How Does YouTube Count Views? 👀

Is it your dream to be famous on YouTube?

Do you watch your old videos repeatedly and make your friends and family do the same in hopes of increasing your views, but they do not increase significantly? If yes, you must wonder what the system behind view counting is. If not, you might be curious about how YouTube counts views. After all, this question is what brought you here.

YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, with over 1 billion hours of watch time per day, so its priority is to give the best experience to its users. For this reason, YouTube’s algorithm is strict regarding counting views.

To acquire more views on YouTube, you must understand how the system counts them.

How do we define a YouTube view?

A YouTube view is when a viewer initiates the intentional play of a video and watches it for at least 30 seconds.

In the early years of YouTube, the view count would increase even if the video was loaded. However, this system quickly became obvious.

Back then, it was really easy to trick the system. Anyone, from a new content creator to a well-known YouTuber with millions of subscribers, could refresh their video an infinite number of times to artificially increase their view count and rise to the top of the homepage. YouTube couldn’t have that. Hence it modified its algorithm and introduced the concept of the “30-second watch.”

Let’s understand what qualifies as a YouTube view.

What counts as a YouTube view?

YouTube wants to be sure that actual humans are watching the videos, not bots, to increase views. So an algorithm has been put in place to separate genuine views from automated ones.

You get a YouTube view when:

The user intentionally clicks the play button to start the video.
The total watch time is at least 30 seconds.

It gives YouTube the idea of whether viewers are watching the video intentionally or just because of forced autoplay (if the user has turned on autoplay or is binge-watching a playlist, the view is counted).

YouTube counts total views on a video in the following manner:

If a viewer plays a video and skips through it to watch specific parts of it, but the total watch time is more than or equal to 30 seconds, it counts as a view.
Watching your video counts as a view.
If a viewer watches your video more than once, a new view adds to your video each time. (However, repeatedly refreshing the game will help the system be detected.)
YouTube also counts the views with embedded videos or videos shared on Facebook.
YouTube counts views on live streaming just like on any pre-recorded video, but the video must abide by community guidelines to stay up on YouTube.

However, YouTube videos will receive new views only if they agree with YouTube’s standards. For example, watching a video from the same account or device hundreds of times daily does not count as a hundred views. Only a certain number of views are added in one day from an account.

How many repeated views are added to the total view count?

Considering that a person might watch a video more than once or show it to their friends and family, YouTube counts multiple views from the same account or device but with a limit.

Experts say the system counts only 4 to 5 repeat views from the same account or device in a 24-hour span. After 24 hours, views are counted again. Also, there must be a time gap of at least 30 minutes between two consecutive watches, or else the view cancels.

What does not count as a YouTube view?

YouTube neglects any views that look automated. So many factors form a legitimate view. Below are the activities that do not add up to the view count:

The user quit the video before 30 seconds. A user must watch a video for at least 30 seconds to get a legit view.

A user or a bot refreshes a video many times. If you buy YouTube views, the system might detect and remove them. Watch bots are of little to no use.

A website has an embedded video and is set to play automatically. YouTube counts embedded views only if the user plays the video alone. Forced plays do not constitute a view.

Within a day, YouTube counts only 4 to 5 views per account. Also, 30 minutes between consecutive plays of the same video is a must.

YouTube does not count views from users who leave spam comments on a video.

Some effective ways to increase YT view count

Offering high-quality content to your audience is the key. But posting consistently and creating a unique channel identity is vital too.
Select your niche wisely and focus on your target audience.
Improve your video’s ranking using the right strategies, including SEO.
Creating and organizing your video playlists is a great way to multiply your views.
Building trust and having a connection with your audience is necessary. So, generate more audience engagement by building relationships with your viewers.
Partnering with other creators and brands and promoting your videos on various social media platforms are the best ways to boost your channel’s view count.