Frequently Asked Questions
How to use the heatmap and the methodology behind it
Q1.Where does the heatmap data come from?
Estimates combining public YouTube trend reports, Korean creator community insights, and DataLab viewing patterns. Use them as a general category benchmark — for channels over 1K subs, always cross-check with YouTube Studio → Audience.
Q2.Does upload time really matter?
Early signals (first 1–2h CTR / average view duration / likes / comments) are central to the algorithm's "should I recommend this" decision. Uploading into a low-traffic window suppresses those signals. That said, timing only matters after quality, title, and thumbnail fundamentals are solid.
Q3.What's the reasoning behind "publish 2h before peak"?
After upload it takes anywhere from several minutes to tens of minutes for indexing, thumbnail generation, auto-captioning, and another 30–60 min for recommendation ramp-up. Publishing 2h before peak means everything is ready exactly when viewers log in. For gaming peaks at 20:00 KST → publish at 18:00 KST.
Q4.What if my channel doesn't fit the 9 categories?
Pick the closest viewer-behavior analog. Travel vlogs resemble beauty/mukbang evening/late-night patterns; politics/news resemble tech/commute patterns. More categories will be added as data matures.
Q5.How is the "competitor avoidance" computed?
Modeled from the typical Korean creator posting cluster (17–21 evenings + 10–14 weekend mornings), weighted by category competition level. "Opportunity mode" = viewer activity − 0.7 × competition, surfacing high-demand / low-supply gaps.
Q6.What about channels with large overseas audiences?
This tool is KST-centric. If your largest audience is US-based, peak hours convert roughly to KST 22:00–04:00. Check YouTube Studio → Audience location and compute a weighted average across your key regions.
Q7.How does this differ from YouTube Studio's "Best time to publish"?
Studio uses your channel's real audience but requires enough data to operate. This tool offers category-average benchmarks, useful for new channels or cross-category analysis. The two tools complement each other.
Q8.What about holidays and big events?
Public holidays mirror weekends but start 1–2h later (morning peak 10–11). After major sports events or awards shows, related categories spike for 1–2h. Lunar New Year / Chuseok shift morning viewing earlier and push evening viewing toward TV drama/entertainment — some categories (vlog, mukbang) can actually underperform weekdays.
Q9.Is this tool free?
Yes, 100% free with no login. All categories and heatmap modes are unrestricted. The site is ad-supported.
Q10.How often is the data updated?
Semi-annual full review, with ad-hoc updates on major algorithm shifts or events.