YouTube - Public vs Unlisted vs Private - What's the difference

🔥

💥 When you upload a YouTube video, you get to choose whether it’s Public, Unlisted, or Private. Here’s how each one works and when to use them strategically.

💥 PUBLIC VIDEOS

What it means

Everyone can see them. They appear on your channel, in search, and can be recommended by YouTube.

Pros

• Helps you grow your views and subscribers.

• Can rank in search and get suggested.

• Builds channel momentum.

Cons

• Weak titles or thumbnails hurt performance.

• Low watch time sends negative signals to the algorithm.

Use this when…

• You’re confident the video is polished.

• You want discovery and growth.

• You're ready to make your video visible as soon as you upload it.

💥 UNLISTED VIDEOS

What it means

Anyone with the link can view it, but it does not appear publicly on your channel, in search, or in recommendations.

Pros

• Perfect for getting feedback privately.

• Great for sharing with clients, your Skool community, or collaborators.

• Can be embedded on websites without being public.

Cons

• Does not help with channel growth.

• Anyone with the link can share it.

Use this when…

• You want private feedback before releasing it.

• You want to share content without making it public.

• You’re uploading and want controlled access without exposure.

💥 PRIVATE VIDEOS

What it means

Completely hidden. Only people you manually invite can view it, and they must be logged into the exact Gmail account you authorized.

Pros

• Best for drafts, practice videos, and experiments.

• Completely secure — cannot be shared.

• Useful for long-term storage without exposure.

Cons

• Nobody can view it by link.

• It does not help your channel grow.

Use this when…

• You’re still editing.

• You want to practice filming without pressure.

• You’re uploading a video that you don’t want anyone to see yet.

💥 WHERE YOU MAKE THIS CHOICE

You choose Public, Unlisted, or Private on the Visibility screen during the upload process. Just finish uploading your video → click Next → choose your visibility setting.

0 comments