What Does Highlighted Comment Mean on YouTube?
If you’ve seen a “Highlighted comment” label on YouTube and wondered what it means, you’re not alone. Here’s the simple explanation.
What Is a Highlighted Comment?
A highlighted comment is simply the comment you clicked on to get to that page. When someone shares a link to a specific YouTube comment, or when you click a notification about a reply to your comment, YouTube highlights that comment with a pale blue/gray background and the label “Highlighted comment.”
It’s not an award, ranking, or special status. It’s just YouTube’s way of saying “this is the comment you were looking for.”
Why Is a Comment Highlighted?
A comment gets highlighted in these situations:
1. You Clicked a Comment Link
When someone shares a direct link to a YouTube comment (the URL contains &lc= parameter), clicking that link takes you to the video with that specific comment highlighted.
2. You Clicked a Notification
When you receive a notification that someone replied to your comment or liked your comment, clicking the notification takes you to the video with your comment highlighted so you can find it easily.
3. You Navigated from Comment History
If you view your YouTube comment history and click on one of your past comments, YouTube highlights it on the video page.
Highlighted vs Pinned Comments
These are completely different things:
| Feature | Highlighted Comment | Pinned Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls it | Automatic (based on URL) | Video creator |
| Who can see it | Only you | Everyone |
| Purpose | Help you find a specific comment | Feature a comment at the top |
| Position | Where it naturally falls in the sort | Always at the top |
| Label | ”Highlighted comment" | "Pinned by [channel name]” |
Pinned comments are chosen by the video creator and appear at the top of the comment section for all viewers. Creators often pin their own comment with links, context, or corrections.
Highlighted comments are only highlighted for you — other viewers watching the same video won’t see the highlight.
Can You Highlight Your Own Comment?
No. You can’t manually highlight a comment. The highlighting happens automatically based on how you navigated to the video. However, you can share a direct link to any comment:
- Click the three dots (⋮) next to a comment
- Select “Copy link”
- Share that link — anyone who clicks it will see that comment highlighted
Can You Remove the Highlight?
Yes. Simply scroll away from the highlighted comment and back, or refresh the page. Alternatively, click the “Show all comments” button that appears near the highlighted comment label. This removes the highlight and shows all comments in their normal order.
As a Creator: How to Manage Comments
If you’re a YouTube creator looking to manage your comment section effectively:
- Pin important comments to keep them visible at the top
- Reply to comments to boost engagement — this signals to the YouTube algorithm that your content sparks discussion
- Use the “heart” feature to acknowledge viewer comments without writing a full reply
High comment engagement is one of the signals YouTube uses for recommendations. Check your engagement metrics with our Engagement Rate Calculator, and learn more about growing your channel in our YouTube SEO guide.