An unlisted YouTube video is visible only to people you share the link with
An unlisted YouTube video is one that does not appear in search results, your channel page, or YouTube's recommendations. Only people who have the direct link can find and watch it. This is different from a private video, which only you and people you invite can see, and different from public, which anyone can discover.
Unlisted is useful when you want to share a video with a specific group — a family recording, a work presentation, a draft you want feedback on — without making it searchable or discoverable to the general YouTube audience. The video stays on your channel, but hidden from browse.
Key Takeaways
- You can change a video to unlisted when you first upload it or change an existing public video to unlisted at any time.
- Unlisted videos do not appear in search results, your channel page, or YouTube recommendations, but anyone with the link can watch them.
- You control who sees the link — you can share it via email, messaging, or any other method, and revoke access by changing the video back to private.
- Unlisted videos can still be reported for violating YouTube's policies, and YouTube staff can still view them if needed.
How to make a new video unlisted during upload
When you upload a video to YouTube, the privacy setting defaults to public. Before you finish uploading, you can change it to unlisted.
After you select your video file and it begins processing, look for the privacy dropdown menu. It usually appears near the title and description fields. Click on it and select "Unlisted" from the three options: Public, Unlisted, or Private. Then finish uploading as normal — add your title, description, and tags. When you click "Publish" or "Save," the video will go live as unlisted.
How to change an existing video to unlisted
If you have already published a video as public and want to change it to unlisted, you can do that from your YouTube Studio.
Go to YouTube Studio and click "Content" in the left menu. Find the video you want to change and click on it. In the details panel, scroll down to the "Visibility" section. Click the current setting (it will say "Public") and select "Unlisted" from the dropdown. Click "Save" at the bottom right. The change takes effect immediately — the video is no longer searchable, though anyone who already has the link can still watch it.
What happens when you share an unlisted video link
Once a video is unlisted, you control who sees it by controlling who gets the link. You can copy the video URL from the address bar or click the "Share" button below the video player and copy the link from there. Send it however you want — email, text message, messaging apps, a document, a website.
Anyone who receives the link can watch the video without needing a YouTube account or your permission. They cannot share it to their own channel or add it to a playlist that other people can see, but they can watch it, like it, comment on it, and share the link with others. If you want to prevent someone from watching it, change the video back to private instead of unlisted.
The difference between unlisted, private, and public
YouTube offers three privacy settings, each with different visibility rules. Understanding the differences helps you choose the right one for your content.
| Setting | Who can find it | Who can watch it | Appears on your channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public | Anyone, through search and recommendations | Anyone | Yes |
| Unlisted | Only people with the link | Anyone with the link | No |
| Private | Only you and people you invite | Only you and people you invite | No |
Choose unlisted when you want to share widely but not be discoverable. Choose private when you want to control exactly who can watch. Choose public when you want the video to be found through search and recommendations.
Unlisted videos and YouTube's policies
Making a video unlisted does not exempt it from YouTube's community guidelines. YouTube staff can still view unlisted videos, and other viewers can still report them if they believe the content violates the rules. If an unlisted video breaks YouTube's policies, it can be removed or your channel can face penalties the same way a public video can.
Unlisted is a privacy tool, not a way to bypass content moderation. Use it to control who discovers your video, not to hide content that would otherwise violate YouTube's terms.
Changing an unlisted video back to public or private
You can change the privacy setting of an unlisted video at any time. Go to YouTube Studio, click "Content," find the video, and click on it. In the "Visibility" section, click the current setting and choose "Public" or "Private." Click "Save."
If you change it to public, it will become searchable and appear on your channel. If you change it to private, only people you specifically invite will be able to watch it, even if they had the link before. Anyone who had the link to the unlisted version will no longer be able to access it once it becomes private.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone share an unlisted video link with other people?
Yes. Once someone has the link, they can share it with anyone else. You cannot prevent a specific person from sharing the link further. If you need to control who watches the video, use private instead of unlisted.
Will an unlisted video show up in my YouTube notifications or activity?
No. Unlisted videos do not appear in your subscribers' notifications or in the "uploads" section of your channel. People will only know about the video if you send them the link directly.
Can I change a video back and forth between unlisted and public?
Yes. You can change the privacy setting as many times as you want. Each time you change it to public, it becomes searchable again. Each time you change it to unlisted, it disappears from search and your channel page.
What if I delete an unlisted video?
Once deleted, the video is gone. Anyone who had the link will see an error message saying the video is no longer available. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.
Do unlisted videos count toward my channel's total view count?
Yes. Views on unlisted videos are counted in your channel statistics and your video's view count, just like views on public videos.