YouTube has unveiled a new moderation tool catered to creators, introducing the 'Pause' feature that enables a temporary halt on new comments while retaining those already posted. This addition, announced via a blog post on Thursday, offers creators a breather from comment management if the task becomes overwhelming, granting them control over comment handling.
Prior to this update, YouTube creators had limited options to moderate comments effectively. They could either manually review comments before publication or entirely disable comments on their videos. The introduction of the Pause feature provides a middle ground, allowing creators to pause new comments without disabling the existing ones. While the feature is rolling out, YouTube is clarifying its global availability.
In tandem with this update, YouTube has revamped some existing moderation settings for better user comprehension. Renaming these settings aims to simplify the decision-making process. Instead of intricate options like "Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review" and toggling for "Increase strictness," users will now encounter more straightforward choices: On, Pause, or Off. Enabling comments will also offer additional moderation levels such as None (completely unmoderated), Basic (holding "potentially inappropriate" comments for review), Strict (holding a broader range of comments for review), and Hold All.
To access the new Pause option, users can navigate to video-level comment settings on the watch page within the YouTube app or utilize YouTube Studio on both mobile and desktop versions.
This update from YouTube aims to simplify the moderation process for creators, providing more manageable options to navigate comment moderation without completely restricting or pre-reviewing comments.
