YouTube is changing the way they count Shorts views! We think this could lead to a huge increase in your viewership, so let's break down the details and exactly how it will affect your content...
Starting March 31, 2025, YouTube will update how Shorts views are counted. Instead of requiring a certain number of seconds for a view to count, YouTube will now track every time your Short starts to play or replay. No minimum watch time needed! That means every tap, scroll, or auto-replay is now officially a view.
Why the change? YouTube heard from creators who wanted a more complete picture of how often their Shorts are seen, especially to replicate how TikTok and Instagram count views. This new view metric gives you a better sense of your overall visibility and reach, not just how long someone stuck around.
If you think this change could hurt your strategy more than help, don’t worry, the original view metric isn’t going anywhere. You’ll still be able to access the old method (now called "engaged views") inside YouTube Analytics > Advanced Mode. That’s where you’ll see how many people chose to keep watching your content past that initial play.
Here’s what this means for you:
- More views showing up on your Shorts. This is great for visibility and momentum.
- No impact on monetization of YouTube Partner Program eligibility. Those will still be based on engaged views, not the new total views count.
- Stronger analytics across platforms. If you’re posting to TikTok, Reels, and Shorts, you now have a clearer way to compare reach.
We’re excited to see how creators use this change to change up their strategy and reach even more viewers. Let us know how it works out for you and if you have any more questions, feel free to contact us!
