How the new strict mode works

Managing Spam with YouTube’s Strict Mode

Maintaining a healthy and engaging comment section is a priority for any Creator, but the constant influx of bot-generated messages and promotional noise can make manual moderation overwhelming. To address this, a recent update to YouTube has introduced “Strict Mode,” an enhanced filtering option designed to automatically identify and filter out a higher volume of potential spam comments.

What is Strict Mode?

Strict Mode acts as a more aggressive layer of protection for your community. While YouTube already employs automated systems to flag suspicious content, Strict Mode increases the sensitivity of these filters. By enabling this setting, you are instructing the platform to be more cautious, meaning more comments that exhibit characteristics of spam will be caught and held for review before they ever appear publicly on your videos.

This is particularly useful for Creators who find that the standard filtering settings are letting too many irrelevant or disruptive comments through, allowing them to maintain a higher quality of discourse without having to manually delete every single spam entry.

How to Enable Strict Mode in YouTube Studio

If you want to test how this stricter filtering affects your comment section, you can find the toggle within your channel’s backend settings. Follow these steps:

1. Open YouTube Studio: Log into your account and navigate to the Studio dashboard.
2. Access Settings: Click on the Settings gear icon located in the bottom left-hand menu.
3. Navigate to Community: In the settings pop-up window, select the Community tab from the left sidebar.
4. Go to Default Settings: Within the Community section, locate the Default Settings area.
5. Activate Strict Mode: Here, you will find the option to enable and test “Strict Mode.”

Why Use Enhanced Filtering?

The primary benefit of utilizing Strict Mode is the reduction of manual workload. For channels with high engagement or those experiencing a sudden spike in bot activity, the time spent moderating comments can detract from the actual creative process.

By shifting more of the heavy lifting to YouTube’s automated systems, you can ensure that your community remains a welcoming space for genuine viewers. However, because this mode is “strict,” it is recommended to periodically check your held-for-review folder to ensure that legitimate comments haven’t been accidentally caught in the filter. This allows you to balance a clean comment section with an open line of communication with your audience.

Original transcript

Transcript

Since the last YouTube update, you have the option to automatically filter out more potential spam comments with the “Strict Mode”. To do this, go to Settings in Studio, then the Community tab, and on to Default Settings. There, you can test the new “Strict Mode”.

Confused about YouTube's new Strict Mode for comment filtering? Find out more about how it works and where to test it in the YouTube Tips & Tricks in English section, or contact our expert below.