50+ YouTube Community Post Ideas That Actually Get Engagement
Quick Answer
The best YouTube community posts either ask the viewer something or give them something between uploads. Five types reliably get engagement: a two-option poll, a teaser for the next video, a question answerable in one line, a throwback to an older video, and a quick quiz. Pick an idea below, paste the example, and change the details.
You open the Community tab (YouTube now calls it the Posts tab), stare at the blank box, type "new video out", and get three likes. Every creator has done it.
The fix is not posting more — it is posting something a viewer can react to in one tap or one line. Below are 55 YouTube community post ideas, sorted by what you want the post to do, each with an example you can paste and edit. If you want them written for you, YouSEO includes a community post writer: YouSEO is an AI-powered YouTube growth toolkit that helps creators plan, create, optimize, analyze, and grow a YouTube channel — all in one app.
Polls that get votes
Polls are the lowest-effort response on YouTube — one tap — so they get the most replies. Keep them to two or three options, each under 65 characters, and make the choice feel like it matters to the viewer.
1. This-or-that — when you have two formats ready and no strong preference.
Next video: a 10-minute deep dive or a 60-second version? 🗳️
2. What should I make next — two weeks before you film, so the winner is ready on time.
Pick my next video: ① Budget setup ② Common mistakes ③ 30-day results
3. Thumbnail A/B — when you are torn between two versions; score both for design problems first.
Which thumbnail would you click? A or B 👇 (image poll)
4. Settle the debate — to start a comment thread about how people actually watch you.
Be honest: do you watch at 1x or 1.5x speed?
5. Rate the last video — the day after an upload that broke your usual length.
Last video — was it: too long / just right / too short?
6. Which problem first — to find the topic your audience needs most urgently.
Which of these is costing you the most time right now? ① ② ③ ④
7. Series direction — at the end of a batch of videos, before planning the next.
Season 2 of the series: keep the format or shake it up?
For the thumbnail poll, run both versions through the Thumbnail Click Score before you post — if one is unreadable at phone size, the poll is deciding between a good option and a broken one.
Pre-launch teasers
A teaser gives subscribers a reason to come back on upload day. The post should promise one specific thing and withhold one specific thing.
8. Countdown — two days before a video you have genuinely built up to.
48 hours. The video I have been hinting at for a month drops Thursday, 6 PM.
9. Sneak frame — when a single still raises a question on its own.
One frame from Thursday's video. Any guesses what went wrong here? 👀 (image)
10. Guess the topic — for a video with a surprising premise; the guesses become comments.
Three clues: a kitchen timer, a very bad idea, and a spreadsheet. What's the video?
11. Title vote — when you have two or three titles that all pass the SEO check.
Help me title Thursday's video: ① 'I Tried It for 30 Days' ② 'Nobody Tells You This' ③ 'The Honest Version'
12. The mistake reveal — to turn a production disaster into a story people want to see.
I filmed this entire video before noticing the microphone was off. The redo is out Friday.
13. Scheduled drop — with a short bullet list of what the video answers.
Set a reminder: the full guide goes live Saturday morning. Here is what it covers 👇
14. Ask before you film — a week before a Q&A, FAQ or 'answering your comments' video.
Filming the Q&A tomorrow. Drop your question below and I will answer the top ones on camera.
Behind-the-scenes and milestones
These posts show the person behind the uploads. They work because they are specific — a number, a photo, a moment.
15. The desk photo — any day; it humanises the channel without a video.
This is where every video gets edited. Yes, the second monitor is held up by a book. (image)
16. Milestone thanks — when you hit a subscriber or view milestone — say what it means, not just the number.
We just passed a number I wrote on a sticky note two years ago. Thank you. Here is what is next 👇
17. Process shot — to show the work behind a video that looked effortless.
Four hours of footage. One 11-minute video. Here is the timeline. (image)
18. Gear change — when something in your setup changes visibly.
New lens arrived. First test shot vs the old one — can you see the difference? (two images)
19. Anniversary — on the channel's anniversary; invite people to share when they subscribed.
One year ago today I uploaded my first video. I rewatched it. It was… a start. (image of the old thumbnail)
Questions that get comments
A question gets comments when it can be answered in one line without thinking hard. Ask for an opinion, a memory, or a fill-in-the-blank — never for an essay.
20. Finish this sentence — to learn what people actually value — read every answer.
Finish this sentence: 'I started watching this channel because ___.'
21. Ask me anything — when you can sit with the thread; reply fast and the thread grows.
Ask me anything about [topic] — I am answering in the comments for the next two hours.
22. Hot take — when you have a real opinion and can defend it in replies.
Hot take: [common advice in your niche] is wrong for most beginners. Agree or disagree?
23. One tip — to collect ideas for a future 'your tips' video.
What is the one tip you wish someone had told you when you started [activity]?
24. Biggest struggle — to source your next video from the comments.
What is the part of [topic] you still cannot get right? I will make a video on the most common answer.
25. Yes or no — when you want volume of replies rather than depth.
Quick one: have you ever [common experience in your niche]? Yes or no in the comments.
26. Correct me — to turn a mistake into trust.
I said something in the last video that a few of you flagged. Tell me where I got it wrong — I will pin the best correction.
Resurfacing old videos
A video post can put an older upload back in front of subscribers who missed it. Pair it with a reason to watch now, not just a link.
27. Throwback — for an old video that is still useful but dated in places.
Two years ago I made this. Half of it still holds up. Can you spot the half that does not? (video post)
28. Most-watched this month — monthly; it rewards the video your audience is already choosing.
Most-watched video on the channel this month is not the newest one — it is this one from last spring. (video post)
29. Series recap — when a new episode arrives and newcomers need the earlier ones.
Catching up on the series? Here is the order: Part 1 → Part 2 → Part 3. Start here. (playlist post)
30. Before you watch — when a new upload builds on an old one.
Before Thursday's video makes sense, watch this one first. It is 6 minutes. (video post)
31. Still my answer — whenever the same question keeps appearing.
People keep asking me [question] in the comments. This video is still my full answer. (video post)
Quizzes and challenges
YouTube's quiz post has one correct answer out of up to four and shows an explanation after the viewer answers. Use it to teach one thing, not to test.
32. One-question quiz — after a tutorial, to check the one fact that matters.
Quiz: which setting is doing the most damage to your audio? ① ② ③ ④ (answer + 2-line explanation)
33. Myth or fact — to correct a misconception you see in comments.
Myth or fact: [widely repeated claim in your niche]. (quiz, explanation reveals the answer)
34. Spot the error — for visual niches — design, cooking, repair, gaming.
Something in this image is wrong. First correct answer gets pinned. (image + comments)
35. Seven-day challenge — when you can follow up with a post or a video.
Seven days, one habit: [small action]. Comment 'in' and report back Sunday.
36. Predict the result — before an experiment video; the predictions become the intro.
I am testing [thing] this week. Predict the result in the comments before the video goes up.
Community post ideas for Shorts creators
Posts for a Shorts channel should pull people into the next Short or into a choice about it. Image posts can also appear in the Shorts feed, so a strong single image is worth more here.
37. Poll the next Short — to decide the format for a topic you will film tomorrow.
Next Short: ① the fast version ② the slow explanation ③ both, back to back
38. Clip reaction — when a Short has an unexpected reaction; ask people to explain it.
This 8-second moment got more comments than the whole video it came from. Why? (image frame)
39. Series tease — for Shorts posted as a series with running characters or a running joke.
Episode 4 of the Shorts series is filmed. Guess what breaks this time.
40. Sound vote — when the audio choice changes the feel of the Short.
Which sound for the next Short? A or B — 15 seconds each in the comments.
41. Shorts-to-long bridge — to move Shorts viewers to long-form without a hard sell.
The full 12-minute version of that Short is coming Thursday. What should it cover that the Short could not?
Niche-specific starters
Same ideas, dressed for the niche. Swap the nouns and these work as written.
Gaming
42. Loadout poll — before a stream or let's-play recording.
Next run: stealth build or full chaos? You decide, I suffer.
43. Boss prediction — before a difficult section you will record.
How many attempts does this boss take me? Closest guess gets a shout-out.
44. Patch reaction — the day a game you cover updates.
The new patch changed [mechanic]. Better or worse? One word.
Education
45. One-question check — after every lesson video.
Quiz: what does [term from the last lesson] actually mean? (quiz with explanation)
46. Confusing bit — to decide what the next explainer covers.
Which part of this week's topic is still confusing? I will make a short follow-up on the top answer.
47. Study prompt — to turn watching into practice.
Today's five-minute task: explain [concept] to someone in one sentence. Post yours below.
Vlogs
48. Where next — when the audience's choice can shape the next vlog.
Next weekend: the coast or the mountains? Poll closes Friday.
49. Photo that did not make it — after every vlog; it costs nothing.
This shot did not make the vlog. It should have. (image)
Tech
50. Spec vote — before a buying-guide video.
Which would you replace first with a fixed budget: screen, storage or battery?
51. Setting of the week — to collect tips for a roundup.
The one setting I turned off this week and should have turned off years ago: [setting]. What is yours?
52. Long-term check-in — to tease a long-term review.
Three months with [device]. Still worth it? Short answer in the comments; long answer in next week's video.
Cooking
53. Ingredient swap — before a substitutions video.
No [ingredient]? Vote on the swap I test next: ① ② ③
54. Plate reveal — while you are recipe-testing.
Tonight's test batch. Guess the secret ingredient. (image)
55. Weeknight vote — to choose between two recipes you have ready.
Thursday's recipe: 20 minutes and easy, or 2 hours and worth it?
Best YouTube community post ideas for small channels
With a small subscriber count, the goal of a post is a handful of real replies from the people who do see it — not reach. Five ideas from the list above work with almost no audience, because each one gives the reader a personal reason to answer.
1. Finish this sentence (from the questions group) — the people who answer tell you why they are there. Reply to every one.
2. What should I make next (polls) — a small audience that chose the topic shows up for it.
3. Biggest struggle (questions) — turns three comments into your next video, and the three commenters into its first viewers.
4. The desk photo (behind the scenes) — new subscribers want to know who you are; one image answers it.
5. Ask before you film (teasers) — even five questions make a Q&A video, and the askers come back to hear theirs.
Post these when your subscribers are most likely to be on YouTube; our post on the best time to post shows how to read that from your own analytics. For the topics themselves, trending video ideas is where the poll options come from.
Fill-in-the-blank templates
Seven templates that cover most of the ideas above. Replace the brackets and post.
Next video: [option A] or [option B]? You decide.
Finish this sentence: 'The hardest part of [topic] is ___.'
[Number] days until [video]. Here is one thing it covers: [detail].
This did not make the final cut. [image] Should it have?
Quiz: [question]? ① [answer] ② [answer] ③ [answer] — explanation after you vote.
People keep asking me [question]. This video is still my full answer. [video]
Hot take: [common advice] is wrong for [who]. Agree or disagree?
When even the brackets feel like work, paste your video topic into the YouTube Community Post Generator and it writes the post — poll, teaser or question — in one tap, ready to edit.
Everything this page deliberately leaves out — who can post, how often to post, image sizes, and the mistakes that make posts invisible — is in our guide to using YouTube community posts to grow your channel.
Frequently asked questions
What should I post on my YouTube Community tab?
Something a viewer can respond to in one tap or one line: a two-option poll, a teaser for the next video, a short question, a throwback to an older video, or a one-question quiz. Posts that only announce a new video get the fewest replies.
What are good YouTube poll ideas?
This-or-that choices about your next video, thumbnail A/B votes, settle-the-debate questions about how people watch, and 'which problem should I solve first' polls. Keep each poll to two or three options under 65 characters.
What are the best YouTube community post ideas for small channels?
Posts that give a small number of readers a personal reason to answer: finish-this-sentence prompts, 'what should I make next' polls, biggest-struggle questions, a behind-the-scenes photo, and collecting questions before a Q&A video. Reply to every comment.
Can I schedule YouTube community posts?
Yes. When writing a post in YouTube Studio or the YouTube app, use the arrow next to Post, choose Schedule post, and set the date, time and time zone.
What types of community posts can you make on YouTube?
Text, image (including GIF), video, poll (text or image), quiz and playlist posts. Text posts cannot be combined with polls. Posts are not available on channels set as Made for Kids or on supervised accounts.
How do I write a community post that gets comments?
Ask one question that can be answered in a single line without effort — an opinion, a memory, a fill-in-the-blank — and reply to the first few answers quickly so the thread grows. Avoid questions that need an essay.
Do this this week
Pick three ideas from different groups — one poll, one question, one teaser or throwback. Post one every other day. On Sunday, note which one got the most replies and make next week's three from that group. Pick one idea above, or let the community post generator write it for you from your video topic.