Write notes on videos

Note writing is only available on mobile in the United States in English. If you're eligible to write notes, you'll need to sign up on the YouTube mobile app to get started.

To help others stay informed, you can sign up to submit notes on videos you find inaccurate or unclear. After submission, your note is reviewed and rated by others. If your note is rated as helpful by many people with a broad set of perspectives, it may be published and appear below the video.

Sign up on mobile

To sign up using YouTube on mobile:

  1. Sign in to the YouTube mobile app.
  2. Tap your profile picture .
  3. Tap Settings , then General.
  4. Tap Help inform viewers to begin signing up.

Get started writing notes

To write a note:

  1. Under the video you’re watching, tap Add note '''.
  2. Write your note in the text box.
  3. Tap Send.
Note: If you don’t see an option to add a note, it may be because you aren’t eligible to write notes yet. The option also isn’t available on videos that may feature minors, Made for Kids content, or private videos.

If your note is published, it’ll be anonymous, so your channel name won’t be displayed.

Writing tips

Notes should always be in your own words, not copied text directly from sources, and they should add clarity or useful context to videos. Follow these tips for writing helpful notes:

  • Cite sources that support the note’s claims. 
  • Use language that’s easy to understand.
  • Use neutral language and avoid expressing an opinion.
  • Offer important context that isn’t readily available in the video, description, or title.
  • Directly address a claim made in the video or title, and, if possible, include a relevant timestamp for that claim.
  • Use 600 characters or less. 

Note examples

2:41 Seals and sea lions are actually distinguishable from one another. One of the ways you can tell the difference is that sea lions have protruding external ear flaps, while seals only have ear holes. 

Sources: ​​https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-seals-and-sea-lions

4:30 While the presenter says they saw a cassowary flying overhead on their recent trip to Australia, this is impossible as cassowaries are flightless birds. 

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/animal/cassowary

FAQ

Who has access to write notes?

To write notes, you’ll need to have a YouTube channel that:

Your account will need to be based in the United States with your language set to English.

If you're eligible to write notes, you'll need to sign up on the YouTube mobile app to get started.

Why can I see notes on videos, even though I can't write them?

Even if you don’t have access to note writing, you may still see notes on the videos you’re watching, both on mobile and on your computer. Notes provide helpful context on videos, enrich the viewing experience, and bring relevant, insightful color to all types of content on YouTube.

If you believe that the info in a note is incorrect, you can send feedback about the note:

  1. Beside the note, tap More .
  2. Tap Send feedback.

What happens to my note after I submit it?

After submission, your note is reviewed and rated by others. If your note is rated as helpful by many people across a broad set of perspectives, it may be published and appear below the video.
Note: Not all notes will be published.

Can I check the status of my notes?

If your note is published, you’ll get a notification and it’ll appear below the video.

How do I delete a note?

You can delete your note at any time, even after it gets published. To do so:
In the YouTube app, tap the You tab.
  1. Tap Settings .
  2. Tap Your data in YouTube and then Manage your YouTube Watch History  and then  INTERACTIONS  and then  Notes for viewers.
  3. Beside your note, tap delete .

You can also delete a note from the relevant video:

  1. Tap Add note '''.
  2. Beside the note you want to delete, tap More   .
  3. Tap Delete.
It may take a few hours for your note to be removed.
How do I know if I’m off the waitlist?

If you’ve signed up, you’ll get a notification when you’re off the waitlist and can start writing notes.

If you’re off the waitlist but can’t write notes, check that you’re logged into the channel that has access to this feature and was mentioned in the invite email.

Who rates notes?
Third-party human evaluators rate the helpfulness of notes. These raters are the same people who give feedback on YouTube’s search results and recommendations.
How do you make sure published notes are broadly helpful?

Raters are asked whether they think a note is helpful, including whether it cites high-quality sources or is written clearly and neutrally.

A note will only show up under a video if a wide range of people rate it as helpful. Our systems consider rating history and identify notes where raters who’ve historically had different perspectives on notes now agree. If people who have rated notes differently in the past now agree that a note is helpful, then our system is more likely to publish the note.

All notes must follow our Community Guidelines.

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