Video type
Video totals
Benchmarks come from a public sample of videos 7–30 days old and are rough guides. Engagement varies by niche and audience size.
How YouTube engagement rate is calculated
By views
(likes + comments) ÷ views × 100Views are public and every viewer could have reacted, so this is the fairest way to compare videos. Shares are left out because they aren't public.
Compare with the right format
Shorts get many likes but few comments. Long-form videos get about 7 times more comments per view, so each format has its own benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good engagement rate on YouTube?
About 3% of views is typical, around 5% is strong and about 7% puts a video in the top 10%.
Is engagement lower on Shorts?
The median is lower (2.7% vs 3.5%), mostly because Shorts get very few comments. On channels that post both, Shorts often score a little higher.
Why do viral videos have lower rates?
When a video reaches people who don't follow you, more viewers watch without reacting, so the rate falls even as views grow.
Should I use subscribers instead of views?
Views work better on YouTube, because most views on a video can come from people who aren't subscribed.