Bought views
How to tell if views are bought on TikTok and YouTube Shorts
If you pay per 1,000 views, bought views cost you real money and bring no customers. Many can be spotted from public numbers, once you know what typical looks like.
The short answer
Compare the post's likes per 1,000 views with typical posts on the same platform: far below the typical range is the first warning sign. Then look at how the views arrived: real posts usually grow fast and then slow down, while bought views often arrive in sudden steps. Ask for the creator's analytics before paying, and judge them on the customers their posts brought.
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Sign 1: engagement far below typical
Bought views rarely come with likes and comments. In our own October 2026 reading of public posts, a typical TikTok video got about 75 likes per 1,000 views and a typical YouTube Short about 12. A post at a small fraction of that deserves a closer look.
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Sign 2: a view curve with steps
Real views pile up fastest in the first hours and days, then slow down. Views that jump in blocks, or keep rising steadily overnight with no new likes, suggest delivery from a service. Reading the count several times over 48 hours shows the shape.
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Sign 3: an audience that doesn't fit
Comments in languages the creator never uses, generic praise that could sit under any video, or a follower count far out of line with the views are weaker signs on their own, but they add up. Compare the post with the creator's own recent posts too: a sudden jump in views with no matching jump in likes is more telling than any single number.
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Low engagement isn't proof
Paid promotion, a post shown far outside the creator's usual audience, hidden likes and rounded counts all lower engagement too. Treat a flag as a reason to ask, not as a verdict, and never accuse a creator on one number.
Worked example
Typical likes per 1,000 views
From our own reading of public posts, 11 Oktoba 2026. Below the low end of the usual range is where a post deserves a look.
| Platform | Middle half of posts | Lowest tenth of posts | Posts read |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 34 to 122 | Below 19 | 385 posts from 207 accounts |
| YouTube Shorts | 8 to 19 | Below 5 | 404 posts from 110 accounts |
Full figures by account size, the method and the gaps are on the data page.
Questions
Questions, answered.
Can I check a post for free?
Yes. Paste a public TikTok, Reels or YouTube Shorts link into the bought views check. It compares the post's engagement with typical posts and can watch its views for 48 hours.
What should I do if a post looks bought?
Ask the creator for a screenshot of the post's analytics: where the viewers came from and how long they watched. Hold payment for that post until it's explained, and cap pay-per-view payouts per post in future deals.
Do bought views ever bring customers?
No real person watched them, so no. That's why a post with bought views has such a high cost per paying customer, and why paying on results protects you.
Does WhichPost flag bought views in reports?
Yes. Views that don't look like real people are flagged before anything is credited, so a post with bought views doesn't get credit for customers it didn't bring.
Keep reading
Related guides
See what your own creators brought
Connect your revenue read-only and add the posts you paid for, or look through a sample report first. Every result comes with its range.