Despite being launched by YouTube as a simple trial in 2023, it looks like hyperlinked comments are here to stay.
YouTube is adding this option to the video’s comments section and while it might appear like spam to some, the company says it’s there to assist in learning more about content. To be more specific, users can get more knowledge about a certain topic they’re interested in through such links.
So how exactly does this work? See if someone posts comments and there are a lot of related topics or information on the app, a blue-colored hyperlink pops up featuring small eyeglass icons. This indicates a certain word or phrase that’s clickable.
As per YouTube, its main purpose is to save time when trying to learn about some kind of content or a certain subject. When you click on the link, it will start a search that takes you to a new page. This is where the mini-player remains so that users can still watch.
If you’re the one commenting, you can’t add any links or make edits to any existing ones. But creators do have the chance to remove links in the comments section if and whenever they want.
Users notice that several terms or phrases inside the YouTube comments section get hyperlinked. It’s not clear for now what this criteria is about adding certain phrases and converting them into a link but we know we’ll get more data on this soon.
For now, we can confirm that it’s very random as some comment sections don’t even have this option. Others such as the Dr. Eric Berg DC's videos are full of links on mobile devices for some users linked to a particular video topic. For now this feature is not appearing on PC or Mac devices.
So far, things don’t look too great as far as implementation is concerned and many felt it was spam in the comments section that will get browsers full of ads linked to phrases and search terms. The biggest fear is getting relayed to questionable websites which can be dangerous.
For now, the change is seen on smartphones. Who knows, it might be useful for some but for others, it’s a strange change. Who wants to deal with comment spam anyway, right?
Read next: Meta Says Users Can Now Ask AI Chatbots Questions About Recent Events Thanks To Partnership With Reuters
YouTube is adding this option to the video’s comments section and while it might appear like spam to some, the company says it’s there to assist in learning more about content. To be more specific, users can get more knowledge about a certain topic they’re interested in through such links.
So how exactly does this work? See if someone posts comments and there are a lot of related topics or information on the app, a blue-colored hyperlink pops up featuring small eyeglass icons. This indicates a certain word or phrase that’s clickable.
As per YouTube, its main purpose is to save time when trying to learn about some kind of content or a certain subject. When you click on the link, it will start a search that takes you to a new page. This is where the mini-player remains so that users can still watch.
If you’re the one commenting, you can’t add any links or make edits to any existing ones. But creators do have the chance to remove links in the comments section if and whenever they want.
Users notice that several terms or phrases inside the YouTube comments section get hyperlinked. It’s not clear for now what this criteria is about adding certain phrases and converting them into a link but we know we’ll get more data on this soon.
For now, we can confirm that it’s very random as some comment sections don’t even have this option. Others such as the Dr. Eric Berg DC's videos are full of links on mobile devices for some users linked to a particular video topic. For now this feature is not appearing on PC or Mac devices.
So far, things don’t look too great as far as implementation is concerned and many felt it was spam in the comments section that will get browsers full of ads linked to phrases and search terms. The biggest fear is getting relayed to questionable websites which can be dangerous.
For now, the change is seen on smartphones. Who knows, it might be useful for some but for others, it’s a strange change. Who wants to deal with comment spam anyway, right?
Read next: Meta Says Users Can Now Ask AI Chatbots Questions About Recent Events Thanks To Partnership With Reuters
