YouTube has announced a new A/B testing feature that will allow creators to test different versions of a video, but Marques Brownlee has raised questions about how the system will work for viewers.
The feature expands YouTube’s existing testing tools beyond titles and thumbnails, allowing creators to experiment with different cuts of the video itself and compare their performance.
Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, said he had been thinking about the announcement and was becoming less convinced by the idea because of the number of questions surrounding its implementation.
MKBHD questions how YouTube video A/B testing will work
“Ok I’ve thought a lot about this since the announcement, and the more I think about it… the less I like it? Mainly because there are SO many unanswered questions right now,” Brownlee wrote.
He questioned whether viewers will be told when they are watching a video included in an A/B test and whether there will be any way to determine which version another viewer saw when reading the comments.
Brownlee also raised concerns about timestamps in comments, asking whether they could stop matching up if someone is shown a different cut of the same video.
“If someone’s comment has timestamps, do they break if I’m seeing the other version of the video?” he asked.
Other questions included how long creators will be able to run tests after publishing a video and how different each version will be allowed to be.
Brownlee said he does not want to oppose changes simply because they are new, but believes testing the actual content of videos goes further than the tools creators currently have available.
“I hate to be the ‘old school’ creator who never wants anything to change, but I fear A/B testing THE VIDEO ITSELF is just 1 step further than what I can fully grasp,” he said.
YouTube’s implementation will ultimately determine how the different versions interact with comments, timestamps, and other parts of the viewing experience as the feature rolls out.
Brownlee has previously raised concerns about YouTube’s existing A/B testing tools. In August, he revealed that if he were CEO of YouTube, one of the first things he would change would be how the platform handles title and thumbnail testing
At the time, MKBHD argued that constantly changing titles and thumbnails can make videos harder to recognize when viewers return to the platform. YouTube’s latest experiment now takes that concept further by allowing creators to test different versions of the videos themselves.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
