What gives fake YouTube subscribers and views away
- Views far below subscribers. On YouTube the line at 50K–200K subscribers is 2% of subscribers watching a typical video; under 0.5% is a red flag. In Kolect’s database 11.7% of channels with 5,000+ subscribers sit under the line, and 20.8% of channels above 1M.
- Views with nobody reacting. YouTube viewers react less than on TikTok or Instagram, so the engagement line is lower: 0.5% of views at 50K–200K subscribers. Well under it, the views did not come from people who cared.
- One video that breaks the pattern. A video with views far above the channel’s usual level and no matching comments is the classic trace of bought views. The full check on Kolect scores view consistency across recent videos.
- Many subscribers, few videos. Under 30 videos with more than 20,000 subscribers per video suggests a bought or recycled channel.
Following per follower and total likes do not apply on YouTube, so the checker leaves them out.
The checks on YouTube
| Check | What it catches | Normal line at 50K–200K followers |
|---|---|---|
| Views per follower | Followers who never watch: the most common trace of bought followers | 2%Red flag under 0.5% |
| Engagement per view | People who watched but barely reacted: bot views | 0.5% |
| Followers per post | Bought or recycled accounts | Suspicious under 30 posts with over 20,000 followers per postRed flag under 10 posts and over 50,000 |
| Likes per view | Bought likes | At most 25%Red flag over 40% |
| View consistency | Single posts with bought views | At least 0.1 on a 0–1 scaleFull check |
| Audience location | An audience from countries the creator does not make content for | At least 10% in the creator's marketAI estimate · full check |
YouTube thresholds by follower count
Bigger accounts reach a smaller share of their subscribers, so the lines move with size: ×1.5 for 5K–50K, ×1 for 50K–200K, ×0.75 for 200K–1M and ×0.5 above 1M. Below the first number is suspicious; below the red-flag number under it is a red flag.
| Check | 5K–50K | 50K–200K | 200K–1M | 1M+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Views per follower | 3%Red flag < 0.75% | 2%Red flag < 0.5% | 1.5%Red flag < 0.38% | 1%Red flag < 0.25% |
| Engagement per view | 0.75%Red flag < 0.23% | 0.5%Red flag < 0.15% | 0.38%Red flag < 0.11% | 0.25%Red flag < 0.07% |
Typical views per subscriber on YouTube (median and middle half of YouTube accounts with view data in Kolect’s database)
| Platform | Nano<10K | Micro10K–100K | Mid-tier100K–500K | Macro500K–1M | Mega1M+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 34.1%11.7%–83.2% | 19.2%7.74%–43.9% | 9.73%3.61%–25.5% | 6.59%2.14%–19.7% | 4.59%1.30%–14.4% |
How the score works
Each suspicious check takes 10 points off and each red flag 25; views per subscriber under a fifth of the red-flag line takes 50 on its own. 80–100 is low risk, 55–79 medium and below 55 high. Accounts under 5,000 subscribers, or with fewer than five posts with views, get no verdict. The lines are set low on purpose, to miss some fakes rather than flag real creators. For all three platforms on one page, see the fake follower checker.
Check a whole list on Kolect
For a shortlist, sign up free: the first 20 checks each day cost nothing, then a check is 5 credits, and new accounts get 90 credits. Paste YouTube profile links or @handles, up to 20 at once, or check a saved collection in one go. The full check reads recent posts, so it adds view consistency and audience location.