlight videos must be at least 30 seconds long to be eligible to earn. Creators manage payouts in-app and can cash out a minimum of $100 whenever they choose, and Snapchat initiates an automatic payout when an untouched balance meets the $100 floor.

For creators, the 100-hour rule raises the bar for the most lucrative rewards and makes consistent audience attention — not occasional viral hits — the path to steady pay. One viral video no longer suffices; a catalog that holds watch time does.

The takeaway for creators: check your Daily Rewards Eligibility tab weekly and optimize for total view time, not view count. Longer, engaging Spotlight videos that keep viewers watching will do more for your payout tier than a higher volume of short clips.