- Finding your comments in Comment History
- Every comment action and where it lives
- Editing or deleting a comment you regret
- Sharing a single comment with a highlighted link
- Who can see the comments you post
- Commenting on Shorts and from your TV
- When YouTube stops you commenting
- My verdict on YouTube comment history
- Frequently asked questions
Your YouTube comment history is the page that lists the public comments you've left across YouTube, and you open it by going to Comment History. From there you can click or tap a comment to jump back to where you posted it, or open the video link to edit or delete it.
Here's what most people miss. As of October 2026, YouTube's own help says two kinds of comment never show in this history: comments you left on a video that's since been deleted, and comments YouTube removed for a policy violation. So if a comment you remember writing isn't there, it hasn't vanished in a glitch. Either the video's gone or YouTube took the comment down, and there's no setting that brings it back into the list.
Finding your comments in Comment History
Comment History only covers public comments, which is most of them, since every comment on a public video is public and anyone can reply to it. Here's the route, as of October 2026:
- Go to Comment History while you're signed in to the account you commented from.
- Scroll the list of public comments you've left across YouTube.
- Click or tap the content next to a comment to go to the original place you posted it.
- To change a comment, click or tap the video link instead, then use the More menu next to your comment.
If you got a notification about a comment and then can't find it, YouTube says it's possible the comment has already been removed. Comments can be removed by the person who posted them, by the channel owner, or for policy violations. That's worth knowing before you spend ages scrolling.
Every comment action and where it lives
| What you want to do | How to do it, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| See all your public comments | Go to Comment History |
| Jump back to an old comment | Click or tap the content in Comment History |
| Edit a comment | In Comment History, open the video link, then select More and Edit next to the comment |
| Delete a comment | Same route, then select More and Delete |
| Share one comment and its thread | Click or tap the comment's timestamp to get a highlighted comment link in the address bar |
| Change which comments show first | On the web, use Sort By and pick Top comments or Newest first |
| Comment on a Short | Tap the bottom comment bar in the Shorts Player |
| Edit or delete from your TV | Use your voice once the comment's posted |
Editing or deleting a comment you regret
You've got two ways in. The first is through Comment History, which is easiest when the comment's old and you've no idea which video it's under. The second is straight from the video page, which is quicker when you're already looking at it.
- Point to the top right of your comment under the video.
- Click More.
- Choose Edit to change the wording, or Delete to remove it.
You can edit or delete any of your own comments, on videos, songs and podcasts in YouTube and the YouTube Music app. If you posted from a smart TV or games console, YouTube says you can also use your voice to edit or delete the comment directly from the TV after it's posted.
Sharing a single comment with a highlighted link
This one's handy if you run a channel or you're showing a client what people are saying. Click or tap a comment's timestamp and YouTube creates a highlighted comment link. It isolates that comment's thread and puts a shareable link in the address bar, so whoever opens it lands on that exact conversation, not the top of the comments.
On the web you can also change the order comments show in under a video. Use Sort By and choose Top comments or Newest first. On mobile you may see some keywords in blue text. They're called search shortcuts, and tapping one searches YouTube for that term.
Who can see the comments you post
- Public videos: your comment is public and anyone can reply to it. If you use a Google Apps account, comments you post are visible to people outside your domain too.
- Unlisted videos: you can comment and reply, and anyone with the link to the video can see those comments.
- Private videos: comments aren't available at all. YouTube suggests posting an unlisted video instead if you want comments on something that isn't public.
- No channel yet: if you don't have a YouTube channel, posting a comment creates one for you automatically. You can manage it from your profile picture.
You can format comments too. Wrap words in asterisks for bold, underscores for italics and hyphens for strikethrough, so *bold* becomes bold. If you paste a URL into a comment, it shows as a hyperlink.
Commenting on Shorts and from your TV
On Shorts there's a comment bar at the bottom of the Shorts Player. Tap it, then add a text comment or react with an emoji. Here's the bit that catches people: YouTube says a new comment is created whether you type text or just react with an emoji. That emoji is a comment like any other, so treat it as one.
On a smart TV or games console, go to the video's watch page and select the title. The About section opens with the comments panel, showing pinned comments, like counts and reply counts. To post, you can use your voice, or connect your phone by opening the YouTube app signed in to the same Google Account and tapping Connect. Voice commenting isn't supported on every TV. And while you're signed out, you can read comments but you can't reply or post your own.
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When YouTube stops you commenting
Sometimes the comment box just isn't there. You may not be able to comment if the video owner has turned comments off, limited commenting to subscribers and members only, or set a minimum subscription time before you can comment.
YouTube also has three checks of its own. Before you post, you may get a reminder if its system finds your comment could be considered offensive, and that reminder only works for English and Spanish comments right now. After you post, you may get a removal warning if your comments could be repeatedly breaking the Community Guidelines, and you can submit feedback if you disagree. If it keeps happening, commenting can be paused for your account for up to 24 hours.
My verdict on YouTube comment history
I'd use Comment History as your first stop any time you're tidying up what you've said in public, because it's the one place that pulls every public comment together and lets you edit or delete in a couple of clicks. I'd skip searching for a comment that isn't there if the video's been deleted or YouTube removed it, because it won't come back into the list. If you run your own channel, it's worth knowing how to see who subscribed to your YouTube channel, and if streams are getting noisy, here's how to turn off live chat on YouTube.
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Frequently asked questions
Why can't I find an old comment in my YouTube comment history?
Comments on deleted videos and comments YouTube removed for a policy violation don't show in Comment History. A comment may also have been removed by you or by the channel owner.
Can I comment on a private YouTube video?
No. Comments aren't available on private videos. If you want comments on a video that isn't public, post it as unlisted instead.
Does reacting with an emoji on a Short count as a comment?
Yes. YouTube creates a new comment whether you comment with text or react with an emoji.
How long does a YouTube comment timeout last?
If YouTube pauses commenting on your account, the pause can last up to 24 hours.
Do I need a YouTube channel to leave a comment?
No. If you don't have a channel, posting a comment creates one automatically, and you can manage it from your profile picture.
