Instant Animation: From YouTube Videos to Compelling GIFs

How to Create GIFs from YouTube Videos

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Who doesn’t love Gifs? They are one of the most entertaining means to communicate on the internet. But have you tried creating a GIF from YouTube videos? Generally, GIFs use humorous or relevant scenes from movies or shows to make them relatable to the situation. If you’re someone who wants to create GIFs from YouTube, this is for you.

The article below will show you how to create GIFs from YouTube videos on the desktop computers and mobile devices with some free online GIF makers and apps.

Part 1: How to Create GIFs from a YouTube Video on the Computer?

1. FreeGifMAKER.me

FreeGifMaker is a simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs free of cost. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It’s super easy and takes a couple of minutes to make a GIF from a YouTube video.

Find out how to create GIFs using FreeGifMaker.me using these steps.

1. Open the website on your desktop by typing http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/
2. Go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to make a GIF. Paste it on the above-mentioned website.
3. Click on “Load YouTube Video” below the URL space and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
4. After the YouTube video is loaded, finally enter the gif duration, start time and click on the “Make a GIF button” and it will redirect you to the result page.

2. VEED.IO

VEED is another easy way to make GIFs from YouTube videos. VEED allows you to copy a YouTube video link of your choice and paste it on VEED without any difficulty. VEED not only creates GIFs from YouTube videos but also gives few more facilities like trimming, adding text, cropping to the clip which helps in creating super-cool GIFs. VEED has both free and Pro versions and is a perfect browser software.

How to use VEED only in 3 steps, know about it below:

1. First, you need to copy the link to the YouTube video of your choice and paste it into VEED. From there the software will start importing the video into its project editor and you can start creating the GIF from there.
2. For the editing part, you need to trim the part of the video in which you want to make the GIF and crop the GIF. You can easily do that by choosing the canvas size menu available. After that, you can add text, font style, color, and size to your GIF.
3. In the last step, you just have to download the GIF which you have made in VEED.

3. Kapwing

Kapwing is a great stage for creating GIFs as well as videos and images. Kapwing is one of the most used and liked online video editors available. It provides one single step for all the things to do while creating a GIF – upload, editing, and sharing the file.

To create unique GIFs with Kapwing, follow these easy steps.

1. First, you need to open Kapwing video editor and copy the URL of the YouTube video of your choice and paste it on Kapwing to create your GIF from the video. Any video which is shorter than 30 minutes and less than 500 MB is supported by Kapwing.
2. Once you have uploaded the video, you will find the video appearing in the timeline. The section of the video that you want to make the GIF of needs to be cut with the sliders which are available at the end. A GIF can be usually of any length but to maintain good resolution, it is always advised to not make the segment more than 10 seconds.
3. You can preview the GIF you created after trimming the video which will allow you to see how the final output would be like. Other edits such as cropping, adding text, and experimenting with the speed can be done on Kapwing as well.
4. In the last and final step, you just need to export the GIF which you will find in the dropdown arrow available just beside the red “Export Video” button. Then click on the dropdown button and choose the option “Export as GIF”.

After processing the GIF, you need to save it by downloading it.

4. File-converter-online.com

This online free video editor can convert videos into GIF without any watermark and the maximum length of the GIF from the video clip can be 20 seconds, which can be set by you as needed. It provides a simple and free GIF maker that again offers special effects as well such as setting up the speed of the video.

You can create your desirable GIF from YouTube video in 3 easy steps.

1. First, provide the specific link of the YouTube video which you want to create the GIF of in the space given.
2. Apply the start time of the video by sliding with the given slider and then set the desirable duration of the GIF which is available in the next “Duration (seconds)” by sliding the seconds.
3. Next, you can choose the speed of the video which is optional, and then set the resolution from higher to lower as per your choice.
4. The final step involves creating the GIF which you can do by clicking on the red button “Create GIF from the video” available below the resolution option and finally the downloading will start after a short waiting on the next page.

5. Clideo

Clideo is one of the most reliable video converters available online. It can create an animated GIF from YouTube videos without much complication.

You can make GIF on your own by following the 3 easy steps mentioned below.

1. First, you need to copy your YouTube video that you want to create a GIF with. Come back on Clideo and you will find a dropdown menu beside “Choose file”, there paste the link that you have copied earlier in the URL space. You can also select Google Drive or Dropbox for the same.
2. After pasting the URL, you have to choose the ‘infinity sign’ given on the right side which will create an endless GIF without sound. Click on the ‘loop’ button available just below the panel on the right side.
3. After completing the steps, you can watch the preview of the GIF and go back to editing if you need to change anything. Else save the output on your PC or Mobile phone.

Part 2: How to Make a GIF from a YouTube Video on the Android and iPhone?

1. GIF Toaster – GIF Maker

Gif Toaster is one of the video editing apps which makes the work of creating Gif from YouTube video super-easy. It can convert photos, panoramas and, videos into GIFs easily. You just need to download the app to make GIFs of your own choice.

You need to follow a few simple steps to create GIFs on your own.

1. It is accessible on the iOS App Store and the Google Play for free so you need to install GIF Toaster on your device. Once done, tap the “Make GIF” option available below, you can also click “Combine GIFs” to combine more than one video. After completing, scroll down the dropdown menu beside “Video>GIF” and select the video which you want to convert into GIF.
2. Once the selection is done, you will be provided with various options like “Basic Option”, “Direction Option”, “Effect Option” where you can control the playback speed, range along with other options available. You also get the option to choose “Filters” for making the GIF.
3. After selecting the options of your choice, you have to scroll back to the top again and press “Convert” to quickly convert the video into GIF.
4. Once the GIF is ready, you will be able to see the final result and you just need to ‘Save’ the file.

Part 3: Bonus: How to Create GIFS from YouTube video on iPhone without installing any app?

It is now possible to convert YouTube videos into GIFs by using the 5SecondsApp available for iOS. To make this possible you just require few things in your iPhone – the device should be iOS 11 or more, YouTube in the browser or app, and the 5SecondsApp already available in the App store.

First, you need to find a video that is not more than 10 seconds then begin the screen recording on the iOS recording feature and go back to YouTube to play the video and record the portion you need. To make the GIF you have to launch the app and tap the plus option there. Later, trim the video as you see fit. After you’re done, crop the video with the help of the crop tool and finally save it.

Part 4: Why Should You Use GIFs?

1. GIFs don’t prevent web pages from loading quickly

GIFs which are animated becomes more popular for any website as it gives meaning compacted in a small video the website uses to boost its chances of getting more views. While GIF does not make a website much slow but for better performance, it can be converted into lossy optimizations which do not make a huge difference in front of the human eyes or it can also be converted into HTML5 videos which makes the GIF 95% smaller in size.

2. GIF is an integral part of communicating on social media

Using GIFs makes any communication bright and friendly. It delivers great messages through short animated videos and has become the spotlight for communication in the past few years. Almost everyone using social media is using GIF for communicating with their friends and family.

Final Thoughts

There are many apps and video editors available today available free of cost. You can easily make GIFs from your most-liked video on YouTube. It is smooth to create GIFs on your own with the help of these editors mentioned above. Each one of them is having a free version and easy to handle so do not forget to try them next time you are making a GIF from YouTube videos.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Who doesn’t love Gifs? They are one of the most entertaining means to communicate on the internet. But have you tried creating a GIF from YouTube videos? Generally, GIFs use humorous or relevant scenes from movies or shows to make them relatable to the situation. If you’re someone who wants to create GIFs from YouTube, this is for you.

The article below will show you how to create GIFs from YouTube videos on the desktop computers and mobile devices with some free online GIF makers and apps.

Part 1: How to Create GIFs from a YouTube Video on the Computer?

1. FreeGifMAKER.me

FreeGifMaker is a simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs free of cost. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It’s super easy and takes a couple of minutes to make a GIF from a YouTube video.

Find out how to create GIFs using FreeGifMaker.me using these steps.

1. Open the website on your desktop by typing http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/
2. Go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to make a GIF. Paste it on the above-mentioned website.
3. Click on “Load YouTube Video” below the URL space and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
4. After the YouTube video is loaded, finally enter the gif duration, start time and click on the “Make a GIF button” and it will redirect you to the result page.

2. VEED.IO

VEED is another easy way to make GIFs from YouTube videos. VEED allows you to copy a YouTube video link of your choice and paste it on VEED without any difficulty. VEED not only creates GIFs from YouTube videos but also gives few more facilities like trimming, adding text, cropping to the clip which helps in creating super-cool GIFs. VEED has both free and Pro versions and is a perfect browser software.

How to use VEED only in 3 steps, know about it below:

1. First, you need to copy the link to the YouTube video of your choice and paste it into VEED. From there the software will start importing the video into its project editor and you can start creating the GIF from there.
2. For the editing part, you need to trim the part of the video in which you want to make the GIF and crop the GIF. You can easily do that by choosing the canvas size menu available. After that, you can add text, font style, color, and size to your GIF.
3. In the last step, you just have to download the GIF which you have made in VEED.

3. Kapwing

Kapwing is a great stage for creating GIFs as well as videos and images. Kapwing is one of the most used and liked online video editors available. It provides one single step for all the things to do while creating a GIF – upload, editing, and sharing the file.

To create unique GIFs with Kapwing, follow these easy steps.

1. First, you need to open Kapwing video editor and copy the URL of the YouTube video of your choice and paste it on Kapwing to create your GIF from the video. Any video which is shorter than 30 minutes and less than 500 MB is supported by Kapwing.
2. Once you have uploaded the video, you will find the video appearing in the timeline. The section of the video that you want to make the GIF of needs to be cut with the sliders which are available at the end. A GIF can be usually of any length but to maintain good resolution, it is always advised to not make the segment more than 10 seconds.
3. You can preview the GIF you created after trimming the video which will allow you to see how the final output would be like. Other edits such as cropping, adding text, and experimenting with the speed can be done on Kapwing as well.
4. In the last and final step, you just need to export the GIF which you will find in the dropdown arrow available just beside the red “Export Video” button. Then click on the dropdown button and choose the option “Export as GIF”.

After processing the GIF, you need to save it by downloading it.

4. File-converter-online.com

This online free video editor can convert videos into GIF without any watermark and the maximum length of the GIF from the video clip can be 20 seconds, which can be set by you as needed. It provides a simple and free GIF maker that again offers special effects as well such as setting up the speed of the video.

You can create your desirable GIF from YouTube video in 3 easy steps.

1. First, provide the specific link of the YouTube video which you want to create the GIF of in the space given.
2. Apply the start time of the video by sliding with the given slider and then set the desirable duration of the GIF which is available in the next “Duration (seconds)” by sliding the seconds.
3. Next, you can choose the speed of the video which is optional, and then set the resolution from higher to lower as per your choice.
4. The final step involves creating the GIF which you can do by clicking on the red button “Create GIF from the video” available below the resolution option and finally the downloading will start after a short waiting on the next page.

5. Clideo

Clideo is one of the most reliable video converters available online. It can create an animated GIF from YouTube videos without much complication.

You can make GIF on your own by following the 3 easy steps mentioned below.

1. First, you need to copy your YouTube video that you want to create a GIF with. Come back on Clideo and you will find a dropdown menu beside “Choose file”, there paste the link that you have copied earlier in the URL space. You can also select Google Drive or Dropbox for the same.
2. After pasting the URL, you have to choose the ‘infinity sign’ given on the right side which will create an endless GIF without sound. Click on the ‘loop’ button available just below the panel on the right side.
3. After completing the steps, you can watch the preview of the GIF and go back to editing if you need to change anything. Else save the output on your PC or Mobile phone.

Part 2: How to Make a GIF from a YouTube Video on the Android and iPhone?

1. GIF Toaster – GIF Maker

Gif Toaster is one of the video editing apps which makes the work of creating Gif from YouTube video super-easy. It can convert photos, panoramas and, videos into GIFs easily. You just need to download the app to make GIFs of your own choice.

You need to follow a few simple steps to create GIFs on your own.

1. It is accessible on the iOS App Store and the Google Play for free so you need to install GIF Toaster on your device. Once done, tap the “Make GIF” option available below, you can also click “Combine GIFs” to combine more than one video. After completing, scroll down the dropdown menu beside “Video>GIF” and select the video which you want to convert into GIF.
2. Once the selection is done, you will be provided with various options like “Basic Option”, “Direction Option”, “Effect Option” where you can control the playback speed, range along with other options available. You also get the option to choose “Filters” for making the GIF.
3. After selecting the options of your choice, you have to scroll back to the top again and press “Convert” to quickly convert the video into GIF.
4. Once the GIF is ready, you will be able to see the final result and you just need to ‘Save’ the file.

Part 3: Bonus: How to Create GIFS from YouTube video on iPhone without installing any app?

It is now possible to convert YouTube videos into GIFs by using the 5SecondsApp available for iOS. To make this possible you just require few things in your iPhone – the device should be iOS 11 or more, YouTube in the browser or app, and the 5SecondsApp already available in the App store.

First, you need to find a video that is not more than 10 seconds then begin the screen recording on the iOS recording feature and go back to YouTube to play the video and record the portion you need. To make the GIF you have to launch the app and tap the plus option there. Later, trim the video as you see fit. After you’re done, crop the video with the help of the crop tool and finally save it.

Part 4: Why Should You Use GIFs?

1. GIFs don’t prevent web pages from loading quickly

GIFs which are animated becomes more popular for any website as it gives meaning compacted in a small video the website uses to boost its chances of getting more views. While GIF does not make a website much slow but for better performance, it can be converted into lossy optimizations which do not make a huge difference in front of the human eyes or it can also be converted into HTML5 videos which makes the GIF 95% smaller in size.

2. GIF is an integral part of communicating on social media

Using GIFs makes any communication bright and friendly. It delivers great messages through short animated videos and has become the spotlight for communication in the past few years. Almost everyone using social media is using GIF for communicating with their friends and family.

Final Thoughts

There are many apps and video editors available today available free of cost. You can easily make GIFs from your most-liked video on YouTube. It is smooth to create GIFs on your own with the help of these editors mentioned above. Each one of them is having a free version and easy to handle so do not forget to try them next time you are making a GIF from YouTube videos.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Who doesn’t love Gifs? They are one of the most entertaining means to communicate on the internet. But have you tried creating a GIF from YouTube videos? Generally, GIFs use humorous or relevant scenes from movies or shows to make them relatable to the situation. If you’re someone who wants to create GIFs from YouTube, this is for you.

The article below will show you how to create GIFs from YouTube videos on the desktop computers and mobile devices with some free online GIF makers and apps.

Part 1: How to Create GIFs from a YouTube Video on the Computer?

1. FreeGifMAKER.me

FreeGifMaker is a simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs free of cost. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It’s super easy and takes a couple of minutes to make a GIF from a YouTube video.

Find out how to create GIFs using FreeGifMaker.me using these steps.

1. Open the website on your desktop by typing http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/
2. Go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to make a GIF. Paste it on the above-mentioned website.
3. Click on “Load YouTube Video” below the URL space and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
4. After the YouTube video is loaded, finally enter the gif duration, start time and click on the “Make a GIF button” and it will redirect you to the result page.

2. VEED.IO

VEED is another easy way to make GIFs from YouTube videos. VEED allows you to copy a YouTube video link of your choice and paste it on VEED without any difficulty. VEED not only creates GIFs from YouTube videos but also gives few more facilities like trimming, adding text, cropping to the clip which helps in creating super-cool GIFs. VEED has both free and Pro versions and is a perfect browser software.

How to use VEED only in 3 steps, know about it below:

1. First, you need to copy the link to the YouTube video of your choice and paste it into VEED. From there the software will start importing the video into its project editor and you can start creating the GIF from there.
2. For the editing part, you need to trim the part of the video in which you want to make the GIF and crop the GIF. You can easily do that by choosing the canvas size menu available. After that, you can add text, font style, color, and size to your GIF.
3. In the last step, you just have to download the GIF which you have made in VEED.

3. Kapwing

Kapwing is a great stage for creating GIFs as well as videos and images. Kapwing is one of the most used and liked online video editors available. It provides one single step for all the things to do while creating a GIF – upload, editing, and sharing the file.

To create unique GIFs with Kapwing, follow these easy steps.

1. First, you need to open Kapwing video editor and copy the URL of the YouTube video of your choice and paste it on Kapwing to create your GIF from the video. Any video which is shorter than 30 minutes and less than 500 MB is supported by Kapwing.
2. Once you have uploaded the video, you will find the video appearing in the timeline. The section of the video that you want to make the GIF of needs to be cut with the sliders which are available at the end. A GIF can be usually of any length but to maintain good resolution, it is always advised to not make the segment more than 10 seconds.
3. You can preview the GIF you created after trimming the video which will allow you to see how the final output would be like. Other edits such as cropping, adding text, and experimenting with the speed can be done on Kapwing as well.
4. In the last and final step, you just need to export the GIF which you will find in the dropdown arrow available just beside the red “Export Video” button. Then click on the dropdown button and choose the option “Export as GIF”.

After processing the GIF, you need to save it by downloading it.

4. File-converter-online.com

This online free video editor can convert videos into GIF without any watermark and the maximum length of the GIF from the video clip can be 20 seconds, which can be set by you as needed. It provides a simple and free GIF maker that again offers special effects as well such as setting up the speed of the video.

You can create your desirable GIF from YouTube video in 3 easy steps.

1. First, provide the specific link of the YouTube video which you want to create the GIF of in the space given.
2. Apply the start time of the video by sliding with the given slider and then set the desirable duration of the GIF which is available in the next “Duration (seconds)” by sliding the seconds.
3. Next, you can choose the speed of the video which is optional, and then set the resolution from higher to lower as per your choice.
4. The final step involves creating the GIF which you can do by clicking on the red button “Create GIF from the video” available below the resolution option and finally the downloading will start after a short waiting on the next page.

5. Clideo

Clideo is one of the most reliable video converters available online. It can create an animated GIF from YouTube videos without much complication.

You can make GIF on your own by following the 3 easy steps mentioned below.

1. First, you need to copy your YouTube video that you want to create a GIF with. Come back on Clideo and you will find a dropdown menu beside “Choose file”, there paste the link that you have copied earlier in the URL space. You can also select Google Drive or Dropbox for the same.
2. After pasting the URL, you have to choose the ‘infinity sign’ given on the right side which will create an endless GIF without sound. Click on the ‘loop’ button available just below the panel on the right side.
3. After completing the steps, you can watch the preview of the GIF and go back to editing if you need to change anything. Else save the output on your PC or Mobile phone.

Part 2: How to Make a GIF from a YouTube Video on the Android and iPhone?

1. GIF Toaster – GIF Maker

Gif Toaster is one of the video editing apps which makes the work of creating Gif from YouTube video super-easy. It can convert photos, panoramas and, videos into GIFs easily. You just need to download the app to make GIFs of your own choice.

You need to follow a few simple steps to create GIFs on your own.

1. It is accessible on the iOS App Store and the Google Play for free so you need to install GIF Toaster on your device. Once done, tap the “Make GIF” option available below, you can also click “Combine GIFs” to combine more than one video. After completing, scroll down the dropdown menu beside “Video>GIF” and select the video which you want to convert into GIF.
2. Once the selection is done, you will be provided with various options like “Basic Option”, “Direction Option”, “Effect Option” where you can control the playback speed, range along with other options available. You also get the option to choose “Filters” for making the GIF.
3. After selecting the options of your choice, you have to scroll back to the top again and press “Convert” to quickly convert the video into GIF.
4. Once the GIF is ready, you will be able to see the final result and you just need to ‘Save’ the file.

Part 3: Bonus: How to Create GIFS from YouTube video on iPhone without installing any app?

It is now possible to convert YouTube videos into GIFs by using the 5SecondsApp available for iOS. To make this possible you just require few things in your iPhone – the device should be iOS 11 or more, YouTube in the browser or app, and the 5SecondsApp already available in the App store.

First, you need to find a video that is not more than 10 seconds then begin the screen recording on the iOS recording feature and go back to YouTube to play the video and record the portion you need. To make the GIF you have to launch the app and tap the plus option there. Later, trim the video as you see fit. After you’re done, crop the video with the help of the crop tool and finally save it.

Part 4: Why Should You Use GIFs?

1. GIFs don’t prevent web pages from loading quickly

GIFs which are animated becomes more popular for any website as it gives meaning compacted in a small video the website uses to boost its chances of getting more views. While GIF does not make a website much slow but for better performance, it can be converted into lossy optimizations which do not make a huge difference in front of the human eyes or it can also be converted into HTML5 videos which makes the GIF 95% smaller in size.

2. GIF is an integral part of communicating on social media

Using GIFs makes any communication bright and friendly. It delivers great messages through short animated videos and has become the spotlight for communication in the past few years. Almost everyone using social media is using GIF for communicating with their friends and family.

Final Thoughts

There are many apps and video editors available today available free of cost. You can easily make GIFs from your most-liked video on YouTube. It is smooth to create GIFs on your own with the help of these editors mentioned above. Each one of them is having a free version and easy to handle so do not forget to try them next time you are making a GIF from YouTube videos.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Who doesn’t love Gifs? They are one of the most entertaining means to communicate on the internet. But have you tried creating a GIF from YouTube videos? Generally, GIFs use humorous or relevant scenes from movies or shows to make them relatable to the situation. If you’re someone who wants to create GIFs from YouTube, this is for you.

The article below will show you how to create GIFs from YouTube videos on the desktop computers and mobile devices with some free online GIF makers and apps.

Part 1: How to Create GIFs from a YouTube Video on the Computer?

1. FreeGifMAKER.me

FreeGifMaker is a simple online tool that allows the creation of animated Gifs free of cost. A minimum of two pictures has to be uploaded out of ten. It’s super easy and takes a couple of minutes to make a GIF from a YouTube video.

Find out how to create GIFs using FreeGifMaker.me using these steps.

1. Open the website on your desktop by typing http://freegifmaker.me/youtube-to-gif/
2. Go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to make a GIF. Paste it on the above-mentioned website.
3. Click on “Load YouTube Video” below the URL space and wait for a few seconds while the tool checks the video source.
4. After the YouTube video is loaded, finally enter the gif duration, start time and click on the “Make a GIF button” and it will redirect you to the result page.

2. VEED.IO

VEED is another easy way to make GIFs from YouTube videos. VEED allows you to copy a YouTube video link of your choice and paste it on VEED without any difficulty. VEED not only creates GIFs from YouTube videos but also gives few more facilities like trimming, adding text, cropping to the clip which helps in creating super-cool GIFs. VEED has both free and Pro versions and is a perfect browser software.

How to use VEED only in 3 steps, know about it below:

1. First, you need to copy the link to the YouTube video of your choice and paste it into VEED. From there the software will start importing the video into its project editor and you can start creating the GIF from there.
2. For the editing part, you need to trim the part of the video in which you want to make the GIF and crop the GIF. You can easily do that by choosing the canvas size menu available. After that, you can add text, font style, color, and size to your GIF.
3. In the last step, you just have to download the GIF which you have made in VEED.

3. Kapwing

Kapwing is a great stage for creating GIFs as well as videos and images. Kapwing is one of the most used and liked online video editors available. It provides one single step for all the things to do while creating a GIF – upload, editing, and sharing the file.

To create unique GIFs with Kapwing, follow these easy steps.

1. First, you need to open Kapwing video editor and copy the URL of the YouTube video of your choice and paste it on Kapwing to create your GIF from the video. Any video which is shorter than 30 minutes and less than 500 MB is supported by Kapwing.
2. Once you have uploaded the video, you will find the video appearing in the timeline. The section of the video that you want to make the GIF of needs to be cut with the sliders which are available at the end. A GIF can be usually of any length but to maintain good resolution, it is always advised to not make the segment more than 10 seconds.
3. You can preview the GIF you created after trimming the video which will allow you to see how the final output would be like. Other edits such as cropping, adding text, and experimenting with the speed can be done on Kapwing as well.
4. In the last and final step, you just need to export the GIF which you will find in the dropdown arrow available just beside the red “Export Video” button. Then click on the dropdown button and choose the option “Export as GIF”.

After processing the GIF, you need to save it by downloading it.

4. File-converter-online.com

This online free video editor can convert videos into GIF without any watermark and the maximum length of the GIF from the video clip can be 20 seconds, which can be set by you as needed. It provides a simple and free GIF maker that again offers special effects as well such as setting up the speed of the video.

You can create your desirable GIF from YouTube video in 3 easy steps.

1. First, provide the specific link of the YouTube video which you want to create the GIF of in the space given.
2. Apply the start time of the video by sliding with the given slider and then set the desirable duration of the GIF which is available in the next “Duration (seconds)” by sliding the seconds.
3. Next, you can choose the speed of the video which is optional, and then set the resolution from higher to lower as per your choice.
4. The final step involves creating the GIF which you can do by clicking on the red button “Create GIF from the video” available below the resolution option and finally the downloading will start after a short waiting on the next page.

5. Clideo

Clideo is one of the most reliable video converters available online. It can create an animated GIF from YouTube videos without much complication.

You can make GIF on your own by following the 3 easy steps mentioned below.

1. First, you need to copy your YouTube video that you want to create a GIF with. Come back on Clideo and you will find a dropdown menu beside “Choose file”, there paste the link that you have copied earlier in the URL space. You can also select Google Drive or Dropbox for the same.
2. After pasting the URL, you have to choose the ‘infinity sign’ given on the right side which will create an endless GIF without sound. Click on the ‘loop’ button available just below the panel on the right side.
3. After completing the steps, you can watch the preview of the GIF and go back to editing if you need to change anything. Else save the output on your PC or Mobile phone.

Part 2: How to Make a GIF from a YouTube Video on the Android and iPhone?

1. GIF Toaster – GIF Maker

Gif Toaster is one of the video editing apps which makes the work of creating Gif from YouTube video super-easy. It can convert photos, panoramas and, videos into GIFs easily. You just need to download the app to make GIFs of your own choice.

You need to follow a few simple steps to create GIFs on your own.

1. It is accessible on the iOS App Store and the Google Play for free so you need to install GIF Toaster on your device. Once done, tap the “Make GIF” option available below, you can also click “Combine GIFs” to combine more than one video. After completing, scroll down the dropdown menu beside “Video>GIF” and select the video which you want to convert into GIF.
2. Once the selection is done, you will be provided with various options like “Basic Option”, “Direction Option”, “Effect Option” where you can control the playback speed, range along with other options available. You also get the option to choose “Filters” for making the GIF.
3. After selecting the options of your choice, you have to scroll back to the top again and press “Convert” to quickly convert the video into GIF.
4. Once the GIF is ready, you will be able to see the final result and you just need to ‘Save’ the file.

Part 3: Bonus: How to Create GIFS from YouTube video on iPhone without installing any app?

It is now possible to convert YouTube videos into GIFs by using the 5SecondsApp available for iOS. To make this possible you just require few things in your iPhone – the device should be iOS 11 or more, YouTube in the browser or app, and the 5SecondsApp already available in the App store.

First, you need to find a video that is not more than 10 seconds then begin the screen recording on the iOS recording feature and go back to YouTube to play the video and record the portion you need. To make the GIF you have to launch the app and tap the plus option there. Later, trim the video as you see fit. After you’re done, crop the video with the help of the crop tool and finally save it.

Part 4: Why Should You Use GIFs?

1. GIFs don’t prevent web pages from loading quickly

GIFs which are animated becomes more popular for any website as it gives meaning compacted in a small video the website uses to boost its chances of getting more views. While GIF does not make a website much slow but for better performance, it can be converted into lossy optimizations which do not make a huge difference in front of the human eyes or it can also be converted into HTML5 videos which makes the GIF 95% smaller in size.

2. GIF is an integral part of communicating on social media

Using GIFs makes any communication bright and friendly. It delivers great messages through short animated videos and has become the spotlight for communication in the past few years. Almost everyone using social media is using GIF for communicating with their friends and family.

Final Thoughts

There are many apps and video editors available today available free of cost. You can easily make GIFs from your most-liked video on YouTube. It is smooth to create GIFs on your own with the help of these editors mentioned above. Each one of them is having a free version and easy to handle so do not forget to try them next time you are making a GIF from YouTube videos.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Unraveling YouTube’s Viewer Metrics: A Deeper Look

How Does YouTube Count Views? It’s Not as Simple as You Think

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

How does YouTube count views? It’s not as simple as the number of clicks your video gets. If someone sits and refreshes your video over and over without letting it play for any significant time, those refreshes won’t be recorded as views. There is a lot more that goes into the calculation.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count
2. How Does YouTube Count Views
3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?
4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count
5. The Skip & Skim
6. Frozen YouTube View Counts
7. The 301 Mark

Best YouTube Video Editor - Filmora

After you have created your YouTube channel, do you want to edit videos and upload your first video? Here we recommend using Filmora to easily edit YouTube videos.

You can use Filmora to make YouTube videos with built-in royalty-free audio. Filmora also can help you make YouTube intros. It includes more than 500 templates, transitions, effects, and text resources.

1. Not Everyone Who Clicks Adds to Your View Count

YouTube doesn’t provide a clear definition of what counts as a view, but we know that someone clicks on your video, and clicking right away doesn’t count. That’s how we know that watch time is a factor. Some studies conclude that a full 30 seconds need to be viewed to register as one view, but there is no way to know for sure.

2. How Does YouTube Count Views?

YouTube wants to be sure that views are coming from humans and not bots. So, during the first couple of hours after you publish a video, YouTube seems to be stricter about what they count. The views which are counted are the ones that YouTube believes to be legitimate. Sometimes, it ends up skipping legitimate views for the sake of discretion.

Once this window of time passes, it is likely that you will see the view counter start to update a lot more frequently. The counter could still revert to updating slower and more hesitantly, though, if YouTube’s algorithm thinks it’s detecting something fishy.

At times, your view count can even be frozen temporarily until the algorithm can validate the views you are receiving. This is done to ensure a fair and positive experience for everyone who creates content. View counts can be adjusted by the algorithm in either direction.

You May Also Like:
5 Tips To Get More Views With YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist] >>

3. How Does YouTube’s View Count Algorithm Work?

Termed by many as one of the most boggling algorithms of all time, it is really hard to decode the complete dynamics of the YouTube view count algorithm.

There are some tests you can run yourself to try to unpack it.

If you upload a video and then set it as unlisted it won’t get any public views so you can experiment by doing things like watching for different lengths of time and seeing what gets counted.

You’ll have to use a computer in a different location and make sure the account is not the same as the one you used to upload the video. Now, you need to watch the video for roughly 15 seconds. The key here is to keep it less than 30 seconds. You will see that the view did not add to the count. If you repeat this process on multiple computers at varying locations and with different accounts and you are likely to find the same result.

However, if you watch it for 30 seconds or longer it is likely that the count will go up.

We are adding ‘likely’ here because, despite this 30-second rule which has been decoded, there are other factors that might contribute to whether a view is counted as well as other automated scanning techniques at play.

Try to watch the same video numerous times in a single day. You will find that the count will add up at first, but after some time it will stop. YouTube knows that a lot of times people replay some videos over and over when they really enjoy them, and so they want to factor replays into their algorithm because they suggest quality. However, to avoid spam views, the counter will stop after a certain point.

4. Account Tracking Factors - Some Viewers Don’t Count

Something else that can affect whether a view is counted is the behavior of the account which watches it prior to landing on your video’s watch page. Sometimes, YouTube might feel that there is an increased chance a particular account is actually a bot, and then views from that account might not be added.

One way that YouTube might flag an account as a potential bot is if it is jumping between videos directly without navigating through recommendations, the search engine, or the account’s subscriber feed (how are they getting between these watch page URLs if they aren’t clicking on anything YouTube can record?). To add to it, if the viewer is watching each of the videos for almost 30 seconds exactly (or less) there is an increased probability that it is not a human but a bot (or a human watching the bare minimum as part of a view exchange program).

Any bot-like action will result in an account’s views do not be added to your view count.

5. The Skip & Skim

It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch a video for say five seconds, skip forwards a bit and watch for another ten seconds as they look for a specific part. It is hard to say whether skipping through a video, but watching a scattered 30 seconds, would count as a view or not.

6. Frozen YouTube View Counts

Sometimes YouTube will freeze a view count in order to check that it is accurate. When the count is unfrozen, the count may jump up as views are validated or it can go down if YouTube detects a problem.

You can use YouTube’s analytics reports to monitor an estimate of your potential views, but there is no assurance that this data will completely match your official view count.

7. The 301 Mark

You may have seen a lot of videos that have a stagnant count of 301 views. The algorithm behind YouTube’s view counting system believes that any video which has fetched higher than 300 views has the ability to impact people’s perception of quality on YouTube. They do not want the homepage to be crowded with artificially popular videos.

This is why view counts are often frozen at 301. The employees at YouTube then manually verify whether the views obtained so far are legitimate or fake. Once the employees are sure that the views are legit, the counter is unfrozen and you will see an upward swing.

During the period when the view count is frozen every legitimate view is still counted, just not added immediately. Once the YouTube team is sure that your videos are not getting fake traffic, your view count will be updated to include views that were registered during the frozen phase. However, YouTube says it won’t flag videos at 301 views anymore.

Conclusion

In short, we know YouTube expects a viewer to watch a video for around 30 seconds before it counts a view, that views from suspicious accounts are not counted, and that YouTube can decide to freeze your view count while they review your views. They are protecting the site from becoming saturated with videos that only look popular because of bots. Ultimately, ‘how does YouTube count views’ isn’t a question anyone but YouTube can answer for sure, but we do know it isn’t as simple as ‘a view is someone clicking on your video’.

If you want to engage your audience with cool effects and Filmora is the best choice to make a split-screen and green screen video for YouTubers. Download it now to have a try!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett