5 Ways to Prevent YouTube From Linking to Comments

YouTube comment links

Posting links on YouTube comments is a common way to share information or promote content. However, YouTube has strict policies against spam and abuse, and posting links in comments can sometimes be flagged as such. This can lead to your comment being deleted or your account being suspended.

There are a few simple things you can do to avoid having your links flagged by YouTube. First, make sure that the link you’re posting is relevant to the conversation and adds value to the discussion. Second, don’t post the same link multiple times. Third, avoid using shortened URLs or link shorteners. Finally, don’t post links to websites that are known for spam or malware.

If you follow these guidelines, you can help to avoid having your links flagged by YouTube. However, if you do have a link flagged, you can appeal the decision. To do this, click on the “Report Abuse” link next to the comment and select the “Spam” option. Then, provide a brief explanation of why you believe your link should not be flagged. YouTube will review your appeal and make a decision within a few days.

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Disable Linkable URLs from Channel Settings

By making a small adjustment in your channel’s settings, you can disable linkable URLs from appearing in comments. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Access Channel Settings

Sign in to your YouTube account and click on your profile picture in the top-right corner. Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.

Step 2: Navigate to “Community” Tab

On the left-hand menu, click on the “Community” tab.

Step 3: Disable Linkable URLs

Under the “Moderation” section, find the option “Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review.” Enable this setting by toggling the switch to the right.

Step 4: Save Changes

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Save” to apply the changes. This will prevent users from posting clickable links in comments on your channel.

Option	Effect
Enabled	Comments with potentially inappropriate content, including links, will be held for review before they are published.
Disabled	Comments with links will be published immediately without any moderation.

Utilize Comment Moderation Tools

Leveraging comment moderation tools is crucial for curbing the proliferation of URL links in comments. Various platforms offer robust moderation capabilities that can be tailored to specific needs. Here’s an overview of some prominent features:

Automated Spam Filtering

Advanced moderation tools employ machine learning algorithms that automatically detect and flag comments containing potentially malicious or spammy content, including URLs. These filters can be customized to suit specific criteria, ensuring maximum effectiveness without compromising legitimate comments.

Keyword Blocking

Comment moderation systems allow you to define a list of keywords that trigger automatic blocking of comments containing those terms. By adding URLs or specific phrases to the blocklist, you can prevent spammers from using your comment section as a platform for link building.

Comment Approval

Manual comment approval gives you complete control over what comments are published. Before any comment becomes visible to the public, it must be manually approved by a designated moderator. This approach provides a high level of scrutiny, allowing you to screen out comments with URL links or other undesirable content.

Moderation Tool	Key Functionality
Automated Spam Filtering	Uses machine learning to detect and flag spammy comments
Keyword Blocking	Blocks comments containing specific keywords, such as URLs
Comment Approval	Requires manual approval of all comments before publication

Employ Automated Filter Tools

Moderate All Comments

Enable the “Hold all comments for review” setting to manually approve each comment before it’s published. This allows you to screen out comments containing links and other unwanted content.

Use Keyword Blocking

Configure your filter settings to automatically detect and hold comments that contain specific keywords or phrases associated with link spamming. This can help prevent comments with malicious links from appearing on your videos.

Advanced Link Filtering

Utilize advanced filter tools that can detect and block links based on their characteristics. For instance, you can set filters to block links that:

Come from specific domains
Match certain patterns (e.g., contain suspicious characters or formatting)
Have been reported as spam or malicious by other users

Leverage Third-Party Comment Management Programs

Third-party comment management programs offer a comprehensive approach to content moderation, enabling you to filter and remove unwanted links, spam, and offensive content. These programs typically use advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze comments in real-time, identifying and flagging content that violates your guidelines. By integrating these programs with your YouTube channel, you can:

Centralized Comment Management

Manage all comments from a single dashboard, streamlining your moderation process and ensuring consistency across all videos.

Customized Filtering Rules

Set up customizable filtering rules based on keywords, phrases, and specific patterns to automatically block unwanted comments.

Automated Spam Detection

Detect and remove spam comments based on various factors, such as suspicious links, repeated patterns, and unusual language.


Pattern	Example
Start with “http”	http://example.com
Contain “bit.ly”	https://bit.ly/123456

Feature	Benefits
Real-time Monitoring	Proactively scan comments as they are posted, ensuring immediate detection of unwanted content.
Advanced AI Algorithms	Utilize sophisticated AI algorithms to analyze language, identify suspicious patterns, and detect offensive content effectively.
Customizable Reporting	Generate customizable reports to track moderation activity, identify trends, and improve your strategies over time.

Implement Regex Filters for URL Detection

Regular expressions (Regex) provide a powerful mechanism for detecting and filtering URLs in YouTube comments. By implementing Regex filters, you can prevent users from posting comments containing malicious or inappropriate links. Here’s how to use Regex for URL detection in YouTube comments:

1. Use a Regex Expression

Create a Regex expression that matches URLs. A simple Regex for detecting URLs is the following:

(https?://|www\.)\S+[\w\-\.]+(\.\w+)([^ \;\,\)\]\}"'\!\?\<\>\)\(\{\])?

2. Apply the Regex Filter

In your YouTube comment moderation settings, create a new filter. In the “Filter type” field, select “Regex.” Paste the Regex expression into the “Filter text” field.

3. Configure the Filter Action

Choose the action you want to perform when a comment matches the Regex filter. You can choose to “Hold for review” or “Reject” comments containing URLs.

4. Enable the Filter

Save the filter and enable it. YouTube will now automatically detect and filter comments based on the Regex pattern.

5. Advanced Regex Techniques for URL Detection

To further enhance URL detection, consider using more advanced Regex techniques, such as:

Lookahead and Lookbehind Assertions: These assertions allow you to match or exclude URLs based on the surrounding text.
Character Classes: Use character classes to match specific types of characters, such as digits or letters.
Grouping and Capturing: Group and capture specific parts of the URL to extract additional information.

By leveraging these advanced Regex techniques, you can create highly effective filters to detect and prevent malicious URLs in YouTube comments.

Option	Description
Potential Spam	Comments from channels that don’t have a certain number of subscribers or total views.
Links	Comments that contain live links (e.g. http://example.com/) or shortened links (e.g. bit.ly/123abc).
English-only comments	Comments in English from users whose profile language is not set to English.
Contains Questions	Comments that contain a question mark (?) or ask a question explicitly (e.g., “Can you tell me…?”)

Encourage Community Self-Policing

Foster a culture of user accountability and vigilance within the community. Encourage users to flag inappropriate comments that contain links, and train them to recognize and report such violations. Provide clear guidelines and expectations for user behavior, emphasizing the importance of constructive and relevant commentary without external link promotion.

7. Implement a Robust Moderation System

Establish a comprehensive moderation system comprised of both automated tools and human moderators. Automated filters can detect common link patterns and flag suspicious comments, while human moderators can review flagged comments and take appropriate action. Implement a multi-layered approach that combines algorithmic analysis, community reporting, and manual moderation to minimize false positives and ensure effective enforcement.

Automated Filter	Human Moderator
Detect common link patterns (e.g., spam, phishing)	Review flagged comments for context and intent
Analyze language and tone	Assess the credibility and relevance of linked content
Cross-reference flagged comments with known malicious domains	Apply nuanced understanding of community norms and culture

Educate Users on Comment Etiquette

1. Highlight and enforce community guidelines:
Make it clear what kind of comments are acceptable and which are not. Use specific examples and consequences for violating the guidelines.

2. Moderate comments:
Regularly review comments and remove or flag any that contain links or other inappropriate content.

3. Use comment filtering tools:
Configure your YouTube settings to automatically hide or block comments containing certain keywords or phrases.

4. Promote positive commenting:
Encourage users to engage in respectful and meaningful discussions. Use examples of good comments and reward users for positive behavior.

5. Provide educational resources:
Create tutorials or articles explaining the proper etiquette for leaving comments on YouTube. Make these resources easily accessible to users.

6. Engage with users:
Respond to user comments, especially if they have concerns or questions about commenting etiquette. This shows that you value their input and are committed to maintaining a positive community.

7. Use a third-party comment moderation service:
Consider using a service that specializes in moderating comments and detecting inappropriate content, including links.

8. Train your team:
Educate your team on the importance of comment etiquette and provide them with clear guidelines for moderating comments. They should be familiar with the community guidelines and have the necessary tools and skills to enforce them effectively.

YouTube Comment Etiquette
Be respectful and avoid personal attacks
Stay on topic and contribute to the discussion
Avoid excessive self-promotion or spamming
Keep comments concise and easy to read
Proofread your comments before submitting

Moderate Comments Regularly

Moderating comments is a crucial step in preventing spam and inappropriate links. By establishing clear guidelines and reviewing comments on a regular basis, you can effectively filter out spam and protect your channel from unwanted content. Here are some specific steps to consider when moderating comments:

Establish Clear Guidelines: Set clear expectations for commenters by outlining what types of comments are acceptable and unacceptable. Include rules regarding self-promotion, spam, hate speech, and personal attacks.

Review Comments Regularly: Make a habit of checking comments daily or several times a day to identify and remove any inappropriate content. This helps to prevent spam and other unwanted links from spreading on your channel.

Comment Type	Action
Spam	Delete and mark as spam
Hate Speech	Delete and report to YouTube
Personal Attacks	Delete and warn the commenter
Self-Promotion	Delete if excessive, otherwise warn the commenter

Use Comment Moderation Tools: YouTube provides a range of moderation tools to assist you in managing comments. Utilize the “Hold for Review” feature to automatically flag comments that contain certain keywords or phrases, allowing you to review them before they are published.
Encourage Positive Comments: Foster a positive and supportive community by encouraging meaningful and respectful comments. This helps to create a welcoming environment and discourages spam and inappropriate links.
Be Consistent and Fair: Apply the moderation guidelines consistently to all comments, regardless of the commenter’s status or affiliation. Avoid bias and ensure that comments are treated fairly and without favoritism.
Communicate with Commenters: If you delete or hide a comment, consider providing a brief explanation to the commenter to help them understand the reason for the moderation. This can help foster transparency and encourage responsible commenting behavior.
Monitor for New Trends: Spammers and other malicious actors are constantly evolving their tactics. Stay informed about new trends and methods to avoid becoming a target for spam and inappropriate links.

Use Third-Party Tools: Explore third-party comment moderation tools that offer advanced features, such as AI-powered spam detection and sentiment analysis. These tools can enhance your moderation efforts and help you identify inappropriate links more efficiently.

Establish Clear Community Guidelines

In order to prevent users from posting links in comments, establish clear community guidelines that specifically prohibit such behavior. This can be done by creating a set of rules that explain what is and is not acceptable behavior on your channel, including a ban on posting links in comments. Additionally, make sure to explain the consequences of violating these rules.

Include Examples

To make your community guidelines more effective, include examples of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This will help users understand what is expected of them and make it less likely that they will post links in comments.

Promote the Guidelines

Once you have established your community guidelines, make sure to promote them so that they are visible to all users. This can be done by posting them in the channel description, creating a welcome message, or including a link to the guidelines in your videos.

Enforce the Guidelines

It is important to enforce your community guidelines consistently in order to maintain order on your channel. This means taking action against users who violate the guidelines, including removing their comments and blocking them from commenting in the future.

Use a Link Monitoring Tool

There are a number of tools available that can help you monitor comments for links. These tools can automatically detect and remove comments that contain links, making it easier to enforce your community guidelines.

Educate Your Moderators

If you have moderators who help you manage your channel, make sure to educate them about your community guidelines and how to enforce them. This will help them to make informed decisions about which comments to remove and which to leave.

Respond to Feedback

If you receive feedback from users about your community guidelines, be sure to respond promptly and respectfully. This shows that you are listening to your users and that you are willing to make changes to your guidelines if necessary.

Review and Update Your Guidelines

Your community guidelines should not be set in stone. As your channel grows and changes, you may need to review and update your guidelines to ensure that they are still relevant and effective.

Additional Tips

In addition to the tips listed above, here are some additional suggestions to help you avoid YouTube taking links on comments:

Create a custom 404 page

If a user follows a link in a comment and lands on a 404 page, they may be more likely to report the comment as spam. To prevent this, create a custom 404 page that explains that the link is not valid and that the user should not follow it.

Use a comment moderation tool

There are a number of comment moderation tools available that can help you automatically remove comments that contain links. These tools can be used to supplement your manual moderation efforts and help you keep your comments section clean.

Encourage users to report spam

Make it easy for users to report spam comments. Include a “Report Spam” button on your comments section and encourage users to use it to report any comments that violate your community guidelines.

Tip	Description
Create a custom 404 page.	Explains that the link is not valid and the user should not follow it.
Use a comment moderation tool.	Automatically remove comments that contain links.
Encourage users to report spam.	Include a “Report Spam” button on your comments section.

How To Avoid YouTube Taking Links On Comments

YouTube is a powerful platform for sharing videos and connecting with others. However, one of the most frustrating things about YouTube is that it often takes links from comments and turns them into clickable links. This can be annoying for viewers who want to read the comments without being distracted by links. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to avoid this problem.

One of the easiest ways to avoid YouTube taking links from comments is to use a link shortener. A link shortener is a website or service that takes a long URL and turns it into a shorter, more manageable one. This way, you can still include a link in your comment without having to worry about it being turned into a clickable link. There are many different link shorteners available, so you can choose one that fits your needs.

Another way to avoid YouTube taking links from comments is to use the “no follow” attribute. The “no follow” attribute tells search engines not to follow a link. This means that if you include a link in your comment with the “no follow” attribute, it will not be clickable and it will not be indexed by search engines.

To use the “no follow” attribute, simply add the following code to the end of your link:

“`
rel=”nofollow”
“`

For example:

“`
Example Link
“`