How to Make an Unlisted YouTube Video: Steps and What It Means

Unlisted is the setting I reach for when a video is meant for the right people but not the whole internet: a client walkthrough, a training clip for a team, or a draft you want a friend to check. It's easy to get wrong because three settings sound alike. Here's how YouTube's own help explains it, with the steps in order.

What an unlisted YouTube video is

YouTube's help says an unlisted video can be watched and shared by anyone who has the link. It doesn't appear on your channel or in search results. Viewers don't need a Google Account to watch it, and anyone with the link can pass it on.

That last point is the one to remember. Unlisted isn't locked. If you send the link to ten people, any of them can send it to ten more.

Unlisted, private and public on YouTube compared

Setting	Who can watch, per YouTube's help
Public	Anyone. It can appear in search, related videos, your channel and the Subscriber feed
Unlisted	Anyone with the link. Not on your channel or in search
Private	Only you and people you choose by entering email addresses under Visibility

If you need a video to be tightly restricted, private is the safer choice, and my guide to making a YouTube video private walks through it.

Making an existing YouTube video unlisted in YouTube Studio

These are the computer steps from YouTube's help:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. In the left menu, select Content.
3. Find the video you want to change.
4. Click the down arrow under Visibility and choose Unlisted.
5. Select Save.

The help page also says that for live uploads you use the Live tab to find the video. Wait for the change to save before you send the link to anyone.

Choosing unlisted while you upload a YouTube video

You don't have to publish first and change it later. YouTube's upload help gives these steps in YouTube Studio:

1. Click Create, then Upload videos.
2. Select your file. You can upload up to 15 videos at a time.
3. Fill in the details, then go to the Visibility page.
4. Choose Save or publish, then pick Unlisted.
5. Click Save.

There's a detail worth knowing. YouTube's help says that if you close the upload window before finishing the Visibility settings, the video is saved as private on your Content page. So if a link doesn't work for someone, check that you completed this step. If you're new to the whole process, my walkthrough on uploading a video to YouTube covers the rest.

Unlisted YouTube videos on a phone

The pages I read gave the computer steps in full and linked to separate Android and iPhone instructions. I couldn't confirm the exact labels in the app, and menus vary by app version, so on your phone I'd look for the video's settings in YouTube Studio and follow YouTube's own mobile instructions.

Where an unlisted YouTube video can still show up

YouTube's help says unlisted videos don't appear in search or recommendations, but they can show up in a public playlist, and they can be added to channel sections. They don't appear in the Subscriber feed.

• If you add an unlisted video to a public playlist, people can find it there.
• Viewers can comment on unlisted videos, unlike private ones.
• YouTube may review unlisted videos for ad suitability, copyright and abuse prevention.

So check your playlists before you rely on a video staying out of sight.

Using unlisted YouTube videos for work

For a small business, unlisted works well for onboarding clips, quote walkthroughs and videos you embed on a page without wanting them on your channel. If you want one on your site, my guide to how long YouTube takes to process a video is useful before you share anything, because the link may not play fully until processing finishes.

Don't put confidential material on an unlisted video. Anyone with the link can see it, so use private for anything sensitive.

Sharing an unlisted YouTube link and checking it works

Once the setting is saved, copy the video's link from its page and send it to the people who need it. Before you send it widely, open the link in a private browser window, or on a device where you're signed out, to see what a viewer sees. That quick test catches the two most common slips: the video still being private, or the link pointing at the wrong clip.

• Send the link only to the people who need it, and say if they shouldn't pass it on.
• Remember that anyone holding the link can reshare it, as YouTube's help says.
• If the video must come down later, change its Visibility back to private or delete it.

If you can't make your YouTube video unlisted

1. Check you're signed in to the right channel in YouTube Studio.
2. Look in the Content tab, and use the Live tab for live uploads.
3. Check the Visibility column, then click the down arrow beside it.
4. Select Save, and refresh the page to confirm the new setting.
5. If a scheduled video won't publish, YouTube's help says a Community Guidelines strike can stop scheduled videos publishing during the penalty period.

Default visibility on YouTube

The help page says the default privacy setting is private for creators aged 13 to 17 and public for creators 18 and older. If your uploads keep appearing as private, that default or an unfinished upload is the likely cause.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a YouTube video unlisted?

In YouTube Studio on a computer, select Content, find the video, click the down arrow under Visibility, choose Unlisted and select Save.

Can anyone find an unlisted YouTube video?

YouTube's help says it doesn't appear on your channel or in search, but anyone with the link can watch and share it, and it can show up in a public playlist.

Can I choose unlisted when I upload?

Yes. On the Visibility page of the upload flow, choose Save or publish, then Unlisted, then click Save.

Do viewers need a Google account to watch an unlisted video?

No. YouTube's help says viewers don't need a Google Account to watch an unlisted video.

Is unlisted the same as private?

No. Private is limited to you and people you choose by email address. Unlisted can be watched by anyone who has the link.