When Should You Delete YouTube Comments?
Deleting comments is the nuclear option of YouTube moderation. Unlike hiding users (where they do not know they are hidden), deletion is obvious. The commenter will notice their comment is gone if they return to the video, potentially leading to more negative comments or complaints.
That said, deletion is the right choice for spam, profanity, threats, scams, and content that violates YouTube's community guidelines. For persistent trolls, consider hiding the user instead, which shadow bans them without their knowledge.
This guide covers how to delete comments from your videos, delete your own comments on other videos, bulk delete spam, and set up automated deletion for cleaner comment sections.
Method 1: Delete Comments from Your Videos (Desktop)
Open YouTube Studio
Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in with your channel account. This is the central hub for managing all your channel content and comments.
Click on Comments
In the left sidebar, click Comments. This shows all comments across your channel, sorted by most recent. You can filter by Published, Held for review, or Likely spam.
Find the Comment to Delete
Browse or search for the comment you want to remove. Use the search bar to find comments containing specific words, or filter by video to see comments on a particular upload.
The Likely spam tab is useful for finding suspicious comments that YouTube's AI flagged but did not auto-remove.
Click the Three Dots Menu
Hover over the comment to reveal action icons. Click the three vertical dots (⋮) on the right side to open the options menu.
Select Remove
Click Remove from the dropdown menu. The comment will be immediately and permanently deleted. There is no undo option.
Warning: Deletion is Permanent
Once deleted, a comment cannot be recovered. If you want the option to restore comments later, consider using the Hide user feature instead, which makes comments invisible but preserves them.
Method 2: Bulk Delete Multiple Comments
When dealing with spam attacks or cleaning up old comment sections, deleting one by one is tedious. YouTube Studio lets you select and delete multiple comments at once.
- Go to YouTube Studio → Comments
- Check the box next to each comment you want to delete, or check the top box to select all visible comments
- A blue action bar appears at the top showing how many comments are selected
- Click the trash icon (Remove) in the action bar
- All selected comments are deleted immediately
Tip for Spam Cleanup
Click the Likely spam tab to see comments YouTube flagged as suspicious. Select all and delete for quick cleanup. Be careful to review first, as YouTube sometimes flags legitimate comments.
Method 3: Delete Comments on Mobile
Using YouTube Studio App (Recommended)
- Download the YouTube Studio app (not the regular YouTube app)
- Open the app and sign in to your channel
- Tap the Comments icon at the bottom
- Find the comment and tap the three dots
- Tap Remove
Using the YouTube App
- Open the YouTube app
- Go to your video and scroll to comments
- Press and hold the comment (or tap the three dots next to it)
- Tap Delete or Remove
The YouTube Studio app is better for managing multiple comments. The regular YouTube app only lets you delete comments one at a time from the video view.
Method 4: Delete Your Own Comments on Other Videos
You can delete any comment you have left on any YouTube video, not just your own uploads.
On Desktop
- Go to the video where you left the comment
- Find your comment in the comment section
- Click the three dots next to your comment
- Select Delete
On Mobile
- Open the YouTube app and go to the video
- Tap on comments to expand
- Find your comment and tap the three dots
- Tap Delete
Find All Your Comments
To see all comments you have made on YouTube, go to History → Comments. This shows your comment history across all videos. You can delete any comment from this view.
Set Up Automatic Spam Deletion
YouTube can automatically hold or remove spam before it appears publicly. Configure these settings to reduce manual moderation.
- Go to YouTube Studio → Settings
- Click Community in the left menu
- Under Automated Filters, choose your moderation level:
- • None: All comments appear immediately
- • Basic: YouTube's AI hides likely spam
- • Strict: More aggressive spam filtering
- Add words to Blocked words to auto-hold comments containing them
- Click Save
Held comments appear in YouTube Studio → Comments → Held for review. You can approve, remove, or mark as spam from there.
What Should and Should Not Be Deleted
Delete These:
- • Spam and self-promotion
- • Scam links and phishing
- • Profanity and hate speech
- • Threats and harassment
- • Personal information (doxxing)
- • Competitor ads on your content
- • Bot-generated comments
Think Twice Before Deleting:
- • Negative but constructive criticism
- • Questions about your product
- • Comparisons to competitors
- • Disappointed customer feedback
- • Factual corrections
- • Unpopular but valid opinions
Pro Tip
For negative but legitimate feedback, respond professionally instead of deleting. Your response is seen by other viewers and builds trust. Tools like FeedGuardians can auto-delete obvious spam while flagging borderline comments for your review.
Tired of Manual Comment Moderation?
Deleting spam comments one by one is exhausting. FeedGuardians uses AI to automatically filter spam, hate speech, and offensive content across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Focus on engaging with real comments instead of playing whack-a-mole with bots.
Try FeedGuardians Free for 7 DaysNo credit card required • Set up in 2 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete all comments on a YouTube video at once?
YouTube does not have a "delete all comments" button. You can select multiple comments in YouTube Studio and delete them in batches, but there is no single action to remove all comments. If you want to hide all comments from a video, disable comments on that video instead. This hides the section without deleting existing comments.
Can I recover deleted YouTube comments?
No, once a YouTube comment is deleted, it is permanently gone and cannot be recovered. YouTube does not have a recycle bin or undo feature for comments. If you need the option to restore comments later, use the Hide user feature instead, which makes comments invisible but does not delete them.
Does the commenter know when I delete their comment?
YouTube does not notify users when their comments are deleted. However, the commenter may notice their comment is missing if they return to the video. Some users check and will leave new comments complaining about deletion. For more discreet moderation, consider hiding the user instead.
Can I delete my own comment on someone else's video?
Yes, you can delete any comment you have made on any YouTube video. Find your comment on the video, click the three dots menu next to it, and select Delete. You can also find all your comments by going to History → Comments in YouTube.
How do I delete comments on YouTube mobile app?
Open the YouTube app, go to your video, tap to expand comments, find the comment you want to delete, tap and hold it (or tap the three dots), then tap Delete. For managing multiple comments efficiently, use the YouTube Studio app instead of the regular YouTube app.
Will deleting comments hurt my video's engagement?
Deleting spam and toxic comments typically improves engagement because it creates a better environment for genuine commenters. However, deleting legitimate criticism can backfire if users notice and complain. Focus on removing clearly inappropriate content while responding to honest negative feedback.
Related Guides
How to Hide Comments on YouTube
Shadow ban users without deleting their comments. Hiding makes comments invisible to others while the commenter does not know.
How to Turn Off Comments on YouTube
Disable comments entirely on specific videos or your whole channel. Hide the comment section without deleting existing comments.
How to Respond to Negative Comments
Before you delete, consider responding. Learn professional response templates and when deletion vs response is the better choice.