Retrace Steps: How to Turn Your YT Queue on Its Head

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

If you have ever created a playlist on YouTube, you may have noticed that the order of the videos is automatically set and based on when they were added to the list. However, it would help if you played them in reverse order.

Surprisingly, there is no built-in way to do this on YouTube. However, four simple workarounds only take a few minutes to complete.

So, keep reading to learn how to reverse a YouTube playlist so you can watch the videos in the order you want!

How to Reverse a YouTube Playlist?

Below we’ve provided four different solutions to help you reverse your YouTube playlist on your computer:

Using Chrome Web Extension

One of the most straightforward and convenient methods of reversing the YouTube playlist is to install a Chrome browser extension that will let you play any playlist in the opposite order.

The “Iridium for YouTube” and “Improve YouTube” extensions on your Google Chrome can play any YouTube video queue or playlist in reverse.

Here’s how to install the “Iridium for YouTube” extension on your Chrome browser to reverse the playlist:
Step 1: In the first step, launch a browser on your computer and click the three dots (ellipsis icon) in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down, select “More Tools,” and click Extensions.”

Step 2:

• Now, click the three horizontal-line”Menu”icon.
• Click the”Open Chrome Web Store”option.
• Search for theIridium for YouTubeextension using the search bar.

Step 3:

• Open the extension page.
• Click”Add to Chrome.”
• Click the”Add Extension”option in the pop-up menu.

Step 4:Open a new page, visit YouTube , and a pop-up window will appear. Select”Close”to terminate it, and clickthe”Menu”(hamburger) icon in the top left corner of the screen. Next, scroll down and open your savedPlaylistthat you want to reverse.

Step 5: Click the “Play All” option in the details section of the playlist and click the Iridium button on the right side of the screen. This will open a new tab with different settings for your playlist. Go to the Video tab, and under the “Playlist” header, toggle the button next to “Enable reverse playlist control” to change the settings.

That’s about it. You will now be able to watch a YouTube playlist in reverse order.

Using The Third Website

Several trusted and reliable third-party websites, such as “Playlist. tools,” can help you reverse your YouTube playlists quickly. The platform is free and fully dedicated to instantly changing the order of your Playlist.

Here’s how you can use the Playlist.tools to reverse your videos’ order in a playlist on YouTube:

Step 1: Launch a browser on your laptop or desktop, head to theYouTube website, and click the three-line “Menu” icon. Now, scroll down to access the playlist you want to reverse, click the “Share” icon, and click “Copy” to save the URL to your clipboard.

Step 2: In the next step, open a new tab and visit the “Playlist.Tools” website. Now, paste the copied playlist URL in the provided text box, and the platform will start retrieving it.

Step 3: Finally, click the “Sort” icon and select descending order to reverse your playlist. You can always return to the original sequence by clicking the “Original Sequence” option in the top right corner of the screen.

Changing the Ordering in Settings

If you are a content creator on YouTube and want to reverse the videos’ order in a playlist on your channel, do the following steps in sequence:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website on a browser. Go to “Library” and open the playlist of your choice.

Step 2: Hover over the video, and you will see two horizontal lines next to it. Click/tap & hold the video and drag it to a new location to change its order.

You can also utilize the “Sort” option to reverse the playlist. To do so, click “Sort” at the top of the playlist above the videos and select “Date Published (Oldest)” to change the order.

A Bonus Tip for YouTube Creator: Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer

As a YouTube content creator, you need to set your videos’ order in your Playlist. Besides, the video’s trailer also influences your audiences’ browsing and watching experience. To help you with this part in case you are in need, we have prepared a video tutorial for you - How To Make Your Own YouTube Channel Trailer. If you have any interests, please don’t miss it, and see how to make a fantastic video trailer with a user-friendly video editor Wondershare Filmora :

Adding Playlist to Your Private Playlist

If you want to reverse a YouTube playlist order, you can create a new private playlist. This quick and easy method will help you get the desired results.

For this method to work, you don’t need to download any third-party app or use a website; all you have to do is open YouTube on any browser or use the YouTube app in the following way:

Step 1: In the first step, launch the YouTube app on your device or visit the YouTube website (if you are logged out, sign into your account using your credentials).

Step 2: In the next step, click your Profile at the top right of the screen and select the “Your Channel” option from the drop-down menu to access your YouTube channel.

Step 3: Scroll down on your channel’s dashboard, select a video, and click the three dots next to it. Next, click “Add to Playlist” from the drop-down list and select the “Create a New Playlist” option to make a new one.

Next, provide a name, set the privacy settings to “Private,” and click “Create.”

Step 4: In the final step, head to the Playlist tab, click “View Full Playlist” to open the new playlist, and click the “three dots” in the details area on the left. Next, select “Playlist Settings” and toggle the button next to “Add new videos to top of playlist” to enable it.

You can now add more videos to your playlist, and each one will be added to the top. This method helps you arrange the YouTube playlist as you desire.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve provided four different step-by-step solutions to show you how to reverse a YouTube playlist on your PC and mobile device using Chrome extension, a third-party website, changing settings, and adding videos to a new private playlist.

Hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful and can now watch your favorite playlist in the order you like without any issues.

Unraveling YouTube’s Viewer Metrics: A Deeper Look

How Does YouTube Count Views? It’s Not as Simple as You Think

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett