After you upload a video to YouTube, you must want your video to get more views. Besides, if you want to make money on YouTube, the YouTube view count is one factor to consider. However, do you know what counts as a view on YouTube? In this article, we will show you how does YouTube count views in different situations. The information mentioned here may give you some hints.

How does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to make sure that all YouTube views are from real people but not a robot. So, here are two basic criteria:

1. A user intentionally begins the playing of a YouTube video.
2. A user watches a YouTube video on the platform for at least 30 seconds.

That is, a view from a user who manually clicks the Play button of a YouTube video and watches it for at least 30 seconds will be counted to one of the YouTube views.

To be specific, there are various situations:

30-second is the total time you spend watching a YouTube video

A continuous view that is equal to or longer than 30 seconds will be one view, of course. However, what about a skipping view?

When skip-watching a YouTube video, as long as the total watching time is equal to or longer than 30 seconds, your view will be considered as one view by YouTube. However, if you want for less than 30 seconds, it may not count.

Not all repeat views are counted by YouTube

You may let your friends and team members to watch your video again and again to increase the views’ number. Here, we tell you that it is a mistake.

Some experts say that YouTube may stop counting your view after you watch the same YouTube video for 4 or 5 times one day. This means to prevent unfair competition. We advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible if you want to do this.

What about the videos that are shorter than 30 seconds?

A valid viewing should be equal to or longer than 30 seconds. But if the total length of a YouTube video is shorter than 30 seconds, how to count the views? Experts don’t how to count it by now. but YouTube thinks it cannot be monetized.

Video watch robots are useless

Some users use watch robots to increase YouTube view count. In most cases, it doesn’t work. Here are two things you need to know:

1. If a user leaves spam comments on a YouTube video, its view will not be considered as an effective view by YouTube.
2. If a YouTube video is embedded in a page and auto-starts when you open it, the views on that page will not count.

YouTube Counts Live Views

Now, let talk about YouTube live view count.

As you know, you can also use YouTube to perform a live stream. Views from live streams also count as regular views. Of course, live streaming videos must adhere to the community guidelines.

However, YouTube live views will be adjusted within 24 hours according to the following situations:

• Viewers use the same IP address across different devices at the same time.
• Viewers open many windows to watch the same live stream at the same time.
• Viewers refresh the live streaming page after watching for 30 seconds or longer.

These suspected foul operating will be excluded from the YouTube view count within 24 hours.

What Counts as a Video View on Main Social Media

Reading here, you may be interested in the main social media video views. Here are some main values:

• Facebook: 3 seconds or longer
• Instagram/IGTV: 3 seconds or longer
• LinkedIn: 2 seconds or longer
• YouTube: 30 seconds or longer
• Tiktok: 0.1 seconds i.e. each time a video starts
• Twitter: 2 seconds or longer

Now, you know what counts as a view on YouTube. You just get what you want to know. Moreover, if you want to download a video from YouTube, you can use MiniTool uTube Downloader. It is a free tool. You can download  and get it.

You can use this software to download a YouTube video to MP3, MO4, WAV, and WebM. You can also select which resolution and audio quality to download. Besides, you can download YouTube video subtitles if available.