Uploaded a Short and it’s sitting at 0 views — and worse, 0 impressions too? That “did my channel die?” feeling hits fast.
Most people immediately think: “Should I delete and re-upload?”
Hold that thought. Give yourself 10 minutes and run this checklist top-to-bottom. The goal is simple: eliminate the most likely blockers first.
Step 0) Split the problem first (this saves half your time)
0-1) Is it “0 views” or “0 impressions”?
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Impressions = 0 → YouTube likely hasn’t started distribution testing yet (or something is blocking it), so check visibility, Shorts recognition, restrictions/copyright, and metadata first.
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Impressions exist but views won’t move → that’s usually not a technical bug. It’s often a swipe-away / hook problem (Step 5).
0-2) How long since upload?
If you uploaded minutes ago, metrics can lag while processing happens. And higher-quality videos can take longer to process.
Source (Google Help): Low video quality after upload
Step 1) Visibility check (the “obvious one” that ends the story)
Text Map
YouTube Studio → Content → (your Short) → Visibility
If it’s Private or Unlisted, it can feel like “impressions are dead.”
Step 2) Confirm it’s actually treated as a Short (format rules matter)
YouTube has specific rules for Shorts, including how vertical/square uploads and up to 3 minutes are classified.
Source (Google Help): Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts
If your video is borderline, it may not land in the Shorts feed the way you expect — which can look like “0 impressions.”
Step 3) Prevent “classification failure” (give YouTube a topic hint)
When impressions are 0, sometimes the system doesn’t even know who to test it on yet.
Do the minimum:
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Title: include clear topic words (what it is, for whom)
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Description first line: one sentence summary
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Hashtags:
#shorts+ 1–2 topic hashtags (don’t spam)
Tags can help with typos/variants, but don’t treat them like the main lever. Title + description usually do more.
Step 4) Check restrictions + audio copyright (this can stop distribution cold)
Text Map
YouTube Studio → Content → (your Short) → Restrictions column → “See details”
🎧 Audio copyright warning (Content ID)
Content ID claims can restrict videos (including region blocks).
Source (Google Help): Learn about Content ID claims
And here’s the brutal part: for Shorts 1–3 minutes, if there’s an active claim, the Short can be blocked regardless of policy.
Source (Google Help): Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts
If you see a red flag:
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swap the audio
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use cleared audio options
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re-export a clean version
Step 5) Impressions exist but views won’t move? Use “Viewed vs Swiped away” to judge
This is the painful-but-true zone.
YouTube explains a Shorts metric showing how often people viewed your Short versus swiped away in the feed.
Source (Google Help): Content tab analytics tips
If Swiped away dominates:
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change the first frame
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put the key line/subtitle at 0:00
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cut dead intro time (even 0.3–0.5s matters)
Step 6) Don’t publish before HD is ready (blur = instant swipe)
Right after upload, your video can temporarily show in lower quality while processing finishes. YouTube notes that higher quality like 1080p/4K can take longer.
Safer workflow
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Upload as Unlisted
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Wait until HD quality appears
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Then switch to Public
Step 7) Three “stuck at 0” extra fixes people miss
7-A) ⚠️ Watch out for the “Mobile Drafts” weirdness
Many creators report that Shorts uploaded from the mobile app’s Drafts sometimes behave weirdly — including edits disappearing or distribution feeling “stuck.”
If you keep getting Shorts that die at 0 from Drafts:
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upload the raw exported file directly from your gallery
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don’t publish from Drafts as your default pipeline
7-B) 💡 Micro-engagement nudge (low risk, small upside)
If impressions are stuck at 0 for hours:
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Pin a comment immediately (ask a simple question to invite replies)
Pinned comments are often used as a discussion starter and can help viewers interact faster.
Source (Reddit): https://www.reddit.com/r/NewTubers/comments/9b7j8l/should_i_pin_a_comment_on_my_videos/
(About “liking your own video”: people argue it’s basically negligible. Optional at best.)
7-C) 🚀 Safer “re-upload”: Remix instead of uploading the same file again
Instead of deleting and re-uploading the exact same file, try YouTube’s Remix path to create a fresh Short object.
Source (Google Help): Create YouTube Shorts with remixed content
If your stuck video allows it, Remix (green screen/templates/edit into a Short) sometimes picks up faster than brute re-uploads.
Wrap-up
If impressions are 0, it’s usually not “your channel is dead” — it’s often visibility, Shorts classification, restrictions/copyright (especially 1–3 minute Shorts with active claims), or missing metadata hints.
If impressions exist but views don’t rise, check Viewed vs Swiped away — your first 1–3 seconds decide whether testing continues.
Before deleting/re-uploading, wait for processing/HD, avoid Drafts weirdness, and if needed try Remix as a cleaner “new upload” path.
👉 Prefer to read in Korean? This guide is also available in [유튜브 쇼츠 조회수 0, 노출 0 탈출법? “채널 망했나” 걱정 말고 이 6가지만 확인하자]