YouTube Comment Moderation: Complete Creator's Guide

YouTube comment moderation allows creators to control which comments appear on their videos using filters, blocked word lists, user blocking, and hold-for-review settings. Access these tools in YouTube Studio > Settings > Community to create automatic filters, and Studio > Comments to review held comments. Effective moderation builds a healthier community while reducing spam and harassment.

Key Takeaways

• YouTube Studio provides comprehensive comment moderation tools
• Three moderation levels: allow all, hold potentially inappropriate, hold all
• Block specific words, phrases, and links with custom filter lists
• Hide users from your channel permanently or temporarily
• Hold for review catches suspicious comments without auto-deleting
• Comment moderators can help manage large channels
• Balance moderation with community engagement—over-filtering kills discussion

YouTube Comment Moderation Settings Overview

Accessing Moderation Settings

Available settings:

Comment Filtering Levels

YouTube offers three main filtering levels:

Setting Up Comment Filters

Step 1: Access Community Settings

1. 1.Open YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com)
2. 2.Click Settings (gear icon) in left sidebar
3. 3.Select "Community" tab

Step 2: Configure Default Settings

Defaults section options:

Comments on your new videos:

• Allow all comments
• Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review
• Hold all comments for review
• Disable comments

Comments on your channel:

Same options as video comments, applies to community posts and channel page.

Step 3: Set Up Blocked Words

How to add blocked words:

1. 1.Click in the "Blocked words" text box
2. 2.Enter words or phrases, one per line
3. 3.YouTube will hide comments containing these terms

Example blocked word list:

sub4sub
free subscribers
check my channel
follow for follow
clickbait
scam
[competitor name]
[profanity variations]

Pro tips:

• Include common misspellings
• Add variations (f-r-e-e, fr33)
• Block both singular and plural forms
• Include emojis used in spam (🔥 in spam contexts)

Step 4: Configure Link Filtering

Options:

Managing Comments in YouTube Studio

The Comments Dashboard

View options:

Bulk Actions

For multiple comments:

1. 1.Check the boxes next to comments
2. 2.Use action buttons at top:

- Approve (✓)

- Remove

- Report spam

- Hide user

Individual Comment Actions

Per-comment options:

• ❤️ Heart the comment (shows appreciation)
• 📌 Pin comment (moves to top)
• Reply
• Remove
• Report
• Hide user from channel

User Management

Hiding Users

What "Hide user" does:

• All future comments from this user are automatically hidden
• Existing comments remain (unless you remove them)
• User doesn't receive notification they're hidden
• They can still see their own comments (shadow ban)

How to hide a user:

1. 1.Find their comment
2. 2.Click three-dot menu
3. 3.Select "Hide user from channel"

Hidden Users List

Management options:

• View all hidden users
• Remove users from list (unhide)
• Add users by channel URL

Approved Users

Users who bypass all moderation filters:

Use for:

• Trusted community members
• Team members
• Frequent helpful commenters
• Channel collaborators

Assigning Moderators

What Moderators Can Do

Adding Moderators

1. 1.Go to Studio > Settings > Community > Moderators
2. 2.Enter the moderator's channel URL
3. 3.They'll receive notification and can begin moderating

Best Practices for Moderators

Choose moderators who:

• Understand your community guidelines
• Are active in your community
• Have mature, fair judgment
• Can respond to comments professionally

Set clear guidelines:

• When to remove vs. warn
• When to escalate to you
• What language to use in responses
• How to handle edge cases

Advanced Moderation Strategies

Creating Effective Blocked Word Lists

Categories to consider:

Spam indicators:

sub4sub
check out my
follow for follow
free subscribers
discount code
promo code
link in bio

Harmful content:

[slurs and hate speech]
[harassment patterns]
[doxxing attempts]

Competitor spam:

[competitor names if used for spam]
[competitor URLs]

Self-promotion spam:

new video
watch my
please subscribe
sub to me

Handling Different Comment Types

Setting Up Comment Guidelines

Pin a comment or add to video description:

📋 COMMENT GUIDELINES:
✅ Constructive criticism welcome
✅ Questions encouraged
✅ Respectful disagreement okay
❌ No spam or self-promotion
❌ No harassment or personal attacks
❌ No misinformation or harmful content

Comments violating these guidelines will be removed.

Moderation for Different Channel Sizes

Small Channels (Under 10K Subscribers)

Recommended settings:

• Hold potentially inappropriate for review
• Block common spam words
• Review held comments daily
• Respond to most comments

Medium Channels (10K-100K Subscribers)

Recommended settings:

• Hold potentially inappropriate for review
• Extensive blocked word list
• Consider 1-2 trusted moderators
• Review held comments multiple times daily

Large Channels (100K+ Subscribers)

Recommended settings:

• Hold all comments (for controversial topics)
• Comprehensive blocked word/link lists
• Multiple moderators
• Dedicated moderation schedule

Common Moderation Challenges

Challenge 1: Spam Waves

Solutions:

1. 1.Temporarily hold all comments
2. 2.Update blocked word list with spam patterns
3. 3.Use bulk actions to remove spam
4. 4.Report spam accounts to YouTube

Challenge 2: Coordinated Harassment

Solutions:

1. 1.Hold all comments temporarily
2. 2.Document evidence (screenshots)
3. 3.Report to YouTube with evidence
4. 4.Consider disabling comments on targeted video
5. 5.Contact YouTube creator support if severe

Challenge 3: Over-Moderation Complaints

Solutions:

1. 1.Review blocked word list for false positives
2. 2.Publish clear community guidelines
3. 3.Explain moderation decisions when asked
4. 4.Consider moving to lighter filtering

Challenge 4: Moderator Disagreements

Solutions:

1. 1.Create written moderation guidelines
2. 2.Review moderator actions regularly
3. 3.Hold regular check-ins with moderators
4. 4.Remove moderators who consistently misalign

Legal and Policy Considerations

YouTube's Community Guidelines

Certain content must be removed per YouTube policy:

Creator Liability

You may be responsible for:

• Content you specifically endorse (pinned, hearted)
• Defamation claims in some jurisdictions
• DMCA violations in linked content

Protect yourself:

• Don't endorse comments you haven't verified
• Remove false claims about individuals
• Report illegal content to YouTube

COPPA Considerations

If your content is made for kids:

• Comments are automatically disabled
• No moderation needed
• Focus on video content compliance

Measuring Moderation Success

Metrics to Track

Signs of Healthy Moderation

✅ Active, constructive discussions

✅ Low spam rate

✅ Minimal harassment

✅ Positive sentiment

✅ Returning commenters

✅ Questions getting answered

Signs of Over-Moderation

❌ Very few comments

❌ Complaints about censorship

❌ Bland, agreeable comments only

❌ Decreased engagement over time

Signs of Under-Moderation

❌ Rampant spam

❌ Harassment visible

❌ Community leaving due to toxicity

❌ Controversial content unchallenged

Remember: the goal isn't to eliminate all negative comments—constructive criticism helps you improve. Focus on removing spam, harassment, and genuinely harmful content while fostering the discussions that make your community valuable.

Related Resources:

• YouTube Comment Extractor Guide
• YouTube Comment Analysis Tools
• How to Search YouTube Comments