Why Are My YouTube Comments Hidden? A Complete Guide

YouTube is home to over two billion monthly users who watch over one billion hours of videos every single day. With such a massive amount of content being uploaded and interactions happening, YouTube employs complex algorithms to curate videos, manage recommendations, and moderate comments.

However, there is one YouTube phenomenon that still bewilders many users – hidden comments. You may have noticed that while a video shows a certain number of comments posted, only some are visible while the rest seem to be mysteriously hidden.

So what exactly causes some comments to become hidden on YouTube? And is there any way to access or unhide them? Let’s break down the mystery of YouTube’s hidden comments.

What Causes YouTube to Hide Comments?

YouTube employs advanced algorithms and filtering systems to identify and remove comments considered irrelevant, inappropriate or disruptive. This keeps comment sections constructive. However, sometimes perfectly valid comments get caught in the crossfire.

There are several main reasons YouTube may automatically hide comments:

Excessive Commenting Frequency

If you rapidly comment across multiple videos in a short period, YouTube’s spam filters may temporarily hide your comments. Their system views unusually frequent commenting as suspicious, often assuming spammers or bots. After taking a day or two break, filters generally reset.

Links in Comments

YouTube works hard to reduce link spam. So if your comments regularly contain links, even legitimate ones, enough links eventually triggers hiding. You can share links occasionally, but stick to channel descriptions for mainly promoting URLs.

Held for Review

Some creators manually disable auto-published comments, instead holding them for personal review first. Until individually approved, these “held for review” comments won’t appear. Check a video’s settings if left quality comments go missing.

Beyond those common triggers, violating official Community Guidelines through hatred, harassment, scams, graphic content, etc can prompt hiding too.

YouTube may also automatically flag questionable formatting like ALL-CAPS, emoji spamming or odd punctuation use. Too many comments containing external links also raises suspicion.

Occasionally channel creators impose stricter rules beyond YouTube’s defaults, hiding borderline comments others would allow. And viewers can flag comments for manual review as well.

Finally, while less common, technical glitches could mistakenly hide comments rarely.

The good news? Besides patience and following best practices, reachable Support teams can investigate hidden comment causes upon request. Don’t panic. With understanding of the filtration logic at play, regaining your commenting abilities fully is definitely possible in most cases!

What to Do When Your YouTube Comments Are Hidden

Discovering your thoughtful YouTube comments obscured from public view can certainly be aggravating. But don’t stress. Hidden comments are usually temporary setbacks rectifiable with a little patience and the right approach.

If you find your comments consistently filtered out, try these constructive tips before contacting Support:

• Take a Commenting Break: Since rapid-fire comment spam often overwhelms filters, take 1-2 days off commenting. This allows automated systems to reset and recognize you aren’t a bot.
• Review Video Settings: Check if the video creator has manual comment approval enabled, forcing comments into a holding queue. If so, flag yours for their review.
• Analyze for Trigger Words: Re-read your hidden comment for possible guideline violations around hate speech, harassment, etc. Adjust terminology if necessary.
• Rephrase Link-Heavy Comments: Avoid over-relying on links in comments. Rephrase any hidden comments stuffed with URLs.
• Highlight Channel Links Instead: Showcase important links prominently on your channel itself rather than cramming them into video comments.
• Keep Commenting Topical and Thoughtful: Stay focused on meaningful commentary related directly to video contents. Well-written, on-topic remarks tend to get approved.

While waiting for filters to reset, find other ways to engage positively with the community. Create your own content, make channel improvements, or thoughtfully discuss videos with approval-enabled comments.

You can also politely appeal to creators directly if you feel they unfairly filtered reasonable remarks. Just remember to remain constructive, following both platform guidelines and any channel-specific rules.

With time and conscientious participation, your ability to comment without hiding should be restored. YouTube understands their algorithms aren’t perfect, so impacted users demonstrating good faith generally earn back full privileges.

5 Pro Tips for Commenting on YouTube Without Getting Hidden

Crafting constructive YouTube comments positively impacts communities when done thoughtfully. Here are 5 professional tips to avoid the heartbreak of hidden entries:

1. Comment Less Frequently

Find balance in engaging commentary without overdoing volume. Post across a reasonable number of videos daily, not hundreds. Moderation demonstrates humanity.

2. Proofread Before Posting

Quality trumps quantity. Double check comments for tone and content before sending. Fix easily flagged weaknesses like excessive caps or emojis.

3. Avoid Link Overreliance

YouTube filters aggressively combat spammy links. So showcase useful URLs prominently on your channel instead, linking selectively in remarks when beneficial.

4. Stay On-Topic

Shape relevant commentary specifically about video contents. Don’t veer into self-promotion or tangents unrelated to the footage. Comments should enrich viewer understanding.

5. Build Relationships

Regularly connect with creators over time through loyal participation. Valued community members earn trust and dodge excessive scrutiny.

Internalizing these common sense habits trains awareness of potential pitfalls, whether from automated filters or overzealous creators. always act in good faith respecting the community. With quality efforts, your voice joins stimulating ongoing conversations instead of disappearing indistinctly.

Remember the golden rule – post comments as if they’ll be featured publicly with your identity attached. Discuss ideas thoughtfully while avoiding online disinhibition effects. Achieve this by embracing patience and understanding, not just seeking personal visibility.

Is There a Limit to How Many YouTube Comments You Can Leave?

When attempting to rebuild your commenting reputation, a fair question arises around daily commenting limits. Is there a set threshold where too many comments triggers hiding?

The short answer is: YouTube has no official public comment limit. However, their filter systems certainly work harder to hide those leaving an unusually high number of comments. Moderation seems to occur on a spectrum rather than hitting a specific threshold.

While no one knows the exact tipping point, aiming to mimic an average user is smart. Most viewers comment only occasionally on videos they feel passionately about. Those leaving hundreds of comments daily across random videos are more likely to trip filters.

SoAlways think quality over quantity, commenting thoughtfully and selectively rather than attempting to spray comments everywhere in hopes of views and engagement. Remember, even if not officially stated, YouTube can and will hide those abusing the system.

Can You Share Links in YouTube Video Comments?

One final question people often have around YouTube comments is whether you can include links. As we’ve discussed, links contribute to comments getting caught by filters. But does that mean link-including comments aren’t allowed entirely?

The good news is links are permissible in moderation. While risky if overdone, thoughtful comments relevant to the video that happen to contain a link occasionally tend to get approved. The key rules around comment links on YouTube are:

• Use links sparingly, not in every comment
• Ensure the link relates to the video’s content
• Supplement links with ample original commentary

Basically, don’t make links the sole focus of comments or post them too frequently across videos. Provide value commentary readers appreciate first, links secondarily.

YouTube does want to reduce spam bots. So when possible, try featuring important links prominently on your channel itself too. That avoids depending entirely on video comment links for visibility. Be helpful and on-topic first, self-promotional second.

Over to You!

We hope this guide gave you a better grasp of why YouTube sometimes hides user comments and how to avoid or resolve it when it happens to you. Just remember—comment less frequently, stay on-topic, avoid overusing links, and always provide value for viewers above all else.

Stick to these best practices and your days of having your YouTube comments hidden should be over for good!

Eric Mason

I am Eric Mason, the founder of TubeLoop.io and I have extensive experience with digital marketing and media. I have employed my expertise to launch a multitude of successful online businesses, ranging across a variety of industries. I also enjoy tackling startups, taking calculated risks and taking advantage of opportunities – I believe these attributes act as catalysts for success within any industry. I look forward to continuing my journey toward success with TubeLoop.io makes it possible for people to watch youtube videos over and over again, it is something I am passionate about and I’m excited to see what the future holds.