Have you ever clicked on a comment under a YouTube video and noticed the words “Highlighted Comment” above it? If you’re like many users, you probably wondered what it means and why that comment looks different. You’re not alone as this is one of the most common questions creators ask when using the platform.
YouTube’s comment section is where most conversations happen, but features like the highlighted comment YouTube tag can be confusing if you don’t know what they do. Is it a special comment? Was it pinned? Or is it just something YouTube added on its own?
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In this blog post, we’ll break it down in simple terms. You’ll learn what a highlighted comment really is, how it works, and why it shows up.
What does “highlighted comment” mean on Youtube?
A highlighted comment on YouTube is a comment that gets special visual emphasis usually with a “Highlighted Comment” label above it when you click a direct link to that comment or interact with a notification about it. It’s simply a navigation tool to help users find a comment quickly and easily. In addition, it’s not a feature the video creator controls, and it’s not a way to boost or promote comments publicly.
The YouTube highlight comment feature is automatically triggered when you click on a comment through a notification email or a link shared with a specific comment ID. YouTube does this to help you quickly find the exact comment you’re being notified about, especially in videos with hundreds or thousands of replies.
It’s important to know that a highlighted comment is not pinned. It’s only visible that way to you. Other users won’t see the same comment as highlighted. The feature is simply for your convenience, making it easier to follow conversations or respond to replies without scrolling endlessly.
How highlighted comments work
The highlighted comment feature on YouTube works behind the scenes to make navigating the comment section easier especially when you’re returning to a specific reply. Here’s a simple step-by-step explanation of how it works:
- You receive a notification: This could be through email or YouTube’s notification bell when someone replies to your comment or mentions you in a thread.
- You click the link in the notification: The link has a special ID attached to the comment it’s pointing to.
- YouTube opens the video and highlights the comment: The comment appears near the top of the thread with a gray “Highlighted Comment” label.
- You view or reply to the comment: This helps you quickly find and engage without scrolling.
- The highlight disappears: If you refresh the page, click a different comment, or change the URL, the “highlighted” label goes away.
This feature is temporary and only affects your view. It’s not seen by others and doesn’t impact the video’s engagement or visibility.
Yes, you can share a highlighted comment on YouTube.
This capability is specifically great for:
- Pointing out a specific comment in a busy thread.
- Sharing a funny or important comment with friends or on social media.
- Keeping discussions focused on a particular reply.
Again, it’s important to remember that the highlighted comment is only visible to the person opening the link. It doesn’t boost the comment’s visibility in general, and it’s not pinned or promoted by the creator.
How to share highlighted comments on YouTube
If you want someone else to see a specific comment on a YouTube video, you can share a highlighted comment using a special link. This is useful when you want to point out a comment in a long thread without asking the other person to scroll through everything.
Follow this steps to share highlighted comments:
- Scroll to the comment under the video.
- Click the timestamp next to the commenter’s name. This is the small number showing how long ago the comment was posted (e.g., “2 hours ago”).
- The page will refresh with a new URL. The URL now includes a tag like &lc= followed by a code. You’ll also notice the comment is now labeled “Highlighted Comment.”
- Copy the updated URL from your browser. This is the link you’ll share.
- Send or post the link. When someone clicks it, the video will open with that specific comment highlighted for easy viewing.
The YouTube highlight comment feature helps keep conversations focused and saves time when referencing specific remarks.
How to remove highlighted comments on YouTube
It’s impossible to manually remove a highlighted comment YouTube, but you can easily make the “Highlighted Comment” label disappear from your screen. That label is only triggered by a special link and doesn’t stay permanently.
To remove the label, follow this steps:
- Look at the video URL: When a comment is highlighted, the URL will include extra tags like ‘&lc=’
- Remove those extra parts: Delete everything in the URL after the video ID (the part after watch?v=).
- For example, change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123&lc=xyz456 to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123
- For example, change https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123&lc=xyz456 to
- Press Enter to reload the page: The comment will now load without the “Highlighted Comment” label.
- Alternatively, refresh the page: In many cases, simply reloading the video will remove the highlight.
Are highlighted comments the same as pinned comments on YouTube?
No, highlighted comments are not the same as pinned comments on YouTube. While both appear at the top of the comment section, they serve very different purposes and work in completely different ways.
Here’s a quick comparison to help you understand:
|
Feature |
Highlighted Comment |
Pinned Comment |
|
Who adds it? |
YouTube (automatically) | The video creator |
|
Who sees it? |
Only the person who clicked the special link or notification | Everyone watching the video |
|
How is it triggered? |
By clicking a comment link or notification | Manually pinned by the channel owner |
|
Is it permanent? |
No. It disappears when you refresh or remove the URL tag | Yes. It stays at the top until unpinned |
|
Purpose |
For easier navigation to a specific comment | To highlight an important or featured comment |
So, while they might look similar at first glance, the highlighted comment YouTube feature is temporary and personal, while pinned comments are public and curated by the content creator.
FAQs
Does a highlighted comment get more views?
No, a highlighted comment does not get more views or special visibility on YouTube. It only appears highlighted for the person who clicks a specific link such as a notification email or a direct URL to that comment. It’s not promoted by YouTube, and it doesn’t show up at the top of the comment section for other viewers.
Who is allowed to highlight a comment on YouTube?
Only YouTube itself can automatically highlight a comment, and this happens when a user clicks on a specific link or notification pointing to a comment. In other words, you cannot manually highlight a comment on YouTube. While creators can pin comments to keep them at the top of the comment section for everyone, the highlighted comment feature is purely a navigation tool that only affects the person clicking the link. It doesn’t impact visibility or views for anyone else.
Can you turn off highlighted comments on YouTube?
No, you cannot turn off highlighted comments on YouTube. The highlighted comment feature is automatically triggered when you click on a specific comment link or notification. It’s a temporary and personalized feature designed to help you quickly find a comment you’ve been notified about or linked to.
Once you click the link or notification that leads to a highlighted comment, YouTube will highlight that comment for your convenience. However, this is not something you can disable or turn off.
The highlighted comment disappears once:
- You refresh the page.
- You change the URL (by clicking elsewhere or modifying the link).
- You navigate away from the video.
In short, while you can’t turn off highlighted comments, you can simply clear the special URL tag or refresh the page to remove the highlight from your view.
In the end
Highlighted comments on YouTube are simply a navigation tool designed to help users quickly find and view specific comments. They’re not a form of promotion, and they don’t give any particular comment extra visibility or importance. The highlighted comment feature is triggered automatically when you click on a notification or a link that points directly to a comment. It’s meant to make your YouTube experience easier, not to promote or boost certain comments. For both creators and viewers, there’s no hidden meaning or bias behind highlighted comments. It’s just a temporary visual cue for convenience.
