YouTube is giving more creators a way to test how different titles perform on their videos. After rolling out the ability to test and compare video titles to a “small percentage” of creators in July, YouTube has now expanded the tool in YouTube Studio to “all creators with access to advanced features,” making it easier to pick the best titles for attracting viewers.
This expansion builds on an existing tool in YouTube Studio that allows users to test the performance of various video thumbnails. Creators can now upload up to three titles or a combination of titles and thumbnails on videos, with YouTube testing those options evenly across viewers for up to two weeks to assess which combination earns the highest watch time.
Combinations that drive the most watch time will be labeled as the “winner” and then be automatically applied to the final video. If the test results are inconclusive, the first title and thumbnail combination that was uploaded by the user will be applied as default. YouTube says that creatives can also choose to ignore the results from these tests and manually select the video thumbnail and title of their choosing.
The feature is only available on desktop, and can be applied to public long-form videos, live stream archives saved as videos, or on podcast episodes. Creators can’t run thumbnail or title tests on videos marked for mature audiences or “Made for Kids.”