Comments are off by default for new uploads — you turn them on in your video settings
When you upload a video to YouTube, the comment section does not appear automatically. You have to switch it on yourself, either before you publish or anytime after. The setting lives in your video details, takes about 30 seconds to change, and applies only to that one video — other videos keep their own separate settings.
If you want comments on every video you upload from now on, you can also set a default so you never have to think about it again. That default applies to new uploads only and does not change videos you have already posted.
Key Takeaways
- Comments are turned off by default when you upload a new video, so you must manually switch them on in the video settings.
- You can enable comments before publishing or edit the setting anytime after the video goes live.
- Changing the comment setting for one video does not affect your other videos — each one has its own on or off switch.
- You can set a default so that comments are on for all future uploads, which saves time if you want them enabled by default.
- YouTube also lets you hold comments for review before they appear, or turn off comments entirely for specific videos while keeping them on for others.
Enable comments before you publish
The easiest time to turn on comments is right before you publish. Sign in to YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com), click Create in the top left, and choose Upload video. Select your video file and let it upload.
While the video is uploading, fill in the title and description. Then scroll down to the More options section. Look for the Comments and ratings area. You will see a toggle next to Allow comments — click it to turn comments on. The toggle will turn blue when it is active. Then click Publish or Schedule at the bottom right.
If you do not see the toggle, make sure you are scrolled all the way down in the More options section. Sometimes it sits below other settings like language and captions.
Enable comments on a video you already published
You can turn comments on or off for any video at any time, even if it has been live for months. Go to YouTube Studio and click Content in the left menu. Find the video in your list and click on it.
Scroll down to Comments and ratings. Click the toggle next to Allow comments to turn it on. The change takes effect when ready — viewers will see the comment box appear within a few seconds. You do not need to republish the video or do anything else.
If you want to turn comments off later, the same toggle switches them off. Any existing comments stay on the video unless you delete them individually, but new comments cannot be posted once you turn the setting off.
Set comments to be on by default for all future videos
If you upload regularly and want comments on most of your videos, you can change your default setting so comments start out on instead of off. This saves you from flipping the toggle every single time.
Go to YouTube Studio and click the user icon in the top right. Select Settings. Click Upload defaults in the left menu. Scroll to Comments and ratings and click the toggle next to Allow comments. Save your changes.
From now on, every new video you upload will have comments turned on automatically. This does not change any videos you have already posted — it only affects new uploads going forward. You can still turn comments off for individual videos anytime you want.
Hold comments for review before they appear
YouTube also lets you keep comments on but review them before they show up publicly. This is useful if you want to filter out spam or offensive posts before viewers see them.
In the video settings, scroll to Comments and ratings. Below the Allow comments toggle, you will see options for Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review and Hold all comments for review. Click whichever one you prefer. If you choose to hold all comments, you will see them in a queue in YouTube Studio and can approve or reject each one.
Holding comments for review does not turn them off — it just means they do not appear until you approve them. Viewers can still post, but they will see a message saying their comment is awaiting review.
Understand what happens when you turn comments off
When you turn off comments entirely, the comment box disappears from the video page. Viewers cannot post new comments, and the comment count no longer shows. However, any comments that were already posted stay on the video — they just are not visible to viewers unless you turn comments back on.
If you want to delete existing comments instead of just hiding them, you have to remove them one at a time. Go to the video, click the Comments icon below the video title, and click the trash icon next to any comment you want to delete. Turning off comments does not automatically erase the old ones.
Troubleshoot if the comment toggle is not working
If you cannot find the Allow comments toggle or it will not move, first check that you are signed in to the account that owns the video. You cannot change settings on someone else's video.
If you own the video and the toggle still is not there, refresh the page and try again. Sometimes YouTube Studio takes a moment to load all the options. If the toggle appears grayed out or locked, your account may have restrictions — this sometimes happens to new channels or channels with community guideline strikes. Check your account status in Settings to see if there are any active restrictions.
For videos that are still processing or uploading, the comment settings may not be available yet. Wait until the upload is complete and the video shows a green checkmark in your Content list, then try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn comments on for some videos and off for others?
Yes. Each video has its own comment setting, so you can have comments on for one video and off for another. There is no way to bulk-change the setting for multiple videos at once, but you can edit them individually through YouTube Studio.
If I turn comments off, do existing comments disappear?
No. Turning off comments hides them from viewers and stops new comments from being posted, but the old comments remain on the video. If you turn comments back on later, they reappear. To permanently remove them, you must delete each comment individually.
What is the difference between holding comments for review and turning them off?
Holding comments for review keeps the comment box visible and lets viewers post, but you must approve each comment before it shows publicly. Turning comments off removes the comment box entirely and prevents any new comments. Holding for review is better if you want to filter spam; turning off is better if you do not want comments at all.
Do my upload default settings change videos I already posted?
No. Changing your upload defaults only affects new videos you upload after the change. Any video you have already published keeps its current comment setting unless you manually change it.
Why are comments turned off by default?
YouTube turns comments off by default to give creators control over their content and community. This prevents unwanted comments from appearing on new videos while you decide whether you want to moderate them.