- Who can watch public, unlisted and private videos
- Why an unlisted link can be passed on
- What to check before sending, and how to think about confidential material
The short answer
Unlisted means "public but harder to find", not secret. Anyone who has the link can watch it, and the people you send it to can share it further. If you want to control exactly who sees a video, make it private and share it with specific people.
How the three settings differ
According to YouTube Help, a public video can be watched by anyone and may appear in search results, related videos and recommendations. An unlisted video does not appear on your channel's Videos tab or in search results, but anyone with the link can watch it, even without a Google Account. A private video can only be watched by you and the users you choose.
| Feature | Public | Unlisted | Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share the URL | Yes | Yes | No |
| Search, related videos, recommendations | May appear | No | No |
| Subscribers' feed | Yes | No | No |
| Comments | Yes | Yes | No |
| Add to a public playlist | Yes | Yes | No |
Note the exception for public playlists. YouTube Help says unlisted videos stay out of places like search results "unless" they have been added to a public playlist.
Who can watch?
- Anyone
- May appear in search and recommendations
- Anyone who has the link
- Recipients can pass it on
→ Not a way to keep it secret
- You and the people you choose
- Others cannot watch even with the URL
Choose by audience and purpose
For example, if you just want to show a friend your holiday video, unlisted is usually enough, though the link could still reach other people.
As a fictional example, if a client needs to review a video before release, a private video shared with their email address is a better fit. YouTube Help describes opening Content in YouTube Studio, selecting the video, choosing the option to share the video privately under its visibility setting, entering the email addresses and saving. Labels may differ slightly in the English interface and between the computer and the app.
For internal training or briefing videos, first decide whether the material may go on YouTube at all, before choosing a setting. A private video is still stored on YouTube's servers, so follow your organisation's information-handling rules. YouTube Help also notes that videos with any of the three settings can be reviewed by YouTube.
Check before you send
Video:
Visibility: Public / Unlisted / Private
Who should see it:
Would it be fine if the link were forwarded: Yes / No
Anything on screen that must not leave (people, documents, notifications):
Does company policy allow uploading it:Look at the content too: documents at the edge of the frame, pop-up notifications and name badges.
If you are still unsure
Setting names and steps can look different on a computer and in the app. Check the YouTube Help page on visibility settings for the latest explanation, and for work material, ask whoever handles information security in your organisation.
Checklist
- Understood that anyone with the link can watch an unlisted video
- Made the video private and named the viewers when the audience must be limited
- Checked that the video is not in a public playlist
- Checked for documents or notifications visible on screen
- Confirmed company rules allow uploading work material
One thing to check today
Open the visibility setting of the video you plan to send, and confirm who should see it and what information is safe to share.