YouTube is about to make a significant change to how it counts video views, which could lead to a noticeable increase in view counts for many creators. Starting on August 24, the platform will begin counting a view from the very first frame of a video, rather than requiring viewers to watch at least 30 seconds as was previously the case for long-form content.

This adjustment aligns the counting method for long-form videos with that of YouTube Shorts, which have been counted from the start since March 2025. Shorts are typically shorter videos, lasting up to three minutes, and are formatted vertically or in a square shape.

While this change may result in inflated view counts, YouTube acknowledges the importance of the previous metric. The platform will continue to track the original view count as "Engaged views" within the YouTube Analytics under Advanced Mode, providing creators with valuable insights into viewer engagement.

Notably, YouTube was the last major tech platform to adopt this new view counting method, which is more commonly used by platforms focused on short-form content like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). These platforms count views from the moment a video starts playing, regardless of whether users watch the entire clip.

Despite the new view counting method, YouTube assures creators that this change will not impact the monetization requirements for their channels. Earlier this month, YouTube updated its Partner Program eligibility criteria, making it more challenging for creators to monetize their channels by increasing the required watch hours and views for YouTube Shorts.

In addition to the new view metric, YouTube is also rebranding its monetization requirements, now referring to "valid public Shorts views" and "valid public watch hours" as "qualified Shorts views" and "qualified watch hours."