The “Pause” option offers a much-needed middle ground, allowing creators to take a break from moderating comments when they become overwhelming — without resorting to complete shutdowns — and gain more control over the conversation by temporarily stopping the flow of new comments. This can be helpful during live streams or other unpredictable situations where managing comments in real-time can be challenging.
This update also marks a renaming of existing comment moderation settings for clarity and ease of use. However, the underlying functionality remains the same. Here’s a quick breakdown of the available options:
- On, with optional comment moderation settings:
- None: All comments are automatically published without review.
- Basic: Potentially inappropriate comments are held for review.
- Strict: A wider range of potentially inappropriate comments are held for review.
- Hold All: All comments are held for review.
- Pause: No new comments can be posted, but existing comments remain visible.
- Off: Comments are disabled entirely.
Credit: YouTube Creators Channel
The new “Pause” feature is a welcome addition to YouTube’s comment moderation tools, offering creators more control and flexibility in managing their online communities. I’m curious to see how the larger YouTube community will react to this change and whether it will become part of the solution when it comes to curbing comment spam.
