YouTube Testing Out Comment Controls to Manage Video Interactions

What new options is YouTube testing for creators?

YouTube is testing a new option that would enable creators to deactivate future comments on selected videos while keeping any comments posted until that point.

It is doing so to provide more ways to manage the discussion around your clips.

What will happen if you switch off video comments?

To be precise, you can switch off video comments, both at the channel and individual video level, but in doing so, you also deactivate all comments.

Even those that have already been posted. You can work around this by holding comments for review, but there is currently no easy way to halt words at a given point.

This new process provides more of a middle ground, so you can maintain a level of discussion, even if you choose to switch comments off.

What does YouTube say about it?

YouTube is experimenting with a new comment moderation setting called “Pause.” It allows creators to prevent the creation of new comments at the video level while preserving previously published words.

If you are in the experiment, you will see the option to select “pause” in your video-level comment settings at the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the comments panel on the watch page in the YouTube app or YouTube Studio on both desktop and mobile.

It is a relatively straightforward process. It will provide more control over your video-related discussion. It could be handy in certain situations where your content gets much-unwanted attention due to news events, concerted attacks, and more.

What happens when the setting is activated?

When the setting is activated, viewers receive a “Comments are paused” notification in the comment section. It will alert them to the update while they can still scroll through all the previous replies.

Creators in the experiment will now also see three categories in their comment controls: “On,” “Pause,” and “Off,” along with additional sub-settings for comment moderation.

Again, it could be handy in certain situations, providing more control over your YouTube experience.

YouTube says it is testing out the new option “with a small number of channels” to start with.

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