Youtube Browse Impression Cap / Shadow Ban After Stream Crashes 🫠
Has anyone had their channel’s Browse impressions sharply restricted following livestream technical issues?
If so, how long did the restriction last and what did the recovery look like?
Context - I run a daily live sports channel (20k+ subs, & was consistently doing 1.5-2m views/month).
At the end of March, I had 5 streams crash in the space of 9 days due to new equipment failing. I identified the problem quickly and corrected it. Stable since but this has affected how Youtube subsequently recommends me.
On April 10th, Browse impressions per stream dropped significantly and suddenly from an average of 173,000 (10 March – 9 April) to 15,000 (10 April – 10 May) — a 91% drop.
All of the underlying metrics are strong so the audience that it’s being served to are liking it, but it’s not being served widely as it used to.
Browse CTR 12-14%+. Browse AVD has gone from c1-minute pre-contraction to 3-5 minutes post-contraction, like ratio improved from 88% to 95%.
YouTube support confirmed no flags, no policy issues, notifications delivering normally — but obviously can’t see into the recommendation system.
Has anyone been through a similar Browse contraction with strong underlying signals?
How long did recovery take, what did the trajectory look like, and is there anything you’d recommend doing or avoiding in the meantime?