PostEaseThe short answer
YouTube Analytics is the set of reports in YouTube Studio that shows how a channel and each video perform: how people found them, how long they watched, who they are, and, for Partner Program channels, what they earned. It works at the channel level and for single videos.
YouTube’s Help Center describes it as a way to “better understand your channel and individual video performance with key metrics and reports.” From July 2026 YouTube began rolling out an updated Studio, so the page may look different from older guides.
The tabs
From YouTube’s Help Center:
| Tab | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Overview | A summary of performance, including realtime and typical performance |
| Content | How your audience finds and interacts with content, by content type, with impressions split by new and returning users |
| Reach (video) | Impressions, impressions click-through rate, views and unique viewers |
| Engagement (video) | Watch time, average view duration and engaged views |
| Audience | Monthly audience, subscribers, and who is watching |
| Revenue | Estimated earnings, for Partner Program channels |
| Trends | What your audience and viewers across YouTube are searching for, to find content gaps |
How YouTube defines its viewers
The Audience tab splits your monthly audience, the unique viewers of the last 28 days, into three groups:
| Viewer type | YouTube’s definition |
|---|---|
| New | Watched your channel for the first time in the period, including private browsing, cleared history, or no visit in over a year |
| Casual | Watched at least once a month for one to five months in the past year |
| Regular | Watched at least once a month for more than six months in the past year |
| Returning | Had watched before and came back in the period |
Reports worth checking
A few Audience reports answer planning questions directly:
- When your viewers are on YouTube: when they are online over the last 28 days, useful for timing a Premiere or a live stream.
- Channels and videos your audience watches: ideas for topics, titles and collaborations.
- Formats your viewers watch: whether they watch videos, Shorts or live streams most.
- Watch time from subscribers: how much depends on people who already follow you.
When data is missing
YouTube also puts its AI assistant here: Ask Studio can be opened from the Analytics page with suggested prompts to dig into channel metrics. Dashes, zeros or gaps, especially in demographics or reach, usually mean too little traffic or a filter that leaves too few viewers. YouTube limits data below certain thresholds for privacy, so a report’s total can be larger than the sum of its rows. Its advice: widen the date range past 30 days, or remove filters and breakdowns.
YouTube Analytics and PostEase
Connect YouTube and PostEase shows each video’s views and audience retention as YouTube reports them, next to your other channels, so YouTube sits in the same view as everything else. The full set of tabs stays in YouTube Studio. YouTube, X, LinkedIn (personal profile), Pinterest, Bluesky, and WordPress publishing are live today; Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads are pending each platform's own API approval.
Questions
What is the difference between new, casual and regular viewers?
New viewers watched your channel for the first time in the period. Casual viewers watched at least monthly for one to five months of the past year, and regular viewers for more than six.
Why does YouTube Analytics show no data?
Usually too little traffic, or a filter that leaves too few viewers. YouTube limits data below thresholds for privacy; widen the date range or remove filters.
Where is impressions click-through rate in YouTube Analytics?
On a video’s Reach tab, beside impressions, views and unique viewers.
How does YouTube count monthly audience?
As the unique viewers of the past 28 days, recalculated daily.
Sources
- YouTube, Learn about Ask Studio in YouTube Studio, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Get started with YouTube Analytics, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Understand your YouTube audience, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Understand limited data in YouTube Analytics, checked October 2026.