You post a video. People tell you they commented. But when you check, you don't see their comments.
Or maybe you're commenting on other channels, and your comments just... disappear.
Is YouTube hiding your comments? Are you shadow banned? Is something broken?
Here's how to figure out what's actually happening—and how to fix it.
First: Is This Normal?
Before you panic, understand that some comment delays are completely normal.
Normal delays:
- Comments can take a few minutes to appear (especially on new videos)
- High-traffic videos might have longer delays
- Comments with links might take longer to process
- New channels often have comments held for review
If your comment is missing for 5 minutes, that's probably normal. If it's been 24 hours, that's probably a problem.
The Most Common Reason: Moderation Settings
This is the #1 reason comments don't show up. And most creators don't even know their settings are blocking comments.
How to Check Your Moderation Settings
- Go to YouTube Studio
- Click Settings (gear icon)
- Go to Community
- Check "Default upload settings"
- Look at "Comments on your videos"
You'll see options like:
- "Allow all comments" — Everything shows up immediately
- "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review" — YouTube filters and holds some comments
- "Hold all comments for review" — Nothing shows until you approve it
- "Disable comments" — No comments allowed (obviously)
If you have "Hold all comments for review" enabled, that's why comments aren't showing. They're waiting for you to approve them.
How to Fix It
Go to the same settings and change it to "Allow all comments" or "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review."
The second option is usually best—it blocks spam and inappropriate comments while letting normal comments through.
Reason #2: Comments Are Held for Review
Even with "Allow all comments" enabled, YouTube still holds some comments for review. This happens when:
- The comment contains links
- The comment contains certain keywords YouTube flags
- The comment comes from a new or unverified account
- The comment looks like spam
- The commenter has a history of spam or violations
How to Find Held Comments
- Go to YouTube Studio
- Click Comments
- Look for "Held for review" tab
- Review and approve comments that should be visible
You might have dozens of legitimate comments sitting in "Held for review" that you've never seen. Check this regularly.
Reason #3: Spam Filters Are Too Aggressive
YouTube's spam filters aren't perfect. Sometimes they flag legitimate comments as spam.
Signs this is happening:
- Comments with links get blocked (even legitimate ones)
- Comments with certain words get blocked
- Comments from new accounts get blocked
- You're seeing false positives in "Held for review"
How to Fix It
You can't turn off spam filters completely, but you can:
- Review "Held for review" regularly — Approve legitimate comments that got caught
- Adjust your moderation level — If you're getting too many false positives, you might need to manually review more
- Whitelist trusted commenters — If someone keeps getting flagged, you can pin their comments or add them to a trusted list
The reality is that spam filters will always catch some legitimate comments. The solution is to review them regularly, not to turn off filtering entirely.
Reason #4: Community Guidelines Strikes
If your channel has Community Guidelines strikes, YouTube might restrict your comment visibility.
What happens:
- Your comments might be held longer for review
- Your comments might not show up on other channels
- Your channel's comment section might be restricted
How to Check
- Go to YouTube Studio
- Click Settings
- Go to Channel
- Check "Community Guidelines status"
If you have strikes, you'll see them here. Address them, and comment visibility should improve.
Reason #5: Account Restrictions
Sometimes the problem isn't your channel—it's the commenter's account.
Why someone's comments might not show:
- Their account is new (YouTube holds new account comments longer)
- Their account has Community Guidelines violations
- Their account is flagged as spam
- They're commenting from a restricted location
What you can do:
- Nothing, if it's their account that's restricted
- Check "Held for review" to see if their comment is there
- Manually approve their comment if it's legitimate
You can't fix other people's account issues, but you can make sure their legitimate comments get approved if they're in your review queue.
Reason #6: Algorithm Delays (The "Shadow Ban" Myth)
Creators often think they're "shadow banned" when comments don't show up immediately. But YouTube doesn't actually shadow ban comments.
What's actually happening:
- Algorithm processing delays (especially on high-traffic videos)
- Spam filter processing
- Moderation queue delays
- Network or server issues
How to tell if it's a delay vs. a problem:
- Check back in an hour
- Check "Held for review"
- Ask the commenter if they see their comment on their end
- Try commenting yourself from a different account
If comments show up eventually, it's a delay, not a ban. If they never show up and they're not in "Held for review," that's a real problem.
How to Diagnose Your Specific Issue
Here's a step-by-step process to figure out what's wrong:
Step 1: Check Your Moderation Settings
Go to YouTube Studio → Settings → Community → Default upload settings → Comments
What's your setting? If it's "Hold all comments for review," that's your problem.
Step 2: Check "Held for Review"
Go to YouTube Studio → Comments → "Held for review" tab
How many comments are there? If there are dozens, that's where your "missing" comments are.
Step 3: Check Your Channel Status
Go to YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Community Guidelines status
Do you have any strikes? If yes, that might be affecting comment visibility.
Step 4: Test It Yourself
Post a comment on one of your own videos from a different account (or ask a friend). Does it show up? If yes, the problem might be with specific commenters' accounts. If no, the problem is with your settings.
Step 5: Check Recent Changes
Did you recently change any settings? Update your channel? Get a strike? Sometimes changes trigger temporary restrictions.
How to Fix It (The Action Plan)
If Comments Are Being Held for Review
- Go to "Held for review" regularly (daily, if you get lots of comments)
- Approve legitimate comments
- Consider changing your moderation level if you're getting too many false positives
- Set aside 10 minutes daily to review held comments
A focused daily routine can help you stay on top of held comments without it taking over your day. The key is consistency, not spending hours at once.
If Your Moderation Settings Are Too Strict
- Go to Settings → Community → Default upload settings
- Change from "Hold all comments for review" to "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review"
- This lets normal comments through while still filtering spam
If You Have Community Guidelines Strikes
- Address the strikes (appeal if they're incorrect, wait if they're valid)
- Once strikes expire, comment visibility should return to normal
- Be more careful about content to avoid future strikes
If Spam Filters Are Too Aggressive
- You can't turn off spam filters, but you can review "Held for review" more often
- Approve legitimate comments that got caught
- Consider pinning comments from trusted community members (pinned comments are less likely to get filtered)
Learning how to identify and filter spam comments helps you spot the difference between spam and legitimate comments that got caught.
If It's Just Delays
- Be patient—delays are normal, especially on new or high-traffic videos
- Check back in an hour
- Don't assume you're "shadow banned" if comments show up eventually
Prevention: How to Avoid This in the Future
Set your moderation level correctly:
- Use "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review" (not "Hold all")
- This balances spam protection with comment visibility
Review "Held for review" regularly:
- Check it daily if you get lots of comments
- Approve legitimate comments quickly
- This prevents a backlog of hidden comments
- Use a priority system to focus on what matters most when reviewing
Stay on top of your channel status:
- Avoid Community Guidelines strikes
- Address any strikes quickly
- Keep your channel in good standing
Test your settings periodically:
- Comment on your own videos from a different account
- Make sure comments are showing up as expected
- Adjust settings if needed
When It's Actually a Problem vs. When It's Normal
Normal:
- Comments take 5-10 minutes to appear
- Some comments are held for review (especially with links)
- New accounts have comments held longer
- High-traffic videos have processing delays
Problem:
- Comments never show up (even after 24 hours)
- Comments aren't in "Held for review" but still don't appear
- You have "Hold all comments for review" enabled and forgot
- Your channel has strikes affecting visibility
The test: If you can see the comment in "Held for review," it's a settings issue, not a ban. If you can't see it anywhere, that's a real problem.
The Bottom Line
Most "missing comments" aren't actually missing. They're:
- Held for review (check your moderation settings)
- Waiting in "Held for review" (check that tab)
- Delayed by normal processing (wait a bit)
- Blocked by spam filters (review and approve legitimate ones)
The solution is usually simple: check your settings, review your held comments, and be patient with delays.
YouTube doesn't shadow ban comments. But YouTube does filter spam aggressively, and sometimes legitimate comments get caught. The fix is to review them regularly, not to assume you're banned.
Check your settings. Review your held comments. Fix what's broken. Then move on to creating content. Remember, you don't need to reply to every comment, but you do need to make sure legitimate comments aren't stuck in moderation.
Want to make sure you never miss important comments? Engage Suite helps you see all your comments in one place, including those held for review, so you can engage with your community without missing anything.