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Can YouTube Videos LOSE Views? (YEP – Here’s What Happens)

YouTubers are very particular about view counts for their videos.

Not only is it a gauge on the reach of a video, but also those who monetize their channels use it as a basis for advertising revenue.

But YouTubers are also alarmed when they see a drop in their video views. Some wonder if this is a glitch in the YouTube system or someone out to sabotage them.

Can a YouTube video lose views?

YouTube videos can lose views from YouTube Audits. For videos that begin garnering views, YouTube conducts audits to weed out dubious accounts. Auditing is a continuous process, and YouTubers should expect fluctuation of views over time.

Why Are My YouTube Videos Losing Views?

YouTube used to suspend view counts in order to conduct an audit of a video that has reached over 300 views.

They have amended that method by instead auditing a video as soon as it begins garnering views. This is always to ensure that bots are not creating fake views in order to boost a video.

By suspending view counts during continuous audits of a video, there are fluctuations in views that cause the ranking of videos to be slower on the site.

The view counter that you do see on a YouTube video is an estimate, and accurate perspectives of video views can only be seen on the creator’s YouTube analytics page.

3 Reasons YouTube Takes Away Views on Existing Videos:

The YouTube audit team looks at the behavior and characteristics of user views and raises red flags on the following:

1. Viewers Who Have Looked at the Video for Less Than 10 Seconds:

A lot of views come from viewers that open a video for less than 10 seconds then leave the page.

These views will usually result from artificial viewers and fake accounts that simulate viewings on YouTube to try and boost a video.

These are removed by the site in order to keep views accurate.

2. Viewers Who Have the Same IP Address:

It’s normal for a single person to watch a video more than once.

But it becomes suspicious when views consistently come from a single IP address.

This could mean an attempt to bypass safeguards to protect the integrity of view counts.

Should any suspicious activities from a single IP address arise to manipulate views, YouTube purges the view counts that were earned against the site’s policies.

3. Viewers with Questionable Browser Characteristics:

It’s very suspicious for a video to have a large chunk of viewers who use older versions of Internet Explorer.

This is a possible red flag when it comes to views.

There are other conditions, such as having the same referral URL (in the case of advertisements linked outside of YouTube).

But these flagged if advertisers do not coordinate with YouTube. YouTube also purges views based on inactivity.

If an account has been inactive for a long time, it will purge it, along with the views it has made all over YouTube.

Look into our article which reads about Does YouTube Automatically Caption Videos?

How Often Does YouTube Remove Views on Videos?

The YouTube audit to remove fake views is a continuing process.

It begins once your video receives views, and YouTube algorithms will examine every view your video receives.

If it falls into any of the conditions for the removal of views, it will purge them.

It should be noted that YouTube does not reveal how often or when an audit takes place, but it is known that the process is continuous.

How Does YouTube Count Views?

For a view to count on a YouTube video, it needs to fulfill the following conditions:

  • The viewer must start the playing of the video
  • The viewer watches at least 30 seconds of the video, whether continuous or accumulated

Note that videos that automatically play outside YouTube, such as those embedded in websites, are not counted as views.

This is because viewers watching do not have a say over watching automatically played videos. Likewise, viewers who leave spam comments on videos are not counted in the total view count.

Videos that automatically play in YouTube playlists are counted as a view since viewers deliberately access the playlist.

Repeated or Replicating Views:

It would also be worth noting that YouTube views are not necessarily unique.

This means watching the same video again adds to the views.

Eventually, repeated views will stop adding to the view count from the same viewer account after a certain number of repeats.

It is still unclear how many times repeated views are allowed to happen. Thus, it would be best not to waste effort to artificially increase likes.

Do Higher Views on YouTube Translate into Higher Earnings?

Higher views do not automatically bring in higher revenue from advertising.

Note that videos have a different cost per mille (CPM), or the cost per 1,000 views. CPM rates vary per channel, depending on estimated audiences and location.

Thus, a video with 3,000 views may earn more, over a video with 10,000 views, with CPM contributing to the difference – note that very high view counts will have a much lower CPM to save costs for advertisers.

Another factor to consider here is whether viewers skipped the ads placed in the video.

If fewer people skipped the ads in the video with 3,000 views, compared to the one with 10,000 views, the video with the lesser view stands to get more.

Why Are Some Videos Stuck on View Count?

As we mentioned before, YouTube’s auditing policy has changed.

Before, videos would have to reach 300 views before they received an audit. Now, Videos receive an audit as soon as views start rolling in.

Should there still be view counts that are stuck, it could mean that:

  • The video was being watched repeatedly and has reached its limit for view counts, or
  • The video is being audited for its views

Can I Do Something to Increase the View Count on a YouTube Video?

There are many ways of increasing view counts in a YouTube video without resorting to artificial viewing.

Happy hipster with headphones listening to music

While you can use legal and ethical methodologies, the most important ingredient to increase view count is to have engaging content.

No amount of paid advertisements that link to your video can increase views if the video is not engaging right from the start.

The title and video thumbnail cover must be catchy enough to make existing subscribers open the video and convert potential audiences as well!

A good title and thumbnail cover should be supported by a well-written caption and the right tags, or keywords for searches.

Don’t forget to promote your videos on your social media accounts, and niche communities who will enjoy your video.

References:

Why Your YouTube Views Suddenly Dropped or Disappeared

How Does YouTube Count Views?

Don’t Freak Out! Drops in Subs and Views

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