Clickbaity, shocking or ALL-CAPS title or thumbnail
YouTube may show the video to fewer people.
Reduced reachHow serious: MinorYouTubeEngagement bait
Last verified
What triggers it
Title or thumbnail that is sensational or misrepresents the video, uses offensive or outrageous language, or shouts with ALL CAPS or '!!!!!'.
What YouTube says
“These methods can turn potential new viewers away from your content and in some cases may result in your content getting removed for a Community Guidelines violation.”
We last checked this against YouTube's page on .
How to fix it
Write a calm, accurate title in normal case and make the thumbnail represent the video.
Good to know
Watch for titles mostly in capitals, runs of '!!!' or '???', and outrage or shock words. One capitalized word for emphasis is fine.
Can FYProof spot it?
A full check of your video looks for it in the words on screen and the caption. What a check finds is an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Video: not for this rule
- Speech: not for this rule
- On-screen text: looked at for this rule
- Caption: looked at for this rule
- Hashtags: not for this rule
Related YouTube rules
Platforms change their rules often. This page sums up what YouTube publishes; it isn't legal advice.