Why TikTok Creators Are Turning Off Comments to Build Deeper Engagement

Lucas: A few weeks ago, a creator friend of mine — she has about 80,000 followers on TikTok, she’s in the arts and crafts space — told me she’d turned off comments on her latest video. I asked why, and she said, 'I want people to actually watch the video, not just argue about my paintbrush choice.' And that got me digging into something that’s quietly spreading on the platform. Luna: Wait, turning off comments on TikTok? That feels like going against the whole point of the platform. Lucas: Right, that was my first reaction too. TikTok’s entire feed is built around comments, replies, duets. But the data from a recent Creator Insider survey — they polled about 1,200 creators with over 50,000 followers — found that 12 percent of top creators now limit or disable comments on at least half of their videos. In 2024, that number was just 3 percent. Luna: That’s a massive jump. What’s driving it? Burnout from toxic comments? Lucas: Partly. But the more interesting reason is strategic. A lot of creators are finding that when they remove the comment section, their save rate goes up. And on TikTok, saves are a much stronger signal to the algorithm than comments. A save tells the platform someone found the video valuable enough to revisit. A comment might just be a hot take. Luna: So it’s not about avoiding negativity — it’s about gaming the algorithm in a smarter way. Lucas: Exactly. And some big names are doing it publicly. Emma Chamberlain has talked about turning off comments on videos where she’s sharing something personal — she said it lets her actually express herself without worrying about the backlash. Hank Green did a whole video explaining why he sometimes turns comments off: he argued that comments create a performative feedback loop where creators start tailoring content to what gets reaction, not what’s actually good. Luna: That’s a really interesting point. The comment section can become a sort of real-time focus group that distorts the creative process. Lucas: Right. And for smaller creators, the effect can be even more pronounced. My friend in the art niche — she turned off comments on a time-lapse tutorial, and her save rate doubled compared to her average. She also noticed that people started sharing the video more in DMs, because there was no public thread to add to. The conversation became private, deeper. Luna: But doesn’t that hurt brand deals? Brands love to see engagement metrics — comments are one of the easiest things to report. Lucas: That’s the trade-off. Some brands absolutely require a minimum comment threshold. But more sophisticated brand partners are starting to look beyond vanity metrics. If a creator can show that their save rate and share rate are higher than average, and that their audience is actually consuming the content rather than just shouting into the void, some brands are okay with it. Especially for awareness-oriented campaigns. Luna: Do we have any data on how much higher the save rate actually is when comments are off? Lucas: The Creator Insider survey noted a median increase of 23 percent in save rate for videos with comments disabled, compared to the creator’s own baseline. But the variation is huge — some creators see no change, some see a 50 percent bump. It seems to depend on the content category. Tutorials and educational content benefit the most, because people want to come back to the information. Entertaining skits or comedy? Less of an effect. Luna: That makes sense. If I’m watching a makeup tutorial, I’m saving it to try later. I don’t need to see people arguing about the brand of foundation. Lucas: Exactly. And there’s a secondary benefit: creators report lower stress and higher content output when they’re not constantly monitoring comments. One creator in the survey said she went from posting three times a week to daily after turning comments off. She felt liberated from the feedback loop. Luna: But what about community building? TikTok’s whole thing is the comments section as a space for inside jokes, callbacks, shared culture. Lucas: That’s a real loss. For some creators, the comment section is the community. But what we’re seeing is a segmentation strategy. Creators are choosing which videos get comments and which don’t. Maybe a personal update gets comments off, but a Q&A or a challenge video keeps them on. It’s not all or nothing. Luna: So it’s more about being intentional. Knowing when you want conversation and when you want consumption. Lucas: Exactly. And there’s a third category: some creators are using comment moderation settings to curate the conversation — they’ll disable replies to specific comments, or only allow comments from accounts they follow. That’s a middle ground. Luna: I’ve seen that. Some creators I follow have a note in their bio saying they only allow comments from people they follow, to reduce trolling. Lucas: And TikTok is actually rolling out more granular controls. In the latest beta, creators can set comment access by video — public, friends, or off — and also filter by keyword more aggressively. The platform is acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all comment section isn’t ideal. Luna: But doesn’t this run counter to TikTok’s business model? They want engagement, and comments are a huge part of that measurement. Lucas: It’s a tension. But TikTok’s algorithm is actually more sophisticated than just counting comments. The 'For You' feed weights time spent, completion rate, saves, shares, and even replays more heavily than raw comment volume. So a video that gets 10,000 saves and 500 comments might outperform one with 2,000 saves and 8,000 comments. Creators are starting to understand that. Luna: That’s a good reminder for anyone trying to optimize their content. Comments aren’t the goal; sustained attention is. Lucas: Right. And if you’re a creator listening, here’s a practical takeaway: try turning off comments on one video this week — ideally something educational or tutorial-based. Monitor your save rate and your share rate, and compare it to your average. You might be surprised. Luna: I might actually try that. I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed by the comment section on my own channel. Lucas: And that’s exactly the kind of experiment worth running. If these marketing conversations have sparked something you’ve actually used — like testing a new engagement strategy — then it’s worth noting that listener support is what keeps this show ad-free and independent. If you find value in what we’re doing here, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It helps us keep digging into these topics without any sponsor influence. Luna: Yeah, and we really appreciate it. It means we can keep focusing on what actually works for creators, not what a brand wants us to say. Lucas: Exactly. So back to the strategy — one thing to keep in mind is that this approach isn’t for everyone. If you’re a creator who relies on comment-based content — like reaction videos or Q&As — turning off comments could hurt. But if you’re in a vertical where the content stands on its own, it’s worth testing. Luna: And I imagine the trend will only grow as more creators realize the algorithm rewards depth over volume. Lucas: Yeah, I think we’re going to see a lot more experimentation with comment controls in the next six months. It’s part of a broader shift where creators are reclaiming agency over their platforms — deciding what kind of engagement actually serves them and their audience. Luna: It’s a healthy shift. Less noise, more signal. Lucas: Exactly. So next time you see a video with the comments turned off, don’t assume the creator is hiding from feedback. They might just be making a strategic choice for better content and a better experience.