Phone numbers, passers-by, and license plate numbers are common things that often end up in YouTube video footage. But according to YouTube’s 

, certain types of sensitive information - even if recorded by mistake - are never OK to post on the platform.

If you need a reliable way to clear your video of anything that really shouldn't be there, YouTube is on top of the problem. 

To reduce the risk of identity theft and violation, the platform has created a tool for blurring objects and faces in creators’ videos. 

Best of all, the tool is free to use and easy to find in the YouTube Studio.

If you haven’t tried YouTube’s blur feature just yet, here’s everything you need to know to get started.

In the top right corner of YouTube, click on your profile icon and go to the YouTube Studio.

’. This will show you all of the uploaded content on your channel.

Mouse over the video you want to edit, then click the pencil icon to jump into that video.

The next thing you’ll see is a page titled ‘

’. On this screen, find the left navigation menu and click ‘

When the next page loads, you’ll see a video timeline. Go directly below this editor and click the link that says ‘

’. You should see two menu options appear, one to create a face blur and another for custom blurring.

For real-time guidance, watch our video tutorial on how to find this section of the YouTube Studio.

If you want to blur anything other than a face, your best option is to use YouTube’s custom blur tool. This feature allows you to place circular or rectangular blurs over different objects in a video.

A few weeks ago, we used the custom blur tool to hide an object in a vidIQ video. Rob, our YouTuber-in-residence recorded himself waving a red ‘subscribe’ button, and we were able to make it disappear - even with all those jerky movements.

This worked because YouTube lets you track the objects you’ve chosen to blur. All you have to do is find the Blur Behavior section on the video editor page and select ‘

’. If you don’t need to blur a moving object, select ‘

’ to keep everything in place. You can see both options in the screenshot below:

Once you make your selection, you can also reposition or resize your blur shape. To make Rob’s subscribe button disappear, we dragged a corner of the blur box, which is shown in the screenshot above, until it was big enough to hide everything underneath it.

Lastly, you can determine when a blur appears in your video. To do this, go to the video timeline and drag the marker to any point. Then navigate upward and use the time indexes to define the duration of your blur, as shown below:

The first time you try to blur a face, YouTube’s editor will spend a couple of minutes detecting all the faces in your video. When it does, you can easily select the ones you want to blur, as shown below:

Luckily, that’s the only piece of new information when it comes to blurring a face. If you want to reposition the blur, track it to a moving face, or make it appear at a certain timestamp, you can repeat the steps we’ve already outlined in the custom blur section.

As you experiment with these blur tools, you may notice that they sometimes behave strangely. That doesn't take away from their helpfulness or convenience, but these small hiccups are good to know about:

The tracking feature doesn't look perfect when you're editing, but it improves a lot when the video is fully processed.

It can take a few hours for edits to stick. In the meantime, viewers will be able to see the original, unblurred video, if it's public.

Sometimes the tool leaves faces unblurred for a fraction of a second, which can be frustrating.

We also noticed an odd error while editing blur timestamps. The message ‘Blur region must contain at least one checkpoint’ kept appearing in the editor. We’re not sure what that’s about, but we fixed it by starting over until the error disappeared.

As helpful as YouTube’s blur tool can be, most creators probably use off-platform software to blur faces and objects. Of course, not every video editor has that kind of technology. And to be fair, YouTube does a good job of blurring and tracking objects with its free tool.

However, if the tool doesn’t perform as promised, go back a few steps to catch the root of the problem. As frustrating as that sounds, it’s a better alternative than exposing someone’s identity or information (or your own) without permission.

Want To Learn More YouTube Tips and Tricks?

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Have you ever needed to blur a face or a logo in one of your YouTube videos? Here's a quick and easy guide on how to do just that in YouTube Studio

How to Blur Anything You Need to in Your YouTube Video

YouTube cards are in-video notifications that help promote your brand and other videos on your channel. If you haven’t used this feature before, here’s how it works for the viewer:

In the upper-right corner of the frame, a teaser box appears during a video.

The teaser box shows a message preview, which you can designate in the YouTube Studio.

When the teaser is clicked, the box expands to show a ‘card’. These can feature a video, playlist, channel, or outside link.

Finally, viewers click/tap on one of these elements to view the content.

As a YouTube creator, this process for showcasing your work is invaluable. Informational cards can boost views on older videos and help you cross-promote different parts of your brand, such as a website that houses all your content.

If that sounds good to you, let’s explore how this brand-boosting, cross-promotion magic happens. There are two ways to add YouTube cards to your videos, and we’re going to show you each method, step-by-step.

The first chance you’ll get to add cards to your videos is when you upload them. To kick off the process, go ahead and upload a video as you normally would.

As you move through the workflow, you’ll eventually reach an uppermost menu in the upload panel. From the options listed there, click ‘Video Elements’. A new page will open, and you’ll see an ‘Add Cards’ section near the bottom of the screen. This is where you can add new cards that send viewers to other videos and playlists you’ve created, as shown below:

Alternatively, you can add cards to videos you’ve already uploaded to YouTube. Here are the steps:

Click your profile image in the top-right corner and go to the YouTube Studio.

Click ‘Videos’ in the left navigation menu.

Hover your mouse over the video you want to add cards to and click the ‘Details’ button (pencil icon).

About halfway down this page and on the right side, you’ll see a ‘Cards’ section. Click the pencil icon to open the video-editing window.

You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the screen below:

To add a card, go to the video timeline. Move the horizontal bar, which marks where you are in the video, to the point where you want to add the card. Next, you’ll go to the top left corner of the editing window to select the type of card you want to add: video, playlist, channel, or link. Finally, make your selection by clicking the blue plus sign next to either option.

Additionally, you can achieve the same thing by clicking the ‘i’ symbol in the bottom left corner of the editing window. This will display the same card options mentioned above, and you can add one anywhere in the video timeline.

If you’re adding a video or playlist card, YouTube will display a search window where you can find and select the content of your choice. Once you’ve made your selection, this is how the info card will look:

When a card pops up, the viewer will see it for about five seconds before it shrinks to a clickable “i” symbol.

Need to see the instructions in real-time? Watch our tutorial about how to add YouTube info cards to your videos:

If you want to change a card’s display text, you can do that in the same video-editing window. Find the box labeled ‘Teaser Text’ and type in the phrase you want viewers to see. It’s best to keep your message short and sweet in this section, as you only have 30 characters to play with. To see what teaser text looks like, check out the previous screenshot above this section.

Next, let’s add a custom message to your card. These are optional, but you can add one if you want another message to appear when viewers click your teaser. Here’s what looks custom messages look like in action:

To add one, simply navigate to the ‘Custom Message’ box and type in the text of your choice.

Keep in mind that for longer videos, the video-editing timeline compresses like a tightly-bound slinky toy. That makes it hard to see the blue markers indicating where your cards are positioned, and that can lead to tons of errors. To work around this, use the zoom feature to expand the timeline and get to the exact timestamp you need to edit.

Once you make that simple adjustment, everything gets easier. With fewer errors, you can quickly drag and drop cards into new positions on the timeline.

However, if you do make a mistake, there are undo and redo buttons on the left side of the timeline. If in the end, you decide an info card isn’t needed, delete it using the bin icon at the top of the edit window.

Important Things to Know About YouTube Cards

While YouTube allows you to add videos, playlists, channels, and outside links to your cards, there are some extra details to be aware of. Here are the most important things to know:

You can add any public playlist to a card, even if you didn’t create the playlist.

You have to add both teaser and custom text to YouTube channel cards.

To add website links to cards, you need to be part of the YouTube Partner Program.

Only approved links can appear on cards. These include crowdfunding, merchandising, and brand-specific sites associated with your channel.

To take advantage of that last part, navigate to the advanced tab of your channel settings. In that window, you can add the website of your choice, a card title, a call to action message, and some teaser text. Additionally, you’ll need to upload a custom image.

Now that you know how to add cards, let’s address the elephant in the room: Watch Time. While cards are great for promotion, you may be wondering if they’re actually worth the effort. After all, when a viewer clicks a card, they’re abandoning the current video to view other content.

When it comes down to it, you’ll have to define the longterm goal of your videos. Ask yourself which videos need to have your audience’s full attention and which ones are beneficial for cross-promotion.

If you choose the cross-promotion route, here are some best practices for when and where to add cards in your videos:

Save info cards for the second half of the video, after you’ve already provided some value to the viewer.

Use info cards sparingly in longer content, as you can only add five per video.

In shorter videos, avoid stacking cards on top of each other. Create a 20- to 30-second gap between each one.

Use This vidIQ Tool to Automate Card Management

Want to automate the management of your video cards? If so, we've got just the tool for you.

When you install vidIQ, you’ll see a button with our logo next to each video. Click that, and from the options displayed, click the ‘Copy Cards’ feature. From here, you’ll be taken to a window where you can copy info cards from one video to the next.

If you're new to vidIQ, our creator-obsessed goal is to educate you on your YouTube journey. We help you 

 and create an outstanding career on YouTube, one you can be proud of. For competitor research tools, video analysis, and helpful channel audits, 

Info cards allow YouTube creators to add an extra layer of interactivity to their videos. Here's how to set them up.

How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

Online harassment is an unfortunate but well known problem in digital communities. According to a Pew Research 

, four in 10 Americans have personally experienced some form of unacceptable online behavior, from offensive name-calling to physical threats.

While no one can erase the chance of being harassed online, YouTube is doing everything it can to help creators thrive on its platform. In fact, last month, YouTube did three powerful things to promote online safety: It took a stand against harassment, resurfaced its community guidelines, and called attention to the safety tools available to creators.

Today, we’re following YouTube’s lead. To make sure you succeed as a creator, we’re sharing the platform’s online harassment solutions - specifically the safety tools. We’re going to cover what they are, how to use them, and where to find them when you truly need them.

But first, here's a quick video summarizing everything mentioned below:

The first thing you should know is that there are three ‘protection’ categories when it comes to harassment on YouTube. At the most basic levels, you can:

adjust the privacy settings of your videos

Of course, that’s the super-simplified overview. Dig a bit deeper, and you’ll find that these tools have multiple protection options. Whether you want a harmful video taken down or your comments disabled, you can fully customize your YouTube experience. Let’s take a look at some of the options below:

The most effective way to block harmful users is by tackling those nasty, hurtful comments in your spam folder. Here’s how:

1. Go to your channel’s homepage and click the profile icon in the top-right corner of the screen. From the drop-down menu, select ‘YouTube Studio’.

2. Go to the left-hand navigation bar and click ‘Comments’.

The next thing you’ll see is the ‘Channel Comments’ panel. In this section, select the ‘Likely Spam’ column to display this category of comments. These can often be your most inappropriate comments, so start here when you need to block certain users.

To do this, simply click the ban icon underneath the comment in question. This is known as the ‘hide user from channel’ tool, which prevents users from engaging with your content.

This tool doesn’t ban anyone from your channel officially, but it’s great for blocking unruly members of your audience. For example, if you post a video or live stream to YouTube, hidden users will still have the ability to watch your content. What they won’t be able to do, however, is leave comments on your videos.

If you need a brief overview of how all this works, watch our brief tutorial on how to block users from your channel:

Additionally, you can block someone who has already posted an offensive comment. To do that, keep the ‘Channel Comments’ panel open. Navigate to the ‘Published’ column and click the three circles underneath any comment. This will display the same ‘hide user from channel’ option as before.

Did you know you can automate the comment review process on YouTube? Instead of deleting harmful messages that are already public, you can set up filters to stop negative comments from publishing. Here’s how it works:

2. Go to the left-hand navigation bar and click ‘Settings’.

3. In the settings menu, click ‘Community.’

4. In the ‘Automated Filters’ column, scroll down to the ‘Blocked Words’ section.

In this box, type all the words you’d find offensive or don’t want to see in your comment section. These could be racial slurs, curse words, or lewd, sexual terms that shouldn’t be shared on a public forum. When you have all the words typed out, do a quick skim to make sure each one is separated by a comma, as YouTube requires.

And now, here’s the good news: When a user submits a comment using any of your blocked words, that comment will be held for review instead of publishing instantly.

To access these comments, return to the ‘Channel Comments’ panel mentioned above. Navigate to the ‘Held For Review’ column, and you’ll find a list of questionable comments that may be inappropriate for public display.

Overall, this word-filtering process is extremely helpful. Even still, it won’t stop every instance of harassment on your channel. When rude comments seem to fall through the cracks, take these extra steps to fight back:

These may seem like drastic measures, but don’t be afraid to use them. If someone is negatively impacting you as a creator, things will only worsen if you let it go unchecked.

How to Change Your Video’s Privacy Settings

When it comes to video visibility, there are levels of ‘reach’ that determine who gets to watch and share your content on YouTube. Luckily, you can tweak these settings to make your videos public, unlisted, or private.

, anyone can watch and share it across the web. On YouTube, the video will appear in search results and related video lists.

 videos won’t appear on your channel or in YouTube search results. These videos can only be viewed and shared by people who have a link to that content.

 videos can only be viewed by you (and anyone else you grant permission). Like unlisted videos, they won’t appear on your channel or in YouTube search results.

So, how do you restrict the access people have to your videos, especially when you’re being harassed online? Here’s the rundown:

2. Go to the left-hand navigation bar and click ‘Videos’.

3. Find the video you want to update, then head to the ‘Visibility’ column.

4. From the drop-down menu, select ‘Public’, ‘Unlisted’, or ‘Private’.

If you upload videos about controversial topics, this feature will be invaluable to you. Oftentimes, viewers’ opinions can straddle the line between criticism and outright harassment. When something like that happens, disabling the comment section might not be enough. If you’re being attacked across the web, consider changing a video’s privacy settings to restrict its reach.

How to Request a Video Removal on YouTube

If someone uploads a video of you and you didn't consent to it, the poster may have violated 

. This resource states that creators shouldn’t expose details about someone’s identity online, which can include a person’s:

If this happens to you, reach out to the uploader and ask them to take down the video. If for some reason they don’t agree to do it, you can request to have the video removed. YouTube has a 

 for users who feel like their safety is in jeopardy.

YouTube has an amazing ecosystem of safety tools, but there are additional resources to help you cope with online harassment and bullying. Follow these organizations for more information around online privacy and safety:

YouTube is a wonderful community of creators, but unfortunately, every user doesn’t mean well. Once you feel secure in your own YouTube journey (from a harassment standpoint), keep the platform positive by 

. That one, simple act goes a long way in fighting online harassment.

If you’ve been harassed online, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. These safety tools from YouTube can help.

Posts tagged with "youtube tool"

How to Blur Anything You Need to in Your YouTube Video

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How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

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How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

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How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

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How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

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How to Add Info Cards to Your YouTube Video

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How YouTube Can Help You Tackle Harassment and Bullying

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