Spam is any repetitive, irrelevant, or low-quality content that doesn’t include videos uploaded repeatedly across one or more channels or comments and messages posted with no purpose other than promoting a product or service.
YouTube is committed to maintaining a spam-free platform for all of its users. To ensure that our community remains spam-free, we do not allow repetitive content on our site. But is not limited to; YouTube videos uploaded multiple times across one or more channels.
If you see a video that appears spam, please report it to us using the “Flag as Inappropriate” option under the video’s description. Once we have reviewed the video and confirmed that it is spam, we will take appropriate action, including removing the video from YouTube. Thank you for helping us keep YouTube spam-free!
How to avoid YouTube Video Spam
Recently, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of YouTube channels creating spam videos. Spam videos are generally low-quality, copy/pasted versions of other videos uploaded across multiple channels to game the YouTube algorithm.
This harms our community by filling it with low-quality content and hurts the creators putting out original content. We want to help everyone avoid creating spam videos, so today, we’re sharing some tips on how to stay clear of this issue.
What is Spam?
Spam is “the repeated posting of the same or similar content across one or more channels.” In the context of YouTube, spam videos are often copied/pasted versions of other videos uploaded across multiple channels. They generally don’t add any value to the YouTube community and are only created in an attempt to game the algorithm.
Why is Spam a bad thing?
Spam is bad for both viewers and creators. For viewers, it means having to wade through low-quality content to find the good stuff. For creators, it means working hard to create original content only to have your videos buried beneath a sea of garbage. In extreme cases, channels that engage in spam can be removed entirely from YouTube.
How to avoid creating Spam?
There are things that you can avoid creating spam on YouTube:
Make sure you’re only uploading original content:
This one should be obvious, but it’s worth reiterating. If you didn’t create the content yourself, don’t upload it to YouTube.
Don’t copy/paste other people’s videos:
If you see a video you like and want to share with your audience, don’t just copy/paste it onto your channel. Instead, link to it in the description of your video or write a blog post about it.
Don’t upload the same video multiple times:
If you have a video that you think is great and want people to see, that’s fine! But there’s no need to upload it multiple times or across various channels. Just put it up once and promote it through your other channels (social media, email list, etc.).
Don’t mass-upload videos:
If you have a bunch of videos you want to upload all at once, that’s also fine! But don’t just dump them all onto YouTube without any promotion or organization. Create a plan for how you will release them so that people see them and don’t get overwhelmed.
Take down old videos that aren’t getting views:
If you have old videos on your channel that aren’t getting any ideas, consider taking them down instead of letting them sit there and collect dust. No one wants to watch an outdated or irrelevant video, so there’s no need to keep those up to have them up. Keep your channel fresh and relevant by only uploading your best stuff.
What is considered Spam?
Uploading the same content repeatedly across one or more channels is considered spam. This includes, but is not limited to. YouTube videos are uploaded multiple times across one or more channels. If you see a video that appears spam, please report it to us using the “Flag as Inappropriate” option under the video’s description. Once we have reviewed the video and confirmed that it is spam, we will take appropriate action, including removing the video from YouTube.
For our purposes, spam is considered any action that artificially inflates views, subscribers, comments, or any other metric through multiple accounts or by posting duplicative content across channels. Here are a few examples:
- Posting the same video across multiple channels
- Posting duplicate videos from other sources
- Using bots or other automated methods to post comments or inflate view counts
- Creating new channels solely for re-uploading existing videos
These actions violate our Community Guidelines and undermine viewers’ trust in YouTube as a source of great content. Not to mention, it’s just plain old spammy.
How to avoid being accused of Spamming?
A great way to avoid being accused of spamming is only to upload original content that has not been previously published on YouTube. If you must upload reposted content, be sure to add new and original commentary or otherwise change the presentation of the video so that it does not appear to be an exact copy of a previous upload.
One type of spam video we’ve seen lately is people uploading the same content multiple times across different channels. This isn’t necessarily a new tactic, but we see an increase in media using this method to artificially inflate their view counts and subscriber numbers.
Usually, these videos are copied from other sources without adding new value or context. They’re often lower-quality versions of the original; sometimes, it may even upload them in a different language.
This type of spam harms the YouTube community because it artificially inflates view counts and subscriber numbers, which can mislead other users about the popularity of a channel. In addition, it creates a bad user experience by filling up YouTube’s home page and search results with low-quality content.
What happens if you continue to spam YouTube?
If we see that someone is repeatedly breaking our guidelines, we may take action on their account, including disabling comments, restricting future uploads, and even terminating access to YouTube. So please don’t do it! Instead, focus on creating great original content that your viewers will love.
If you have questions about this policy or our Community Guidelines, check out our Help Center or post in our Creator Forum.
How to Report Spam or Abuse on YouTube
If you see a channel that’s repeatedly uploaded the same content across multiple YouTube channels, please report it by following these steps:
- Open YouTube and sign in
- Go to the channel that’s repeatedly uploading the same videos
- Select About above the channel banner
- Select Report user in the tab menu
- Follow the instructions on how to report spam or abuse on YouTube
- Select Submit
You can also report spam, abusive, or inappropriate content by flagging a video directly from its watch page. Once you flag a video, it’ll be reviewed by our team of specialists.
Please note that we can’t take action on every piece of feedback we receive. But we use all the information reported to us to improve our systems and fight abuse on YouTube.
How to avoid getting a strike on Your Channel for Spam
Don’t upload the same content multiple times. This includes uploading the same video to various channels, pages, playlists, or websites. If we detect that you’re doing this, your drain will get a strike. If this continues, your channel could be terminated.
Don’t engage in Massachusetts favoring. This means don’t create channels or promote videos with deceptive titles, tags, descriptions, or thumbnails to increase views. If we catch you doing this, your drain will get a strike.
Be sure to follow our other Community Guidelines while creating and uploading videos. Some examples include nudity or sexual activity guidelines, harmful or dangerous activities, hateful content, violent or graphic content, and spammy comments.
Conclusion
If you’re concerned about how much content you’re posting to YouTube and whether or not it’s all original, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle with deciding what to post and when to post it. That’s where our team of experts comes in.
We can help you develop a video marketing strategy that works for your business and enables you to achieve your desired results. Contact us today for a consultation to help your YouTube channel off the ground (or improve the one you already have).
