Starting March 31st, YouTube will change how it counts views for Shorts, adopting the same method used by TikTok and Instagram.
Instead of requiring viewers to watch a Short for a specific length of time before counting it as a view, YouTube will now tally every time a Short starts playing or replays.
YouTube hopes the update will give creators better insights into their Shorts’ performance and help them strategize content more effectively. It also expects view counts to rise under the new system, offering a more accurate comparison with other platforms.
Despite the shift, YouTube will continue tracking the old view metric under an “engaged views” category in its analytics dashboard.
This metric will still determine creator earnings and eligibility for the YouTube Partnership Program, ensuring that monetization remains based on meaningful viewer engagement.
