The short answer
Use one ads adjustment report per month. ADJ_video_raw is simpler and its views add up as they are, but it often arrives without an Asset ID. ADJ_claim_raw carries an Asset ID on every line, so it tells you who each adjustment belongs to, but its views repeat once per asset. A network that pays per channel picks the first; one that pays per asset picks the second.
Network accountants ask: “Why did last month's revenue drop after we closed it?” and “What's the difference between adj claim and adj video, and which do we rely on?”. The first answer is in YouTube's definition of adjustments; the second is in no documentation, because it only shows when you reconcile both files month after month.
What is the adjustments report in YouTube revenue?
The adjustments report is a file that changes past months' revenue up or down, which is why revenue changes after a month is closed. YouTube defines the adjustment type field as showing whether a line is normal revenue or an adjustment to previously reported revenue, and an adjustments report is only published in a month that has adjustments.
| Adjustment type as in the report | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Backpay | Revenue that was held and is now released to its owner |
| Conflict Resolution | Revenue after an asset ownership conflict is resolved |
| Dispute Resolution | Revenue after a claim dispute is settled |
| Dispute Conflict Resolution | A settlement involving both a dispute and a conflict |
| Spam Adjustment | A deduction for invalid traffic, usually negative |
| Revenue Correction | A technical correction, up or down |
What is the difference between ADJ_video_raw and ADJ_claim_raw?
The difference is the line level: ADJ_video_raw has one line per playback on the video, ADJ_claim_raw one line per claiming asset on the video. According to the YouTube reports Injaz Digital has received up to October 2026, both carry the same revenue family and their revenue matches exactly; they differ in two things:
| Aspect | ADJ_claim_raw | ADJ_video_raw |
|---|---|---|
| Asset ID | On every line, so you know who each adjustment belongs to | Often blank, so the adjustment can only be attributed to the channel or video |
| Views | Repeat once per asset, so they cannot be summed | Add up as they are |
| Revenue | Complete | Complete, matching the other form |
Which adjustment report should you choose?
Choose by how you pay: ADJ_video_raw if you pay each channel as a whole, ADJ_claim_raw if you distribute money by asset:
- A network paying each channel to a single owner: ADJ_video_raw, simpler and with correct views.
- A network or company paying by asset (nasheeds, recitations by several reciters, compilations, a channel airing several clients' content): take the money from ADJ_claim_raw, the only form that says who each adjustment belongs to.
- If you also need view adjustments, take only the views from ADJ_video_raw and the money from ADJ_claim_raw, never the money from both.
From our experience, one example keeps coming back: a channel airing recitations for several rights holders received its adjustments in ADJ_video_raw with no Asset ID, so the only option was to attribute them to the channel, and the channel served several clients, so the adjustment went to the wrong one. The revenue was correct to the cent; the error was in who received it. That is why Injaz Digital ties every adjustment to the asset whenever the asset decides who owns the money.
Why not use both reports together?
Because they are two forms of the same money, so summing both counts every adjustment twice. According to the YouTube reports Injaz Digital has received up to October 2026, July brought ADJ_claim_raw instead of the ADJ_video_raw received in April and June; revenue matched exactly, and no views were recorded from that component, because summing its views would have inflated it by about 12%. If an adjustments file arrives without a clear name, the claim form repeats the same video, country and day once per asset.
Why must negative lines stay?
Because negative lines are real deductions by YouTube, such as invalid-traffic deductions. Filtering the file with “revenue greater than zero” to drop the zeros deletes them too, so the computed revenue ends up higher than the transfer that reached the bank. The right rule: drop only lines whose revenue is exactly zero, and keep the negatives.
- Each month, make sure exactly one ads adjustment report arrived, and identify its form.
- Pick the money source by how you pay: by channel or by asset.
- Take no views from ADJ_claim_raw.
- Keep negative lines; drop only zero lines.
- Reconcile the adjustment total on your statement with the raw file's total.
These steps are part of the month-end close Injaz Digital automated for its own network, which now takes about half an hour instead of two weeks, and which Injaz AI builds for networks and record labels around how their accountants work.
Why choose Injaz Digital to manage and protect your channel?
- An official YouTube partnership: monetization, rights protection through Content ID and channel optimization, in one place.
- Over 4.1 billion views across partner channels, and over a million videos under our management every month.
- We handle claims and disputes for you, and send you clear regular reports.
- Over 15 years in the Arab market, with offices in Cairo, Dubai and Riyadh.
FAQ
Why does YouTube revenue change after the month is closed?
Because YouTube sends adjustment reports that change past months' revenue, such as releasing held revenue, settling a dispute or deducting invalid traffic.
What is the difference between ADJ_claim_raw and ADJ_video_raw?
ADJ_claim_raw has a line per claiming asset, always carries an Asset ID and repeats views. ADJ_video_raw has a line per playback with summable views, but its Asset ID is often blank. Revenue is the same in both.
Should I add ADJ_claim_raw and ADJ_video_raw revenue together?
Never. They are the same adjustments in two forms; adding them counts the money twice.
Should I delete negative lines from the adjustments report?
No. They are real deductions; deleting them makes your computed revenue higher than what reached the bank. Delete only zero lines.