YouTube Question Change in YouTube comment algorithm?

[Travel Interesante]

I've noticed within the past week or so that YouTube has been more aggressively pushing down the "top liked" comments on both my videos and on videos from larger creators which we follow. I did a quick Google search and quick forum search here and cannot seem to find anything recent about a change like that.

I get why YouTube would do it, in theory on larger channels it potentially could encourage more engagement (i.e. the hope that someone who is 2-3 hours late to watching a video would still have an incentive to comment with a greater hope that a large creator may still see their comment and interact), but of course that just further seems to benefit larger creators who will potentially see more comments and further nudge them ahead with the YouTube algorithm.

Just speculation on my end, I'm curious of others noticed the same thing happening recently?

 

[Beanie Draws]

What do you mean "pushing down" top liked comments? don't you mean up? Comments with lots of likes typically raise to the top, and it's actually a setting in ALL videos. You have the option to sort from top, or most recent.

It's actually been the case for years from memory.

 

[Travel Interesante]

Thanks for responding Beanie! Up until a month ago that was the standard for the top comment to be the most liked, with some more recent comments rising to a top comment if it received enough likes.

Now it seems YouTube is more aggressively pushing more recent comments to the top, even if the comment has less likes overall (but still is a well liked comment).

 

[Beanie Draws]

Thanks for responding Beanie! Up until a month ago that was the standard for the top comment to be the most liked, with some more recent comments rising to a top comment if it received enough likes.

Now it seems YouTube is more aggressively pushing more recent comments to the top, even if the comment has less likes overall (but still is a well liked comment).

Hmm interesting, I haven't noticed this much but I actually haven't been watching much youtube the last month, well, not the comments anyway. I think a few times I've noticed this. Algorithms are always changing, probably to promote more community discussion in comments (which sometimes isn't a great idea )

 

[Travel Interesante]

Hmm interesting, I haven't noticed this much but I actually haven't been watching much youtube the last month, well, not the comments anyway. I think a few times I've noticed this. Algorithms are always changing, probably to promote more community discussion in comments (which sometimes isn't a great idea )

Agreed, I think at the end of the day it gives more people an opportunity to be "seen" by their favorite YouTubers and provides more incentive to comment.