YouTube has unveiled a new comment moderation feature named Pause, designed to empower creators and moderators in managing viewer comments effectively. This feature allows content creators to temporarily halt the addition of new comments while retaining existing ones on their videos.
Rather than resorting to an all-encompassing comment shutdown or manually reviewing each comment, creators can utilize the Pause setting. Positioned in the upper right-hand corner of the comments panel on the watch page in the app or within YouTube Studio, this option grants the ability to pause comments until the creator has the time to filter out undesirable content and address any issues with trolls or negativity. When the Pause function is activated, viewers can visibly observe that all comments have been temporarily halted, along with those that were previously published.
YouTube initiated testing of the Pause feature back in October, and feedback from the experimental group has indicated a positive impact. Users within this group reported feeling less overwhelmed by the management of numerous comments, expressing increased flexibility in handling their comment sections.
In conjunction with the introduction of the Pause feature, YouTube has streamlined the names of some of its comment moderation settings for enhanced clarity. The revised names, such as “On,” “None,” “Hold All,” and “Off,” aim to simplify the understanding of the respective tools. Additionally, there are settings like “Basic,” which holds potentially inappropriate comments for review, and “Strict,” where a broader spectrum of potentially harmful comments is temporarily suspended. These adjustments aim to provide users with a more straightforward and user-friendly experience in moderating comments on their YouTube content.
