What Is a Pinned Comment on YouTube? Complete Guide

Pinned Comment

A pinned comment is a comment that a YouTube creator places at the top of a video's comment section or a post's comment feed so viewers see it before most other replies.

A creator can pin their own comment or a viewer's comment. Pinning changes the comment's position and visibility; it does not turn the comment into part of the video description, guarantee engagement, or prevent later moderation.

Where Can Comments Be Pinned?

• At the top of a video's watch-page comments
• At the top of comments under a YouTube post

On mobile, viewers may need to expand the comment section before the pinned comment becomes visible.

How to Pin a Video Comment

1. Open the individual video's watch page or comments in YouTube Studio.
2. Find the comment you want to feature.
3. Select the More menu beside the comment.
4. Select Pin.
5. Confirm the action.

The Pin option appears when the creator is viewing comments for an individual video rather than only a channel-wide comment list.

How to Pin a Comment on a Post

1. Open YouTube Studio.
2. Select Content.
3. Open the Posts tab.
4. Open the comments for the post.
5. Find the comment and select More.
6. Select Pin.

How Many Comments Can Be Pinned?

One comment can occupy the pinned position for a particular video or post at a time. Pinning another comment replaces the previously pinned comment.

The previous comment normally returns to its ordinary position based on YouTube's comment ordering and ranking systems.

Can a Creator Pin Their Own Comment?

Yes. Common creator-written pinned comments include:

• A correction or update
• A link to a related video or playlist
• A question for viewers
• A summary of an important point
• A disclosure or clarification
• A timestamp list
• A call to action that would clutter the spoken video

Can a Viewer Comment Be Pinned?

Yes. A creator can pin a useful, funny, insightful, or representative viewer comment.

Pinning a viewer comment can:

• Reward thoughtful participation
• Surface a useful correction or extra detail
• Highlight a strong question
• Set the tone for the discussion
• Encourage higher-quality comments

Advanced Feature Requirement

YouTube classifies pinned comments as an Advanced feature. A channel must have access to Advanced features before the Pin option is available.

Advanced access can depend on:

• Sufficient channel history
• Identity verification through an accepted method
• Maintaining a positive channel history
• Following YouTube's Community Guidelines

YouTube says newly enabled Advanced features can take up to 24 hours to appear across the channel.

Who Can Pin a Comment?

YouTube's current comment-moderator permission table reserves pinning and unpinning for the channel owner. Standard and managing comment moderators can hold, report, and hide comments or users according to their permissions, but they cannot pin comments through the comment-moderator role.

Channel-permission roles are a separate access system, so creators should review the exact permissions shown for delegated channel users.

Pinned Comment vs. Hearted Comment

Feature	Pinned Comment	Hearted Comment
Primary effect	Moves one comment to the top	Shows creator appreciation
Quantity	One pinned position per video or post	Many comments can receive hearts
Viewer notification	No standard notification guarantee	Viewer may receive a notification depending on settings
Main use	Visibility and context	Recognition and engagement

Pinned Comment vs. Creator Reply

A creator reply joins the conversation under a particular comment. A pinned comment is positioned above the broader discussion.

The creator can combine them by replying to a viewer and then pinning the original comment when the exchange is useful to everyone.

Pinned Comment vs. Description

The description is controlled entirely by the creator and appears in the video's information area. A pinned comment appears in the comment section and can receive replies, likes, and other comment interactions.

Important legal disclosures, essential corrections, and required links should not rely solely on a pinned comment when they also belong in the video or description.

Pinned Comment vs. Pinned Live Chat Message

A pinned live chat message is highlighted during a live broadcast. A pinned comment appears under an uploaded video, archived video, or YouTube post.

The two features serve similar visibility goals but use different interfaces and timelines.

Does Pinning Increase Comment Ranking?

Pinning manually places the comment in the designated top position. It is not evidence that YouTube's organic comment-ranking system judged the comment to be the best or most popular.

If the comment is unpinned, its ordinary location can depend on factors such as sorting, replies, likes, recency, and YouTube's comment systems.

Does a Pinned Comment Improve Video Rankings?

YouTube does not describe pinned comments as a direct Search or recommendation-ranking factor.

A useful pinned comment may indirectly improve the viewer experience by answering questions, directing viewers to related content, or encouraging discussion, but creators should not promise an algorithm boost from pinning.

Using a Pinned Comment for Corrections

A pinned correction can be useful when:

• A product feature changed after publication.
• A spoken number or name was incorrect.
• A link moved.
• A policy update changes the video's advice.
• A viewer identifies an important limitation.

For major errors, also update the description, add a visible correction where possible, or publish a corrected video.

Using a Pinned Comment for Related Content

A strong related-content comment explains why the next resource matters rather than dropping an unexplained link.

Example structure:

1. Summarize the next logical question.
2. Explain what the linked video adds.
3. Include one clear link.
4. Avoid a long list of unrelated destinations.

Using a Pinned Comment for Engagement

Questions work best when they are specific and easy to answer.

• "Which microphone are you using now?"
• "What part of this setup is giving you trouble?"
• "Which comparison should I test next?"
• "What changed after you tried this method?"

A vague "What do you think?" prompt usually produces less useful research.

Can a Pinned Comment Be Removed?

Yes. The creator can:

• Unpin it
• Replace it by pinning another comment
• Delete it if it is the creator's own comment
• Remove it through moderation if it belongs to another user

If the viewer deletes their own pinned comment, the pinned content disappears.

What Happens if the User Is Hidden?

If the creator hides the commenter from the channel, that user's comments are no longer visible across the channel. A pinned comment from that user will therefore no longer function as a visible pinned message.

Use Hidden User only when the channel-wide restriction is appropriate, not merely to replace a pinned comment.

Links in Pinned Comments

Links remain subject to YouTube's spam, safety, and moderation systems. A pin does not make a harmful, misleading, or policy-violating destination acceptable.

Use clear link text and avoid:

• Suspicious URL shorteners
• Repeated affiliate links without disclosure
• Unrelated promotional links
• Instructions that ask viewers to leave YouTube unnecessarily
• Links that conflict with the video's promise

Can a Pinned Comment Be Moderated?

Yes. Pinning does not protect a comment from:

• Removal by the creator
• Deletion by the commenter
• YouTube spam or policy enforcement
• Channel-wide hidden-user rules
• Changes to video comment availability

Comments Off or Paused

If comments are turned off, existing comments are not visible until comments are turned on again. If comments are paused, existing comments remain while new comments are temporarily prevented.

A pinned comment cannot replace the need for the correct comment setting.

Best Practices

• Keep the pinned comment short enough to scan.
• Lead with the most important information.
• Update or replace outdated pins.
• Do not overuse links.
• Pin viewer comments only when the creator is comfortable giving them prominent visibility.
• Use accurate disclosures.
• Check the pin on mobile and desktop.
• Unpin temporary announcements after they expire.

Common Pinned-Comment Mistakes

• Assuming several comments can be pinned at once.
• Expecting comment moderators to pin through their moderator role.
• Ignoring the Advanced feature requirement.
• Using a pinned comment as the only location for an essential disclosure.
• Leaving an outdated correction or link pinned.
• Confusing a pin with a heart or creator reply.
• Claiming pinning directly improves video ranking.
• Pinning a hostile comment that sets the wrong discussion tone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many comments can I pin?

One comment can occupy the pinned position for an individual video or post at a time.

Can I pin my own comment?

Yes. Creators can pin their own comment or a viewer's comment.

Why is the Pin option missing?

The channel may lack Advanced feature access, the feature may still be activating, or the creator may not be viewing comments for an individual video.

Does pinning notify the commenter?

YouTube's current Help pages emphasize notification behavior for hearts, not a guaranteed notification for every pinned comment.