Unlisted and private videos are not recommended on Home or Suggested and their watch time does not count toward the 4,000 valid public watch-hour requirement.
If you switch a public video to unlisted or private, the watch hours that video contributed will stop counting toward that total.
YouTube defines what counts as valid public watch hours in YPP docs: .
Visibility and metrics at a glance
| State | Counts toward 4,000 hours | Eligible for recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Yes | Yes, depending on viewer response |
| Unlisted | No |
