What the YouTube comment audit checks
One video's comments tell you about that video. A comment audit looks at the whole channel: the newest comments on its latest 5 or 10 uploads, read together. You get:
- A comment health score out of 100, with every point explained, so you can see exactly what to fix.
- The channel's reply rate and every unanswered question across the videos, in one list, most liked first.
- Regulars: the viewers who comment on two or more videos. These are the people most likely to subscribe, buy and defend you in the comments.
- Buying and collab comments, and scam or link spam that slipped past the channel's filters.
- A video-by-video table and a heat map of when viewers comment across all the videos.
It works on any public channel, yours or a competitor's, with no account and no access to anyone's channel.
How the comment health score is worked out
The score is Passive Array's own rubric, not a number YouTube publishes. Every part is shown in the result with the figures behind it:
| Part | Points | Full marks at |
|---|---|---|
| Reply rate | 35 | The channel replies to 30% or more of viewer comments |
| Questions answered | 25 | Every viewer question has a reply from the channel |
| Conversation | 20 | 5 or more comments per 1,000 views, using YouTube's own comment counts |
| Regular commenters | 10 | 10% or more of commenters commented on two or more of the videos |
| Free of scam spam | 10 | No scam or link spam visible; zero points once it reaches 5% of comments |
80 and above reads as Thriving, 60 to 79 Healthy, 40 to 59 Needs attention, and below 40 Neglected. The thresholds are editorial choices, picked so a small channel that answers its viewers can score well. A huge channel that never replies will score low on purpose, even with millions of views, because the score is about the conversation, not the size.
How to raise your score
- Answer the unanswered questions first, most liked at the top. They are the easiest points and the most useful replies.
- Reply to your regulars by name. They come back anyway; a reply makes it a habit.
- Hide the scam comments the audit found, then add a blocked words list so the next wave is held for review. The blocked words list generator builds one in seconds.
- Ask a specific question in the video or a pinned comment. "Which of these would you try first?" gets more comments than "let me know what you think".
- Run the audit again in a month and compare.
To dig into one video, use the YouTube comment analyzer. To keep every comment, use the comment exporter.
What the audit cannot see
- Older comments on busy videos. It reads the newest 100, 200 or 300 comments on each video, so on a video with thousands of comments it is a recent sample.
- Replies deep in long threads. YouTube's API returns up to 5 replies per comment, so a channel reply further down can be missed.
- Hidden comments. Comments held for review, flagged as likely spam or deleted are never returned, so spam the channel already caught does not count against it.
- Meaning. Questions, buying comments and spam are found with simple word rules, not AI. Read the lists before acting on them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a YouTube comment audit?
A check of a channel's comment section across several videos: how often the channel replies, which questions are waiting, who keeps coming back, and whether spam is getting through. This one also gives a 0 to 100 score with each point explained.
What is a good YouTube comment reply rate?
YouTube does not publish one. Our score gives full marks at 30% of viewer comments replied to, which is realistic for small and mid-size channels. Very large channels rarely reach it and score lower on purpose.
Can I audit a competitor's comments?
Yes. It works on any public channel. Nothing is posted and nobody is notified.
How many videos does it check?
The latest 5 or 10 uploads, reading the newest 100, 200 or 300 comments on each. Videos made for kids or with comments turned off are listed but not read.
Is the comment health score a YouTube metric?
No. It is Passive Array's rubric, shown part by part with its thresholds, so you can disagree with any of it and still use the numbers underneath.
Does it use AI?
No. Everything is counted with simple visible rules in your browser.
Is it free?
Yes. No account, no sign-up and no access to your YouTube channel.