What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

YouTube recently started allowing channel owners to pin comments to the top of their YouTube video comments. Being able to determine the first comment your viewers see is a great way to prompt viewers to check out related videos on your channel, visit your website, let viewers know their thoughts on the video they just watched, subscribe to your channel and more. Continue reading for instructions on pinning comments and their benefits.We recommend creating and pinning comments on all of your new videos you upload to YouTube. This is a very easy way to promote related content you want your viewers to watch, prompt them to subscribe to your channel, or link them to your website. Follow the steps below to create and pin comments on your videos.Step 1: Once your video is published, go to the video's watch page and create a new comment

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Step 2: Once your comment is created, click the 3 dot options bar to the right of the comment, and click "Pin"

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Once your comment is pinned, it will appear at the top of the video's comments section.

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

You can pin any comment on your videos, so if your viewers publish any comments on your videos that you want to emphasize, this can be used for that as well. As always, reach out to us with any questions and let us know if you find this tool helpful for your videos.

YouTube’s ongoing mission to exert control over its unruly comment sections continues with the addition of pinned comments and a new algorithmic screening process. Starting today, the company will let channel owners and creators handpick user comments to feature. Once selected, those replies will be pinned to the top of the comments section and therefore show up more prominently for viewers when they scroll below the player.

It’s also launching an opt-in review system in a beta testing phase that will algorithmically screen new comments and hold inappropriate ones from publishing. That way, channel owners can review those comments and approve them as they see fit. One last feature coming to YouTube today is the ability for creators to “heart” user comments on their videos as a way to show appreciation and highlight examples of how to have civil conversations on the platform.

YouTube can’t make you use your real name, but it can give channel owners better anti-harassment tools

These are just the latest in a series of changes and tweaks YouTube has made over the last few years to try and clean up the mess its users continue making below the fold. The company notoriously failed to switch its user base over to real names that would be tied to Google+ accounts. Since it rolled back that measure, YouTube has employed a number of moderation methods and new features designed to let channel owners take matters into their own hands.

YouTube already allows channel owners to blacklist certain words and phrases, which then prevent comments containing those snippets of text from publishing without getting approved first. The platform also lets you delegate channel moderation to another user. Back in September, YouTube added a new Heroes program to reward helpful users who flag inappropriate comments and videos, add subtitles, and answer forum questions. This latest change, however, illustrates how YouTube plans to help creators elevate positive behavior instead of simply stifling the negative.

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When you pin a comment, it will be the first comment that viewers see when they visit the comments section of your video.

In this post, I'll show you how to pin your comments, explain why you should, and give you examples of how to pin a top comment to generate more views and attract new subscribers.

How to pin your own comment on YouTube

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

How to pin a YouTube comment to the top of your comments section

Pinning a comment on a video is quick and easy. After posting your comment, tap the "three dots" menu icon next to it, and choose Pin from the drop-down list that appears. Then, click the blue button to confirm.

Above the pinned comment, viewers will see a "Pinned by [your username] marker.

Note: If you pin a comment when one is already pinned, the new one will replace it and the old one will return to its original position in the comments section.

Why you should pin your own top comment on YouTube

Some creators will use pinned comments to highlight something awesome shared by one of their viewers. And that's fine - a good way to ensure your fans don't miss a valuable comment and to make the person who wrote the comment pretty special.

But from the standpoint of promoting and growing your channel, pinning your own comment is a valuable tool that you should most certainly take advantage of.

Examples: What to share in your YouTube pinned comment

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Examples: What to share in your YouTube pinned comment

Here, Karl Jobst pins his own comment to wish his audience well plus as a way to plug the sponsor of his video. He mentions the link to Keeps in the video, has it in the first line of the video description, and in the top comment.

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Examples: What to share in your YouTube pinned comment

Here, Anna’s Analysis pins her own comment to give an update to the content of her video about an MLM scheme. Pinning the comment in this ways means that any clarifications or updates that need to be addressed will be seen in a prominent position.

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Examples: What to share in your YouTube pinned comment

Another example of using your own pinned comment for promotion here. JCS - Criminal Psychology uses the top comment as a way to encourage discussion in the comments section (great for generating engagement, which the YouTube algorithm loves), and to promote another video.

In this case, the video linked to is actually one that inspired JCS’ one, but you could just as easily promote another video of your own that people scrolling to comments might enjoy.

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Examples: What to share in your YouTube pinned comment

What does it mean to pin a comment on YouTube

Examples: What to share in your YouTube pinned comment

Paul from the Wingin’ It! channel has gone all out in the top comment here, pinning details of:

  • The video sponsor

  • A suggested video to watch

  • A written review of the trip taken in the video

  • Social media accounts to follow

  • A link to his website

Whether cramming all this into the top comment is going to be as effective as sticking to just one call-to-action…. well, I’d probably stick to “less is more”, but you can always experiment and see what works best for you.

Conclusion: Pinning your own YouTube comments

So there you have it, a quick few strategies to help you boost your YouTube game through pinning your own comments to the top of the comments section. It’s only a small thing, but with so many people reading and commenting on YouTube, it makes perfect sense to make the most of the feature.

How do you use pinned comments in your YouTube strategy? Let me know in the comments below!


Andrew Macarthy is a social media consultant and the author of the #1 Amazon Web Marketing Bestseller, 500 Social Media Marketing Tips.

What does it mean when YouTube pins your comment?

More videos on YouTube But if you want to make sure your comment is at the top of your comments area, or feature a comment from a prestigious commenter, or someone who made a great comment, you can “pin” it to the top of your YouTube comments.

Should you pin comments on YouTube?

Highlight a comment for your fans by pinning it to the top of the comment section. On mobile, viewers may need to expand the comment section to see the pinned comment. You can choose to pin your own comment or a fan comment. Sign in to YouTube.

What does it mean when someone pins your comment?

When someone pins someone else's comment, Instagram notifies the author that their comments have been highlighted in the post. This option to pin comments aims to help manage comments.