12 YouTube Settings That Are Killing Small Channels (And How to Fix Them)

Starting a YouTube channel is exciting- but if your growth feels stuck despite consistent uploads, the problem may lie in your YouTube settings, not your content.

That is right. YouTube has dozens of settings that impact how your videos are discovered, watched, shared, and recommended. If even a few of these are misconfigured, they can silently choke your channel’s growth.

At Digi Suggest, we have helped dozens of small creators and businesses fine-tune their YouTube strategies. In this blog, we will break down 12 critical YouTube settings that could be killing your channel - and exactly how to fix them.

1. Not Enabling Custom Thumbnails

Custom thumbnails are your first impression. A professionally designed thumbnail can boost your click-through rate (CTR) by 50% or more compared to random auto-generated frames from your video.

However, new creators often skip the step of verifying their channel, which is required to upload custom thumbnails. As a result, they are stuck with default, blurry, or irrelevant images.

Fix: Go to YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Feature Eligibility → Enable custom features by verifying your phone number.

Pro Tip: Use tools like Canva or Photoshop to design compelling thumbnails that include faces, bold text, and contrasting colors.

2. Incorrect Audience Setting (Made for Kids)

Marking your content as “Made for Kids” when it is not - or vice versa - can have serious consequences. When videos are marked as kids content:

• Comments are disabled
• Personalized ads are removed
• Your video won’t show up in end screens or notifications

For creators targeting general audiences or older teens/adults, selecting the wrong setting can cripple engagement and monetization.

Fix: YouTube Studio → Content → Select a video → Audience → Choose “No, it’s not made for kids” (if applicable)

Pro Tip: You can set this preference as default under YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Advanced Settings.

If you're looking for foolproof strategies to boost your YouTube views, then this guide is a must-read!

3. Disabling Embedding

You may not even realize it, but your videos could be set to block embedding on other websites. This limits your ability to gain organic views from blogs, news portals, or even your own website.

Fix: When uploading/editing a video → Go to “More Options” → License and Distribution → Enable “Allow embedding”

Pro Tip: Reach out to bloggers or websites in your niche and encourage them to embed your best content - it’s a passive growth engine.

4. Poorly Set Video Category

The category you choose helps YouTube recommend your video to the right audience. Choosing the wrong one can confuse the algorithm and reduce your visibility.

For example, uploading an educational video in the “Entertainment” category sends mixed signals.

Fix: While editing your video, go to “Show More” → Choose the category that best fits your video.

Pro Tip: Pair correct categories with matching tags, descriptions, and titles to boost relevance.

5. Leaving Tags Empty or Using Irrelevant Keywords

Tags help YouTube understand the context of your video. Although not as powerful as titles and descriptions, they still play a role in ranking and suggested videos. If you are skipping tags - or worse, using clickbait ones unrelated to your content - it could hurt your reach.

Fix: Use relevant tags with a mix of broad and long-tail keywords.

Pro Tip: Use free tools like TubeBuddy, VidIQ, or Google Trends to find what users are actually searching for in your niche.

6. Not Adding Subtitles or Captions

Adding subtitles helps you in two big ways:

1. It makes your video accessible to non-native speakers or the hearing impaired
2. It boosts SEO by giving YouTube more text to crawl and understand your video content

Yet, many small creators skip this due to time constraints.

Fix: Use YouTube’s auto-caption tool or upload your own subtitle file (SRT format).

Pro Tip: Tools like Descript or Otter.ai can transcribe your videos quickly and accurately.

7. Not Enabling Two-Step Verification

Security might not seem like a growth issue—until your channel gets hacked. We have seen creators lose years of content overnight due to security breaches.

Fix: Go to your Google Account Settings → Security → Enable 2-step verification using your phone or Authenticator app.

Pro Tip: Use a secure password manager and do not share login details with collaborators without proper roles assigned.

8. Not Using End Screens and Cards

End screens and cards help keep viewers engaged by directing them to other videos, playlists, or your website. Not using them is like leaving your audience with no direction at the end of your content.

Fix: Go to YouTube Studio → Content → Select Video → Editor → Add End Screen / Cards.

Pro Tip: Suggest your most relevant or popular content in the end screen to increase watch time and session duration.

9. No Channel Keywords or Weak Metadata

Channel keywords help YouTube understand what your entire channel is about. If they are missing - or stuffed with generic terms - you reduce your chance of appearing in related searches.

Fix:

YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic Info → Add specific keywords related to your niche.

Pro Tip: Use terms like “digital marketing tutorials,” “fitness for beginners,” “budget travel vlogs” instead of just “marketing” or “fitness.”

10. Not Setting a Branded Watermark

A watermark acts as a permanent reminder for viewers to subscribe. It also subtly reinforces your brand.

Fix:

YouTube Studio → Customization → Branding → Video Watermark → Upload a transparent PNG logo or a “Subscribe” graphic.

Pro Tip: Place it in the bottom right corner and start it after 10 seconds so it doesn’t overlap your hook.

12. Incorrect Default Language

YouTube uses your default language to categorize your content and recommend it to relevant viewers. Choosing the wrong language affects subtitles, auto-captions, and discovery.

Fix:

YouTube Studio → Video Details → Show More → Select the correct language under “Video language.”

Pro Tip: Set this up in your channel settings to apply it to all uploads automatically.

Final Thoughts

Running a YouTube channel isn’t just about uploading great content - it’s also about mastering the platform’s behind-the-scenes settings. Ignoring these 12 settings could be limiting your reach, reducing engagement, and preventing your videos from appearing in search or recommendations.

• The good news? Every one of these settings is fixable.
• Even small improvements can compound into massive growth over time.

Ready to Grow Smarter?

At Digi Suggest, we specialize in helping creators and brands grow their YouTube channels through strategic content, SEO, and optimization techniques. If you are serious about taking your channel to the next level, let’s connect for a free YouTube audit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do YouTube settings really affect channel growth?

Yes, absolutely. Even if your content is high quality, misconfigured settings can limit your reach, visibility, engagement, and monetization. Settings like audience type, thumbnail permissions, and metadata directly impact how the YouTube algorithm treats your videos.

2. How often should I review my YouTube settings?

It’s good practice to review your channel settings every 3 to 6 months, especially if YouTube introduces new features or policies. Also, review your settings before uploading any video to ensure everything is optimized.

3. Is it necessary to use custom thumbnails for every video?

Yes. Custom thumbnails can significantly boost your click-through rate (CTR), which is a major factor in how YouTube recommends your content. Using consistent, branded thumbnails also helps with channel recognition.

4. What’s the difference between video tags and channel keywords?

• Tags are video-specific and help YouTube understand the context of individual videos.
• Channel keywords define the overall niche of your channel and influence how your channel is categorized and discovered across YouTube.

Both are important and should be used strategically.

5. How can I check if my embedding setting is disabled?

When uploading or editing a video, go to the “More Options” section in YouTube Studio. Under “License and distribution”, make sure “Allow embedding” is checked. If it’s not, your video can’t be shared on websites or blogs.

6. What tools can help optimize YouTube settings and SEO?

Some great tools for YouTube creators include:

• TubeBuddy – for tags, SEO, and performance tracking
• VidIQ – for keyword research and competitor analysis
• Canva – for creating custom thumbnails
• Descript / Otter.ai – for adding accurate captions and subtitles

Using these tools can help automate and optimize many of the settings mentioned in this blog.