YouTube Unveils 'Pause' Feature: Enhancing Comment Moderation for Creators

Introducing the 'Pause' Feature for Comments

YouTube has rolled out a significant update to its comment moderation tools, introducing a 'Pause' feature that allows creators to temporarily stop new comments on their videos. This tool is designed to give creators more control over their content by halting the influx of new comments while keeping the existing ones visible. The new feature is aimed at helping creators manage their comments section more effectively, especially when it becomes challenging to keep up with the volume of incoming comments. This moderation option offers a middle ground between manually reviewing every comment and completely disabling the comments section.

Simplifying Moderation Settings for Creators

Alongside the 'Pause' feature, YouTube has also revamped its existing comment moderation settings to make them more user-friendly. The platform has simplified the language used in its settings, replacing the previous options like “Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review” and “Increase strictness” with straightforward choices: On, Pause, or Off. Additionally, when comments are enabled, creators can now select from different levels of moderation, including None (no moderation), Basic (moderation for potentially inappropriate comments), Strict (a broader range of comments held for review), and Hold All (all comments held for review). This simplification aims to make the moderation process more intuitive for creators.

Accessing the New Moderation Tools

Creators looking to utilize the new 'Pause' feature and other moderation settings can find them in the video-level comment settings. These are accessible on the watch page within the YouTube app, as well as in YouTube Studio on both mobile and desktop platforms. The introduction of these tools is part of YouTube's ongoing efforts to provide creators with more flexibility and control over their content and its interaction with the audience. The company is rolling out these features globally, with further updates and clarifications expected to be announced in due course.