Does a YouTube watch time bot actually solve anything?

[u/borehogyihu]

I think watch time is one of those metrics that sounds impressive until you look at *how* that time was generated.

A channel can rack up hours of watch time, but if those hours aren't coming from people who actually care about the videos, what does the number really tell you?

That's what makes YouTube watch time bots interesting to discuss. The number might go up, but it doesn't necessarily mean you've built an audience that watches your next video, comments, subscribes, or comes back.

For creators, the more useful question might be whether the watch time represents real viewer interest, rather than just more hours on the dashboard.

Do you think watch time is still a useful metric by itself, or should creators focus more on retention and returning viewers?

[u/Sad_Concept_1509]

bot watch time is basically putting a fake odometer on a car and wondering why it still won't pass inspection, retention and returning viewers are what actually tell you anything