You have posted the video on YouTube and want to quickly overcome the mark of 1000 views … Embed the video on the pages of social networks, watch it 10 times a day and ask your friends to do the same. But the figure on the counter does not increase or increases slightly. Why is this happening and how does YouTube count views in general?
From the article you will learn:
- what factors YouTube takes into account when assessing the validity of views;
- how does the YouTube view counter work;
- which views on YouTube will not be credited.
- Exactly how views on YouTube are counted, no one knows for certain. But practice shows that one click on a video is not always equal to one view.
Assessment factors
Before counting a view, YouTube evaluates the following factors:
1 How the video is played
The video can be played at the command of the viewer or automatically. YouTube counts a view if a person clicks on a video in the recommendation list, search results, on a third-party site, or on the author’s channel. When the video is loaded automatically, the view will not be counted. Therefore, even if the viewer went to the channel, watched one video, and then the next one was automatically loaded, then the second video will not be counted.
2 Percentage of video views
The algorithm analyzes what percentage of the video was watched by the viewer. This figure is kept secret. It has been observed that the minimum time at which a viewing is counted is 5-10 seconds. That is, if the viewer clicks on the video and after 1-2 seconds switches to another video, then the view will not be counted.
3 Watchability
For YouTube, the rate is 50% on PC and mobile. Viewing is counted if the video occupies half or more of the device’s screen. Even if the video is played to the end, but the viewer at this time read the comments somewhere at the bottom of the page, the view will not be counted.
4 Platform
If the video was viewed through an embedded player (for example, on a forum or website) or a mobile app, then the view will be credited. An important condition is that autoplay of sound must be enabled.
A viewing is valid if all four conditions are met. In doing so, YouTube tracks viewers’ IP addresses. If the video was viewed several times a day from one IP address, then the system will count only one view. This is how video hosting fights against cheating. Find out where to buy YouTube watch hours legit.
Algorithm of the views counter
Bloggers keep track of video view statistics. This is helped by the views counter, which is located under the video. But sometimes the work of the counter confuses authors, because the number of views is not always displayed in real time.
The network has information about the “301 or more views” function. A lot of articles and videos are devoted to her. But the fact is that it has not been working for 3 years already.
The cancellation of the “301 or more views” function was a key change in the operation of the counter. Algorithm of the counter until 2015:
- up to 301 views. Each click on the video was counted by the counter as a view. Then, after 1-2 days, YouTube checked and deducted invalid views that were screwed up by programs, bots, or the author of the video himself. This verification algorithm was followed until the video received 301 views;
- 301 views. When the counter showed 301 views, YouTube would freeze it until the actual number of views reached 301. The author could receive up-to-date data and monitor statistics through Video Analytics;
- more than 301 views. After this mark, YouTube changed the view counting algorithm. From that moment on, the counter stopped displaying every view, but was updated every 2-3 days and only displayed the counted views. Video analytics helped keep track of real dynamics. The counter would often show a lower number until it was updated.
- YouTube has updated the counter to display real-time viewer statistics. Now the counters are not frozen at the “301+” mark, and the system immediately counts views and displays them. But their number can still decrease over time – as YouTube weeds out invalid views.
- What views YouTube does not count
- The number of views is an important metric that YouTube takes into account when ranking videos. Channel authors do not always increase video views in honest ways. To prevent the figure on the counter from winding up artificially, YouTube regularly updates its algorithm.
YouTube will not count as views if:
- The author used a cheat. You cannot use the services of online services and desktop programs that artificially increase views on YouTube. Such actions violate community principles and lead to pessimization of the channel.
- The viewer watched the video by accident. Community guidelines prohibit authors from posting fake interface elements on third-party sites, setting up redirects to a video page, and placing browser pop-ups.
- If the author uses one of the listed methods