In a nutshell

  • YouTube comments are a great way to boost engagement
  • They are also a great way for creators and viewers to interact
  • You can turn on comments directly within your YouTube Studio settings

One of the greatest parts about YouTube is its creators’ ability to build their own community. The comment section in each video is a great way for viewers to leave feedback or ask questions, and it gives YouTubers a chance to interact with their subscribers directly. Although the comment section has its downsides, overall, it’s a great tool creators can use to their advantage. YouTubers can leverage comments to their benefit in multiple ways. So, we’re going to cover why comments are important and how to turn on comments on YouTube.

Why YouTube comments are a good thing

There are several reasons why YouTube comments are useful for creators:

Comments boost engagement

The biggest benefit of the comment section on YouTube is the engagement it brings. If more people comment and give content a like, the better that creator’s engagement is. Engagement is extremely important for the YouTube algorithm. If people interact with a YouTuber’s videos by commenting and liking a video, the algorithm boosts that creator’s content much more than content that doesn’t have a good amount of engagement. Nowadays, most creators ask their viewers to like and comment on their videos, and that’s the reason why.

Not only that, engagement is essential for creators that work with brands or are searching for brand deals. Brands look at a creator’s engagement to see whether or not they want to partner up for a deal.

Comments give insight

A YouTuber, or anyone for that matter, can tell a lot about a posted video by the comment section. Sifting through the comments section gives them a general idea of how their audience and other viewers like the content. If they receive a lot of positive comments and feedback, they know what their audience likes. Likewise, they will know if people didn’t like either a part of their video or maybe the entire thing. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Feedback can go either way, but that’s the beauty of the internet, right?

Using comments to connect

One of the greatest things about the comments section is it opens up communication between viewers and creators. Creators have the opportunity to respond directly to their subscribers and viewers, which is an awesome thing. Oftentimes, YouTubers will place a call to action and ask viewers to leave a suggestion in the comments, or they’ll ask their audience to comment on what kind of content they want to see next. This gives them the opportunity to open a conversation and interact with their viewers. Also, asking your viewers directly what they want to see is a great way to cater to an audience.

How to turn on comments on YouTube

There are a couple of different ways you can adjust the comment settings on your YouTube videos.

How to turn on comments on YouTube in the default settings

To adjust your default comment settings, the steps are fairly simple.

  • Sign in to your YouTube Studio
  • Go to settings
  • Select Community, then Defaults
  • Select your default settings — If you have the community tab, change default settings under “Comments on your channel.” If you don’t have the tab, choose your default settings for a new video upload under “Comments on your videos.”
  • Save your settings

It’s also easy to change the comment settings on a single video:

  • Sign in to YouTube Studio
  • Select Content
  • Click on the video thumbnail
  • Scroll and click Show More
  • Change your comment settings under “Comments and ratings”
  • Save your settings

Overall, it’s easy to turn comments on and off on YouTube. Creators also have the ability to monitor what kinds of comments through filters in case they don’t want certain words posted in their comments. Likewise, if a video receives backlash, a creator can choose to turn off the comments.

Not all videos can have comments

There are some instances where the comments can’t be turned on for a video. If a YouTube channel’s content is made for kids, the comments are disabled. YouTube limits data collection and other features when it comes to content for children, including ads. YouTube follows all applicable laws to protect young viewers, such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

The only other videos that can’t be commented on are videos listed as private by a creator, so there’s no way to turn on the comments on those videos.

Comments are largely a good thing

For the most part, the comment section on YouTube is a great way for viewers and creators to interact. Comments also reveal to creators how their viewers feel about their content and what their viewers want to see. The YouTube algorithm certainly rewards creators with more comments and engagement by boosting their content to new viewers.