A Guide for Content Creators and Marketers on YouTube and Video Spam

Since the early days of YouTube, video spam hasn’t been a major issue, but with the introduction of live shopping on what has now become the most popular streaming platform for ad-supported reach, we need to revisit the issue.

This article will teach you everything there is to know about YouTube and video spam (but were afraid to ask).

Basically, spam, scams, and other deceptive practices that exploit the YouTube community are not permitted.

Furthermore, YouTube does not allow content that attempts to persuade users to leave the social video platform for another.

This policy applies to all YouTube products and features, including videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and any other YouTube product or feature.

It’s also worth noting that breaking these rules can result in your video being removed from YouTube.

And, frankly, we wouldn’t want that, would we?

It’s critical that your understanding of what constitutes video spam corresponds to YouTube’s spam-prevention guidelines.

What Is Video Spam, Exactly?

Video spam is content that includes the following elements:

Promises viewers something, but instead sends them to another site to see it.
Promises viewers that if they get clicks, views, or traffic from YouTube, they will make money quickly.
Directs viewers to websites that attempt to collect personal information or distribute malicious software.

Video spam, on the other hand, is:

Repetition of the same content across one or more channels.
Scraping content from other creators and mass-uploading it.
Computer-generated content that is posted with no regard for quality or the experience of the viewer.
Using dedicated accounts to post affiliate content in bulk.

Remember that this isn’t an exhaustive list.

Users, partners, and other creators can now use the flagging feature to report content that they believe violates these guidelines to YouTube’s staff for review.

Alternatively, they can report the channel if they find a few videos or comments that they would like to report.

YouTube hired 10,000 new employees in December 2017 to review content that might be in violation of its policies. As a result, there are a lot more cops on the beat now.

But hold on! There’s more!

What Constitutes False Metadata Or Thumbnails?

If you’re posting content, don’t use metadata or thumbnails that are misleading. This includes the following:

A picture of a well-known celebrity that has nothing to do with the content as a thumbnail.
Using the title, thumbnails, or description to mislead users into thinking the content is something it isn’t.

This is especially true if a significant risk of serious real-world harm exists.

What Are Scams and How Do You Avoid Them?

YouTube does not allow scams.

This includes the following content:

Exaggerating promises, such as claims that viewers can become wealthy quickly or that a miracle treatment can cure chronic illnesses like cancer.
Providing monetary gifts.
Pyramid schemes are promoted (sending money without a tangible product in a pyramid structure).
“With this plan, you’ll make $50,000 tomorrow!” they promise.

It’s also worth noting that this isn’t an exhaustive list.

What Is Incentivization Spam, and What Does It Mean?

Content that sells engagement metrics like views, likes, comments, subscribers, or other metrics on YouTube is known as Incentivization Spam.

The following content types are examples of this type of spam:

Videos that offer to subscribe to another creator’s channel in exchange for them subscribing to yours are known as “Subs 4 Subs.”
Videos where you can buy “likes.”
Videos that promise to get a channel to 100,000 subscribers without providing any additional content.

Also, keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list.

What Is Comment Spam and How Do I Avoid It?

YouTube does not allow comments that are solely intended to collect personal information from viewers, mislead viewers away from YouTube, or engage in any of the prohibited behaviors listed above.

Read How to Manage YouTube Comments: Viewing, Moderating, Replying and More.

The following are some examples of this type of content:

Surveys or giveaways that promote pyramid schemes receive negative feedback.
In the comments, there is “Pay Per Click” referral links.
Comments that make false claims about providing complete video content. TV shows are an example of this type of content.
“omg just got tons of Bucks from here! – [xyz phishing site].com,” or “omg just got tons of Bucks from here! – [xyz phishing site].com,” or “omg just got tons of Bucks from here!” or “omg just got tons of Bucks from here!” or “omg just
Links to counterfeit stores can be found in the comments.
“Hey, take a look at my channel/video over here!” when the channel/video has nothing to do with the video.
Repeatedly posting the same comment with a link to your channel.

As you may have guessed, this isn’t an exhaustive list.

What Is Abuse of Live Streams?

This policy applies to live streams that are intended to broadcast content that belongs to someone else but isn’t corrected despite repeated warnings of potential abuse.

Policing necessitates channel owners actively monitor their live streams and address any potential issues as soon as possible.

The following types of content are obviously not permitted on YouTube:

Streaming a television show on your phone.
Using third-party software to stream songs from an album in real time.

However, keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list.

Watch this unlisted video from the YouTube Creators channel on May 1, 2019, if you want to learn more about YouTube’s Community Guidelines on these topics.

Visit YouTube’s Help Center for more information, which was recently reorganized to provide greater clarity around their Community Guidelines and policies regarding “misinformation.”

There’s an article there with detailed definitions of the six major types of misinformation, as well as an explanation of what these policies mean for creators.

What Happens If Your Content Is Found To Be In Violation Of These Policies?

If your content is found to be in violation of any of the half-dozen policies listed above, YouTube will remove it and notify you via email.

If you’re breaking YouTube’s Community Guidelines for the first time, you’ll probably get a warning and no penalty for your channel.

If it isn’t, YouTube may levy a penalty against your channel.

Your channel will be terminated if you receive three strikes in 90 days.

For repeated violations of the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, YouTube may also terminate your channel or account.

After a single case of severe abuse, or if your channel is dedicated to a policy violation, YouTube may terminate your channel or account.

These guidelines, as should be obvious to content creators, cover the most common types of video spam, deceptive practices, and scams, but YouTube may take action against other misleading practices not listed here.

It’s not safe to assume that just because a particular deceptive technique isn’t listed on this page that YouTube endorses it.

Channel owners who devote their efforts to upholding the spirit of the fundamental principles will have more satisfied viewers and, as a result, will rank higher than those who spend their time looking for loopholes to exploit.

As the Grail Knight warns in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989):