YouTube Comments Not Showing? Viewer and Creator Fixes

There's nothing more annoying than writing a thoughtful comment, hitting post and then not seeing it. If you run a channel, the mirror image is just as stressful: a viewer tells you they commented and you can't find it anywhere.

The good news is that YouTube's help centre explains why comments go missing, and the reasons split cleanly into viewer causes and creator causes. I'll cover both, because small business owners usually sit on each side at different times.

Checking Newest first when YouTube comments are not showing

This is YouTube's first suggestion, and it solves more cases than you'd expect. The default view is Top comments, which ranks comments by how likely viewers are to value and interact with them. It can also hide comments that look potentially inappropriate, spam or impersonation.

1. Open the comments under the video.
2. Switch the sort from Top comments to Newest.
3. Scroll and look for your comment.

If it's there under Newest, nothing is wrong. It just wasn't ranked high enough. If it isn't there even under Newest, YouTube says the channel may have moderated it or YouTube may have removed it for a policy violation.

Why a YouTube comment you posted has disappeared

YouTube's help names several reasons, and it's worth knowing all of them:

• Automatic removal. YouTube's systems scan comments for Community Guidelines breaches and remove those that break them. You may get a notice that your comment was removed or that commenting is paused on your account.
• Spam triggers. Posting many comments in a short time, repeating the same comment, sharing links, or using a lot of emoji or unusual characters can get a comment flagged as spam.
• Reports. If someone reports your comment and it breaks the rules, it's removed.
• Channel moderation. The channel may have held your comment for review, blocked words or phrases in it, or removed it directly.

That spam point matters if you comment on other creators' videos to get noticed. A link in every comment looks like spam to the system, and so does the same sentence pasted under ten videos. Write each one fresh and keep it relevant. My guide to seeing your YouTube comments shows where to find your own comment history.

Comments missing in the comments tab versus the whole page

There's a separate failure that looks similar. When YouTube has a rare service interruption, it can load a stripped-down watch page. YouTube's page on video errors says that page shows "Error loading the page, please try again" and that features such as Like, Share, Download, the description and comments may be missing.

In that case the fix is simple: reload the page or try again later. It's a wider fault, not something you did.

Fixing a blank comments area on the app or in the browser

If the comments section is simply empty or won't load, the general YouTube fixes apply. YouTube's help lists these for the browser:

• Update your browser.
• Clear the cache and cookies.
• Turn off ad blockers and other extensions, or try an incognito window with extensions off.
• Sign in, because being signed out can cause errors.

On a phone, update the YouTube app, close it and reopen it, then restart the device. Switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data is worth a go too.

Members comments on YouTube mobile

One more view can confuse people. Members comments shows comments from channel members, newest first, and YouTube says this view is available only on Android mobile devices. Top comments may also show channel members in a separate Comments by members section, so a member's comment can sit apart from the main list.

Channel owners: why comments are not showing on your own videos

This is where creators should look first. According to YouTube's help, comments can be hidden from public view for these reasons:

• Hold for review. You can hold all comments, or only potentially inappropriate ones, and potentially inappropriate comments are held by default. A channel owner or moderator has to approve a held comment before it's published.
• Blocked words and phrases. You can pick words you don't want, and any comment containing them won't show.
• Manual removal. You can remove a comment yourself.
• Automatic removal. If comments are removed from your videos, the most likely cause is Community Guidelines breaches YouTube detected.

The practical steps from YouTube are to review held comments and approve or reject them, set up your blocked words and phrases carefully, and remove comments you don't want. If a viewer says their comment vanished, check the held queue first. Because the held-for-review filter makes mistakes sometimes, a perfectly friendly comment can end up waiting there.

Cleaning up comments on your own YouTube videos

If your problem is the opposite, too many comments rather than too few, see my guide to deleting YouTube comments. Removing comments is separate from holding them, and it helps to know which tool you're using.

Commenting on YouTube from different devices

Where you're commenting	What to check
Phone or tablet app	Tap Newest, update the app, restart the phone
Computer browser	Sort by Newest, clear cache and cookies, turn off extensions
Creator view	Held-for-review queue, blocked words, hidden users
Stripped-down watch page	Reload or wait, comments may be missing temporarily

When YouTube comments are not showing and you should contact YouTube

If you think a comment was removed wrongly, the removal notice or the help article it links to is your route. For a general fault, send feedback from inside the app. Don't keep re-posting the same comment, because repeating it's one of the things YouTube lists as a spam trigger.

If you want the full set, start at the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I see my own YouTube comment?

Try sorting by Newest. YouTube says Top comments can hide some comments, and if yours is missing there too it may have been moderated by the channel or removed by YouTube.

Why do YouTube comments disappear after I post them?

YouTube lists automatic removal for Community Guidelines breaches, spam signals such as links or repeated comments, reports, and channel moderation.

Can a channel hide my comment without telling me?

Yes. YouTube says a channel can hold comments for review, block certain words and phrases, or remove a comment directly.

Why are comments missing from every video I open?

It may be a temporary stripped-down page that lacks comments, or a browser problem. Reload, clear the cache and cookies, and turn off extensions.

Where do held comments appear for creators?

Held comments wait for a channel owner or moderator to approve them. Review them and approve or reject each one.