YouTube is Changing How Shorts Views Are Counted – Here’s What Creators Need to Know

Creator Insider on YouTube just dropped a major .. or Short bomb – Big changes are coming to YouTube Shorts! Starting March 31, 2025, YouTube is updating how Shorts views are counted, which could mean higher view numbers for many creators. But what does this really mean for your content, analytics, and potential earnings? Let’s break it down.

What’s Changing?

Up until now, a Shorts view on YouTube was counted only after a viewer watched for a certain number of seconds. That’s changing.

Going forward, every time a Short starts playing or replays, it will count as a view, with no minimum watch time requirement. This brings YouTube’s Shorts metrics more in line with how other short-form platforms count views.

At the same time, YouTube is introducing a new metric called Engaged Views, which tracks how many people actually watch beyond a certain point (similar to the previous Shorts view system). Engaged Views will be available in Advanced Mode in YouTube Analytics.

How Will This Affect Content Creators?

1. Higher View Counts (But With a Catch)

Since views will count from the moment a Short starts playing, you might see a big increase in total views. However, these inflated numbers don’t necessarily mean better engagement. If a viewer scrolls past your Short immediately, it still counts as a view, which is much closer to how TikTok and Instagram count views.

2. Earnings and YouTube Partner Program Eligibility Stay the Same

While views are increasing, monetization remains tied to Engaged Views. To qualify for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), creators still need:

• 3 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days for early access (fun funding, etc).
• 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days for ad revenue sharing.

This means the new view metric won’t directly impact earnings, but it could help with brand deals by showing a broader reach.

3. New Ways to Analyze Performance

Creators will now see two separate metrics:

• Views (Total times a Short starts playing or replays)
• Engaged Views (How many viewers actually keep watching past a certain point)

Both will be available in YouTube Studio’s Shorts Overview and Shorts Engagement tabs. If you’re comparing performance before and after March 31, 2025, Engaged Views will be the best way to measure success.

Pros and Cons of the Update

✅ Pros:

• Higher View Counts – Shorts may appear more popular, which can help with discoverability and brand sponsorships.
• Better Data on Engagement – Engaged Views separate passive scrollers from real viewers.
• Consistency Across Platforms – This aligns YouTube’s view metrics with TikTok and Instagram Reels.

❌ Cons:

• Not All Views Are Equal – A quick scroll-past will count as a view, potentially inflating numbers without real engagement.
• No Earnings Boost – Monetization still depends on Engaged Views, so total view count increases won’t affect revenue.
• More Complex Analytics – Creators now have to track two different metrics to understand performance.

Final Thoughts

This update is a double-edged sword for creators. While it may make Shorts appear more successful at a glance, true engagement remains the key to monetization and growth. If you’re a Shorts creator, focus on retention and compelling content—because in the end, Engaged Views are what really matter.

If you’re not a fan of shorts, then nothing really changes but you are missing out on some low hanging fruit that’s about to get even lower.

What do you think about this change? Will it help or hurt Shorts creators? Let me know in the comments!

Stay Strong, Sam Fam!