You can bold, italicise, and strikethrough text in YouTube comments using simple special characters.
That is the short answer. The useful answer is knowing exactly which symbols to use, where people go wrong, whether it works on mobile and desktop, and how to make your comments stand out without looking spammy.
This guide covers all of that properly, including bold text, italics, strikethrough, emojis, links, formatting mistakes, and how YouTube comment styling fits into better audience engagement.
Why trust this guide?
I am not writing this as an outsider. I am a YouTube Certified Expert. I have coached 500+ clients, built and grown multiple channels, earned six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, built a personal audience of 100k+, and spent years working across YouTube strategy, SEO, retention, metadata, channel systems, and monetisation.
Little platform details like this matter more than people think. Better comments can improve interaction, clarity, community tone, and how people engage with your content or brand.
If you want the wider channel growth picture as well, read The Definitive Guide to Growing on YouTube. If you want help applying any of this to your own channel, you can book a discovery call.
Jump to what you need
Quick answer: how do you bold YouTube comments?
To bold text in a YouTube comment, place an asterisk on each side of the word or phrase, like this: *bold*.
You can also use _italics_ for italics and -strikethrough- for strikethrough.
That is not a hack or a trick. It is officially supported by YouTube. YouTube Help says you can use rich text in comments with common special tags such as *bold text*, _italicised text_, and -strikethrough text-. Source: YouTube Help.
| Effect | What to type | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | *bold* |
bold |
| Italics | _italics_ |
italics |
| Strikethrough | -strikethrough- |
How to bold YouTube comments
To make text bold in a YouTube comment, put an asterisk directly before and directly after the word or phrase you want to highlight.
Example:
I really loved this *video*!
Once you post the comment, the asterisks disappear and the word shows in bold.
Best use cases for bold comments
- highlighting one key word
- making a question easier to spot
- adding emphasis without writing in all caps
- making a reply easier to skim
Best practice: bold one or two key words, not the entire comment. Too much bold text looks messy and can feel spammy.
How to italicise YouTube comments
To italicise text in a YouTube comment, place an underscore directly before and directly after the word or phrase you want to style.
Example:
This part was _very_ useful.
Italics are great for softer emphasis, sarcasm, quoted thoughts, or drawing light attention to a phrase without the stronger visual weight of bold.
How to strikethrough YouTube comments
To create strikethrough text in a YouTube comment, put a hyphen on each side of the word or phrase.
Example:
I was definitely not -crying- laughing at this.
Strikethrough is often used for humour, irony, or playful correction. It can also be used to show a change of mind or highlight contrast.
When strikethrough works best
- jokes and playful edits
- light sarcasm
- correcting yourself without deleting the original point
- making a comment feel more conversational
Can you combine bold, italics, and strikethrough?
Yes, you can use multiple formatting styles in the same comment, as long as each formatted section has the correct symbols around it.
Example:
I thought this part was *brilliant*, that section felt _underrated_, and this joke was -totally unnecessary- perfect.
That is usually better than formatting one giant block of text. Small touches feel cleaner and more intentional.
Does it work on mobile and desktop?
Yes. YouTube’s official Help pages for both desktop and Android show the same rich text comment formatting options using special tags for bold, italics, and strikethrough. Desktop Help and Android Help.
| Platform | Bold | Italics | Strikethrough | Emoji support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
That means the same formatting logic works whether you are commenting from your phone, tablet, or computer.
How to add emojis to YouTube comments
Adding emojis to YouTube comments is easy on mobile because your keyboard already includes them. On desktop, you usually need to open your operating system’s emoji picker.
| Device | How to add emojis |
|---|---|
| Windows | Press Windows key + . or Windows key + ; |
| Mac | Press Control + Command + Space |
| Mobile | Use your keyboard’s built-in emoji selector |
YouTube Help also notes that if you add a URL to your comment, it will appear as a hyperlink, which can be useful in certain contexts. YouTube Help.
Common formatting mistakes
Most comment formatting fails for simple reasons.
| Mistake | What happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving spaces inside the symbols | The text may not format correctly | Keep the symbol tight against the first and last letter |
| Using the wrong symbol | The text stays plain | Use * for bold, _ for italics, - for strikethrough |
| Formatting the whole comment | It looks spammy or messy | Use formatting sparingly for emphasis |
| Forgetting punctuation spacing | The symbols may show incorrectly in some cases | Keep your punctuation clean and test before posting if needed |
Simple rule: if the word you want to style is inside the symbols and there are no stray spaces breaking it, it should work.
How to use formatted comments without looking spammy
Just because you can style your YouTube comments does not mean you should turn every comment into a circus.
The best formatted comments do one of three things:
- highlight one useful point
- make a question easier to notice
- add a little personality without wrecking readability
If you overdo it, people stop seeing emphasis and start seeing noise.
| Better use | Worse use |
|---|---|
*What mic are you using?* |
*WHAT MIC ARE YOU USING PLEASE REPLY NOW* |
This part was _really_ useful. |
_This whole paragraph is in italics for no reason at all._ |
I was definitely not -replaying this three times- impressed. |
-Everything- in -this- sentence -looks- strange. |
This matters for creators too. Better comments can help community tone, encourage replies, and make audience interactions feel more human. If you are thinking more broadly about community-building and monetisation, also read What Percentage of YouTubers Make Money? and Top Languages on YouTube.
Fresh official facts worth knowing
This topic becomes much stronger when it is anchored to current YouTube Help rather than old myths.
| Fact | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|
YouTube Help explicitly says comments support rich text using *bold*, _italicised_, and -strikethrough- |
Confirms the formatting still officially works | YouTube Help |
| The same formatting guidance appears on Android Help too | Shows it is not just a desktop-only feature | YouTube Help |
| YouTube also says URLs in comments show as hyperlinks | Useful for creators, brands, and viewers linking relevant pages | YouTube Help |
Related reading on YouTube growth, monetisation, and platform basics
What I would do if I wanted better YouTube comments
- Use formatting lightly, not constantly.
- Highlight one word or phrase, not the whole comment.
- Use emojis to support tone, not replace words.
- Make the comment useful, funny, or genuinely interesting.
- Think about readability first and flair second.
Final thoughts
If you came here for the fast answer, here it is again: to bold text in a YouTube comment, put an asterisk on each side of the word or phrase.
You can also use underscores for italics and hyphens for strikethrough, and YouTube officially supports all three formats in comments.
Used well, this is a small but useful feature. It helps your comments stand out, clarifies your meaning, and gives you a little more control over tone and emphasis.
If you want help building a channel where even the smallest engagement details work in your favour, start with Who Is Alan Spicer?, read how I help creators and brands grow, or book a discovery call.
Frequently asked questions
How do you bold text in a YouTube comment?
Put an asterisk on each side of the word or phrase, like *bold*.
How do you italicise text in a YouTube comment?
Put an underscore on each side of the word or phrase, like _italics_.
How do you strikethrough text in a YouTube comment?
Put a hyphen on each side of the word or phrase, like -strikethrough-.
Does YouTube comment formatting still work?
Yes. YouTube Help still officially documents comment formatting using special tags for bold, italics, and strikethrough.
Can you bold YouTube comments on mobile?
Yes. The same formatting logic works on mobile and desktop.
Can you add emojis to YouTube comments?
Yes. On mobile, use your keyboard emoji picker. On desktop, use your operating system emoji shortcut.
Can you add links to YouTube comments?
Yes. YouTube says URLs in comments appear as hyperlinks.
Should you format every YouTube comment?
No. Use formatting sparingly, otherwise your comment can look noisy or spammy.
