Whether the comments department of your YouTube video is a lovefest or Snark City, the fact is, it'south a place where conversations most your make are going to be happening — practiced, bad or ugly.

YouTube comments are an opportunity for the site'due south 1.seven billion unique monthly visitors to share what they dear, hate or simply must troll. It's similar the internet's own personal Thunderdome, but while it can exist a place for negativity, YouTube comments can as well be a powerful opportunity for positive community building and appointment.

So! If YouTube is part of your social media strategy and you desire to brand the virtually of your presence there, managing your comments effectively (with moderation, replies and analysis) is critical.

Not but does information technology show your fans and followers that you intendance about what they have to say, engaging with comments has the added benefit of boosting you in the YouTube algorithm. Videos with lots of likes, replies and moderation tend to show upwards higher in search results.

Desire to get the chief of moderation? Read on for everything you demand to know about comments on YouTube, and get that conversation going.

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Moderating comments that appear on your video is of import (and nosotros'll get to the details of that in a minute) but as a brand, yous'll desire to pipe up with your own commentary, as well.

Why? YouTube comments are an opportunity to testify off your dazzling wit… or sophistication if you're 1 of those serious brands who prefers making tear-jerking ads over extreme bike fob videos. And comments from a make business relationship specifically are a take chances to infuse your brand with a sense of actuality and humanity.

After all, each comment you exit is another reference and exposure to your make (and a chance to brand a great impression on the YouTube algorithm). Get chatty! Start a chat (on your own video or in another user'southward comment department) or chime in with your (on-brand) two cents elsewhere.

To make a comment:

  1. Underneath the video itself, find the annotate section.
  2. Type your message in the Add a annotate field. (If you're writing on your phone, you can tap the comment section to expand it.)
  3. Click Comment to post.

example of YouTube comments

Keep in listen that a) y'all can simply comment on public videos (or unlisted ones). And b) one time you postal service your comment, it volition exist public, likewise, and associated with your YouTube account. So if you lot're representing your make, make certain your message is the right tone, similar this i from a meditation studio on a chillhop playlist.

Highlighted comment Healing Vibrations YouTube channel

Considering knowing how to make a annotate is just ane part of the equation; how to make a skilful comment is another. A successful YouTube comment from a make should offer some value, and get beyond trying to make a sale.

Effort sharing an interesting ascertainment, peachy a joke, revealing helpful data or showing pity or care for a fan. And if yous can't turn on the charm (we all accept off-days, it'due south OK!), a apprehensive thumbs up or heart tin still go a long manner to evidence that you're listening.

A highlighted comment in YouTube is an automated feature, one intended to flag the content creator'southward attention.

If y'all receive a notification well-nigh a reply to one of your comments, or a notification near a new comment on one of your videos, y'all'll click through to the comments department and find that specific comment highlighted for easy reference.

In other words: YouTube highlights noteworthy comments for y'all to help make sure new letters or of import responses don't get lost in the oversupply. The highlight will disappear once you lot've seen the comment or engaged with information technology.

Video makers tin also manually highlight comments, to flag them for ease of replying later. Merely click on the timestamp (located adjacent to the commenter'south username) of a comment to do and so. Ta-da!

This comment from an Animal Crossing fan, for instance, was made a month ago, only clicking on the timestamp highlighted information technology right at the acme of the comments section, making it easier to review and reply to.

Highlighted comment from Animal Crossing fan

If yous're craving a trip downwardly YouTube memory lane (oh, you were and so young!), looking back on comments you've left on YouTube is like shooting fish in a barrel.

  1. Go to Annotate History.
  2. Click or tap the content to go to the original place you posted your comment.

Google My Activity your YouTube comments

Note that if you've commented on a deleted video, or your annotate has been removed for violating YouTube'south code of carry, you won't come across it logged here. Your trolling is lost in the sand of time. Sorry!

Not to brag, but annotate moderation is what Hootsuite'south YouTube integration really excels at.

Hootsuite helps social marketers efficiently manage their YouTube community by making it uncomplicated to appoint with comments.

Via the Hootsuite dashboard, you tin:

  • Delete comments on your own videos.
  • Cake specific users from commenting on videos on your channel.
  • Delete your own comments from any video at any fourth dimension.
  • Publish your own comments on your moderated videos without going through the moderation process.
  • Reply to comments on your videos.
  • Corroborate comments on your videos.

Hootsuite Streams

Here'southward how:

  1. Become to Streams, and so go to a YouTube Moderate or Probable Spam stream.
  2. Select Approve, Delete, or Reply below the comment.

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How to reply to comments

If someone has asked y'all a question or left a passionate note, don't leave 'em hanging. Respond to comments and proceed the conversation (and engagement) flowing.

On YouTube, head to your YouTube Studio page and choose Comments from the left-mitt menu. If you've set upwards comments to car-publish with no moderation, you tin can review them via the Published tab.

YouTube Studio channel comments and mentions

If comments need approval, they'll be lingering in the Held for Review tab. (Make sure y'all approve or delete them inside threescore days or they'll be deleted automatically!)

The filter bar at the tiptop of either tab allows yous to filter by specific text, by comments with questions, by unanswered comments, and more than — an extremely helpful tool if you're dealing with a communicative audience.

channel comments and mentions filter bar

In YouTube Studio, yous can reply with the smart answer feature (in which YouTube auto-generates responses), or hitting Respond to blazon a unique message in response. While you lot're hither, you can likewise give comments a thumbs up, thumbs downwards or a heart icon. Here, y'all can as well pin a comment to the elevation of your video's watch page.

How to respond to YouTube comments in Hootsuite

If you'd rather use Hootsuite Streams for your YouTube comment moderation (we dearest to run across information technology), yous accept a couple of options for replying:

  1. Enter a reply in the text box below the comment, and and then press Enter.
  2. Alternatively, you may select More than Deportment side by side to the comment, select Reply, enter your reply, and so press Enter.

More Actions option next to YouTube comment

How to search for a YouTube comment

  1. In YouTube Studio, tap Comments on the left-paw of the page.
  2. Select Search from the card on the Published tab and type the text you lot're hunting for.

Using Hootsuite? It's easy to merely add together a search stream to your dashboard. This tin can aid you pull upwardly comments you lot want to either revisit or reply to in moments.

Hootsuite edit YouTube search stream

You can search for content using keywords and sort the information by date uploaded, relevance, view count and rating. If y'all desire to revisit a most liked YouTube comment on one of your videos, this is the characteristic to use. Get your hunt on!

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How to delete comments

Want to get rid of a comment that you lot've written (sometimes emotions run high when you're watching weiner canis familiaris races, we get it!), or an unsavory annotate someone has left on your video?

  1. Hover over the height right of the comment.
  2. Select Delete (the trash tin icon) to remove the comment.

delete YouTube comment

That being said: your audition will observe when comments are deleted, and some brands tin become a bad reputation for shutting downwardly audition complaints or dialogue. Censorship is rarely a good look, so use this ability with discretion. With slap-up power comes great responsibility.

How to report comments

If a annotate is in violation of YouTube'southward community guidelines — recall threats, spam or harassment, phishing, or inappropriate comments — you lot can report it to the head honchos for removal and disciplinary activeness (a.k.a… JUSTICE!)

Log into your YouTube Studio account and click the three dots right next to the similar, dislike and heart options. From there, you'll have the option to click the blood-red flag and study a annotate.

click red flag to report comment

If you practice so, make certain that the post is in clear violation of YouTube's guidelines, otherwise, the platform is unlikely to take action.

How to plow on comments on YouTube

  1. Head to YouTube Studio and click on the gear icon (Settings) on the left-mitt side.
  2. Select Customs.
  3. Pick your preferred annotate choice.

Settings hold all comments for review

The default setting is for potentially inappropriate comments to be held for review before publication, but you can switch settings to allow all comments, agree all comments for review, or disable comments altogether.

If you choose the "concur all comments for review" setting on your aqueduct, y'all'll be able to approve YouTube comments correct from Hootsuite.

Or, if y'all cull to exit the automated filter on, you can customize the filter to your liking past adding moderators, approving or hiding specific users or setting information technology to block certain words.

How to turn off comments on YouTube

See higher up! In YouTube Studio'due south Community settings, change the comments setting to "disable comments" to prevent the public from posting comments at all.

If you've got a typo to fix or a clarification to brand, it'south simple to edit a comment you've left.

  1. Hover over the top right of the comment.
  2. Select Edit (the pencil icon) to make changes to your comment.
  3. Revise history!

Now that you're a comment whiz, you'd better give your audience something to talk most. Check out our complete guide to YouTube marketing, and then explore bully tips for getting more views and building your YouTube subscriber base of operations.

Allow Hootsuite brand growing your YouTube channel easier. Schedule your videos, moderate comments, and promote your work on other social channels—all in one place! Sign up free today.

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