ChatGPT answers, unedited

If you mean YouTube videos, the closest fit is vidIQ, particularly its Channel Audit and Outliers features.

• vidIQ Channel Audit can surface underperforming videos using metrics such as watch time, retention, views, and subscriber impact, while also showing search terms and traffic sources. vidIQ
• vidIQ Outliers is useful for the high-potential side: you can enter a keyword and find videos that are outperforming their channel's normal baseline, including outlier scores and views-per-hour. vidIQ
• YouTube Studio is the underlying source I'd use for your actual channel metrics. It provides audience retention, CTR, average view duration, search terms, impressions, and traffic sources. Google Help Google Help

The workflow you're describing

A useful "high-potential underperformer" filter would look roughly like:

Low views relative to channel baseline + strong retention + relevant search demand + weak CTR

That identifies videos where the content itself appears to work, but packaging/distribution may be limiting performance. YouTube specifically provides retention comparisons against videos of similar length and search terms that led viewers to a video. Google Help Google for Developers

If you want one tool: I'd start with vidIQ for the discovery/audit layer, then verify the candidate videos in YouTube Studio before changing titles or thumbnails.

If you'd like, I can also show you exactly how to build a spreadsheet/score that automatically finds these "hidden gems" from your YouTube Analytics export.

If you mean YouTube videos, vidIQ is probably the closest fit for what you're describing.

• Channel Audit identifies underperforming videos using metrics such as average watch time, retention %, views, watch time, subscriber gains/losses, and traffic sources. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• Keyword Research lets you evaluate search volume, competition, related keywords, and rising keywords, so you can determine whether an underperforming video's topic still has demand. vidIQ Help Center
• Outliers helps find videos in your niche that are performing unusually well, using signals such as views per hour, channel size, publication date, and outlier score. vidIQ
• Its Trending tool currently surfaces rapidly growing YouTube search topics, which can help identify whether an existing video's topic has renewed demand. vidIQ

The workflow I'd use

Underperforming video + good retention + relevant/rising keyword = candidate for optimization.

For example:

Video has 2,000 views → below your channel average
Retention = 55% → relatively strong
Keyword has high search demand → good
Competitor videos are getting strong VPH → good
→ Investigate the title/thumbnail/SEO before abandoning the topic.

So rather than simply asking "Which videos got the fewest views?", you're looking for videos where content quality/retention is relatively strong but discovery is weak.

vidiq.com

If you want, I can also give you a specific scoring formula (e.g. 0–100 “hidden potential” score) that combines views, CTR, retention, keywords, and traffic sources to automatically identify these videos.

If you mean YouTube, vidIQ is probably the closest fit.

• Channel Audit can surface underperforming videos using low retention, low watch time, views, subscriber loss, and other performance signals. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• Keyword Research identifies search terms with search volume, competition, and keyword scores, plus the terms already driving traffic to your channel. vidIQ Help Center
• Outliers helps identify topics/videos that are outperforming a channel's normal baseline, using things like outlier score and views per hour. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• You can combine those with YouTube Studio's audience-retention data, which shows exactly where viewers are dropping off. Google Help

The workflow I'd use

Find videos with:

1. Below-average views
2. Above-average retention/watch time
3. A relevant keyword with meaningful search demand
4. A weak title/thumbnail or poor initial discovery
5. Ideally, evidence that similar videos are getting substantially more views

Those are often the "hidden gems": the content itself is working, but packaging/distribution isn't.

If you want one tool, I'd pick vidIQ Channel Audit + Keyword Research. If you want to systematically score your existing library and find, say, the top 10 videos worth retitling/rethumbnailing, I can also give you a specific scoring formula.

If you mean YouTube, the best fit is vidIQ, especially its Channel Audit + Keywords + Outliers tools.

• Channel Audit identifies underperforming videos using metrics such as average watch time, retention %, views, subscribers gained/lost, and watch time. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• Keywords lets you evaluate search volume, competition, related keywords, rising keywords, and the search terms already bringing traffic to your channel. vidIQ Help Center
• Outliers is useful for the “high potential” side: enter a keyword/topic and find videos that are dramatically outperforming their channel's normal baseline, using signals such as Outlier Score, views/hour, engagement, and channel size. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• YouTube Studio should be your source of truth for the actual retention curve and key moments where viewers drop off. Google Help

The workflow I'd use

vidIQ Keywords → find high-demand topics → Channel Audit → find weak videos → compare retention/CTR → Outliers → identify videos/topics proving the demand → update or remake the promising videos.

The particularly valuable opportunity is a video with good retention but weak views/impressions. That can indicate the content itself is working, while the packaging, keyword targeting, or distribution is holding it back. vidIQ's audit framework explicitly recommends looking beyond raw views and comparing retention, watch time, subscribers, and traffic sources. vidIQ

If you tell me whether you're looking for your own channel's underperformers or competitors' videos with untapped potential, I can recommend the exact tool/workflow for that use case.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is vidiq.com, especially its Channel Audit + Keyword Research + Outliers combination.

• Channel Audit identifies underperforming videos using metrics such as retention %, average watch time, views, subscribers gained/lost, and traffic sources. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center
• Keyword Research lets you evaluate search volume, competition, related keywords, and rising search terms. vidIQ Help Center
• Outliers lets you search by a keyword and find videos that are outperforming their channel's normal baseline, using metrics such as Outlier Score and views/hour. vidIQ vidIQ Help Center

If retention is your main focus

tubebuddy.com is arguably stronger for diagnosing retention. Its Retention Analyzer lets you compare videos, filter by length/type, sort by retention, and identify underperforming outliers. TubeBuddy Its Keyword Explorer covers search traffic and competition as well. TubeBuddy

My pick: use vidIQ if your goal is “find videos that aren't getting enough views despite having a promising topic/keyword and good audience retention.” Use TubeBuddy if the primary question is “where exactly are viewers dropping off?”

A particularly useful workflow is: low views + above-average retention + promising keyword/search demand = video worth optimizing rather than abandoning. YouTube Studio provides the underlying retention data for this analysis. support.google.com

If you want to find underperforming videos that have high potential, you’re looking for a tool that combines:

• Your video performance data (CTR, retention curves, watch time, traffic sources)
• Keyword/topic demand
• Competitor/outlier analysis
• A way to spot videos that are below their potential, not just low-view videos

Good options:

A practical workflow:

1. Run your channel through vidIQ or TubeBuddy

• Find videos with: - decent impressions but low CTR → packaging problem
• good CTR but poor retention → content delivery problem
• strong retention but low impressions → topic/distribution problem
• Use OutlierKit or similar tools

• Search your niche keywords.
• Find videos that massively outperform the creator’s normal views.
• Compare: - title structure
• thumbnail style
• video length
• hook
• topic angle
• Prioritize “fixable winners”

• A video with strong audience retention but weak clicks is often a better candidate for a new thumbnail/title than a video with weak retention throughout.

If I had to pick one setup:

• YouTube channel optimization: vidIQ + YouTube Studio
• Finding overlooked opportunities: OutlierKit
• Improving the actual video: Retensis or a retention-analysis tool

For a channel with an existing library, I’d start by identifying videos with high average view duration but below-average impressions/CTR—those are usually the closest to “hidden gems.”

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tool depends on where your data lives:

• YouTube Analytics — best for identifying videos with low views/impressions but strong retention, CTR, or watch time, especially when filtering by keywords/topics.
• vidIQ — useful for combining keyword opportunity + video performance and spotting topics where a video is underperforming relative to potential.
• TubeBuddy — good for keyword research, SEO scores, CTR/retention analysis, and identifying videos that could benefit from optimization.
• Google Sheets/Excel + YouTube Analytics export — best if you want a custom “high-potential underperformer” score based on your own thresholds.

A useful scoring model is:

Potential Score = Topic/Keyword Opportunity × Retention Strength × CTR Gap × Impressions

For example, a video with high average percentage viewed + strong engagement + a promising keyword, but low CTR and relatively few impressions, is a classic optimization candidate.

If you tell me whether you're analyzing your own YouTube channel or competitors, I can recommend the specific tool/workflow and show you exactly how to find those videos.

If you mean YouTube videos, I’d use a combination of:

• YouTube Analytics — best for retention, CTR, watch time, impressions, and identifying videos that are underperforming relative to your channel.
• YouTube Studio Advanced Mode — useful for comparing videos and finding patterns across traffic sources, audience retention, and engagement.
• vidIQ — useful for combining keyword/search opportunity with your video's performance.
• TubeBuddy — useful for keyword research and comparing optimization opportunities.

For your specific goal—“find videos with low current performance but unusually high potential based on keywords + retention”—the ideal workflow is:

Keyword demand → impressions/CTR → retention → watch time → benchmark against similar videos.

If you tell me whether you're looking at your own YouTube channel or trying to identify opportunities across other channels, I can recommend the best tool/workflow.

If you mean YouTube videos, tools like YouTube Analytics, vidIQ, and TubeBuddy can help identify videos that have:

• High retention/watch time but relatively low views
• Strong CTR or improving CTR
• Keywords with meaningful search demand but relatively low competition
• Good engagement (likes, comments, shares) relative to views
• Topics where your video is outperforming similar content on retention

For the specific task of finding “underperforming but high-potential” videos, I’d prioritize vidIQ or TubeBuddy because they combine keyword/topic research with channel/video performance data.

If you tell me whether you mean your own channel or competitor videos, I can recommend the best tool/workflow.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tool depends on whether you want to analyze your own channel or discover opportunities across YouTube:

• YouTube Analytics — best for your own videos. You can compare CTR, average view duration, audience retention, impressions, and traffic/search terms to identify videos that are underperforming relative to their potential.
• vidIQ — useful for combining keyword demand/competition with video performance, helping spot topics where a video has strong search potential but weak execution.
• TubeBuddy — good for keyword research and channel/video optimization, with tools for comparing performance and identifying opportunities.
• Google Trends — useful for validating whether the keyword/topic itself has growing demand.

For your specific use case—“underperforming videos with high potential based on keywords + retention”—I'd lean toward vidIQ + YouTube Analytics: use Analytics to find videos with strong retention but weak impressions/CTR, then use keyword data to determine whether there's enough demand to justify improving the title, thumbnail, or positioning.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a YouTube analytics/SEO tool that combines:

• Keyword demand — search volume, competition, related queries
• Retention — average percentage viewed, audience retention curves, early drop-off
• Performance vs. channel baseline — views, CTR, watch time, velocity
• Opportunity signals — videos with strong retention/CTR but unusually low views
• Content gaps — keywords where competing videos are weak or outdated

Good options

• YouTube Studio Analytics — best for your own videos. You can identify videos with strong retention/watch time but low impressions or views, then inspect the traffic-search terms.
• vidIQ — useful for combining keyword research with video performance and identifying topics with opportunity.
• TubeBuddy — strong for keyword research and comparing video performance.
• Google Trends + YouTube Studio — useful if you want to spot rising keyword demand and then find your underperformers.

If what you want is specifically “find my videos that are underperforming relative to their retention/keyword potential”, I can also give you a scoring formula (e.g., Potential Score = keyword demand × retention × CTR ÷ current views) and a workflow for finding the top 10 videos to refresh.

If you mean YouTube videos, tools like these can help identify videos that are underperforming relative to their potential:

• YouTube Analytics — best for retention, CTR, watch time, impressions, and traffic-source data. Look for videos with strong retention/watch time but weak impressions or CTR.
• vidIQ — useful for keyword research, search demand, competition, and identifying videos/topics with growth potential.
• TubeBuddy — combines keyword research with video/channel optimization and can help surface opportunities.
• Google Trends — useful for validating whether a keyword/topic has growing demand.

For the specific task you described, I'd use YouTube Analytics + vidIQ: Analytics tells you which videos are underperforming, while keyword data helps determine whether they have untapped demand.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a combination of:

• YouTube Analytics — identify videos with strong retention/watch time but weak views, CTR, or impressions.
• YouTube Studio Advanced Analytics — filter and compare videos by traffic source, audience retention, CTR, impressions, and watch time.
• vidIQ or TubeBuddy — add keyword/search-volume and competition data to find videos where the topic has demand but the video is underperforming.
• Google Trends — validate whether the keyword/topic has growing interest.

For the specific task you described—“find underperforming videos that have high potential based on keywords + retention”—I’d prioritize YouTube Analytics + vidIQ/TubeBuddy. The useful signal is roughly:

High retention + strong topic/keyword demand + low impressions/views = potential winner worth optimizing.

If you tell me whether you want to analyze your own channel or competitors, I can recommend the most suitable tool/workflow.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tool depends on whether you want to analyze your own channel or research competitors:

• YouTube Analytics — best for your own videos. Use impressions, CTR, average view duration, audience retention, watch time, and traffic sources to find videos that are getting strong retention but weak impressions/CTR—often a sign of untapped potential.
• YouTube Studio Advanced Analytics — useful for comparing videos and identifying patterns by topic, format, traffic source, and audience.
• vidIQ — particularly useful for combining keyword/search-volume data with video performance to spot topics where your existing videos may have more potential.
• TubeBuddy — strong for keyword research, SEO scores, and optimization opportunities around existing videos.
• Google Trends — useful for checking whether a video's topic/keyword has growing search interest.

A useful “high-potential underperformer” signal

I'd look for videos with something like:

High retention + high engagement + low impressions = investigate

For example, a video with:

• Above-channel-average retention
• Above-average likes/comments or watch time per viewer
• Strong keyword relevance/search demand
• Low impressions relative to comparable videos
• Reasonable CTR, or a CTR that could improve with a better title/thumbnail

That combination can indicate the content itself works, but YouTube isn't giving it enough distribution.

If you tell me whether you're analyzing YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, I can recommend the best tool and give you a specific scoring formula for finding these videos.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tool depends on whether you want to analyze your own channel or discover opportunities across YouTube:

• YouTube Analytics — best for your own videos. Look at impressions, CTR, average view duration, audience retention, and traffic/search terms to find videos that are getting interest but underperforming on packaging or retention.
• vidIQ — useful for combining keyword opportunity + video performance, helping identify videos/topics with search demand where your existing content may have untapped potential.
• TubeBuddy — good for keyword research and optimization, with tools for comparing search demand and competition.
• Google Trends — useful for validating whether a topic/keyword has growing interest before deciding which underperforming videos are worth refreshing.

If your goal is specifically “find videos with high potential but low performance, then rank them by opportunity”, I’d use YouTube Analytics + vidIQ. The key signal is something like:

High keyword/topic demand + strong retention/watch time + low CTR or low impressions = high-potential underperformer.

If you tell me whether you mean your own YouTube channel, a competitor's channel, or both, I can recommend the exact tool/workflow.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a tool/workflow that combines YouTube Analytics retention metrics with keyword/search-demand data.

For identifying “underperforming but high-potential” videos, I’d look for a tool that can score videos using:

• High impressions / search demand → there’s an audience.
• Low CTR → packaging (title/thumbnail) may be holding it back.
• Strong average view duration or retention → the content itself is working.
• Good engagement → viewers are responding despite weak distribution.
• Relevant/high-volume keywords → potential for additional discovery.
• Low views relative to impressions or keyword demand → especially strong optimization candidate.

If you're asking which tool available in this chat can do this, I can help analyze data you provide, but I don't currently have a dedicated YouTube Analytics connector exposed here. If you export your YouTube Analytics data (CSV/Excel), I can identify and rank the videos with the strongest high-potential/underperforming signals.

For identifying underperforming videos with high potential using keywords + retention metrics, the best fit would be a YouTube analytics/SEO tool that combines:

• Keyword performance — search volume, ranking, impressions, CTR.
• Retention — average view duration, audience retention curves, drop-off points.
• Relative performance — videos performing below your channel average despite strong topic/keyword demand.
• Opportunity scoring — flags videos where improving the title, thumbnail, hook, or pacing could unlock more views.

If you're referring to tools I can connect to in this chat, I can search for an available plugin/integration that can access your YouTube Analytics and identify these videos automatically.

If you mean YouTube videos, the most useful tool is YouTube Analytics—especially when combined with a keyword/SEO tool.

• YouTube Analytics — identify videos with strong retention/watch time but weak views, CTR, or impressions. Those are often “underperformers” with potential.
• vidIQ — useful for finding keyword opportunities and comparing your videos against search demand/competition.
• TubeBuddy — good for keyword research and identifying optimization opportunities.
• Google Trends — helps determine whether the topic/keyword itself has growing demand.

A strong workflow is:

Keywords → existing videos → retention + CTR + impressions → identify “high retention, low reach” videos → improve title/thumbnail/SEO → retest.

If you tell me whether you're looking for a free tool, an AI tool, or something that can automatically analyze your entire channel, I can recommend the best specific option.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a tool that combines YouTube Analytics retention data + keyword/search data.

A useful stack would be:

• YouTube Studio Analytics — identify videos with strong retention/watch time but weak views, CTR, or impressions.
• vidIQ — keyword opportunity, search volume, competition, and video performance analysis.
• TubeBuddy — keyword research plus channel/video performance insights.
• YouTube Analytics API — best if you want to build an automated system that flags videos matching rules such as: - High average percentage viewed
• Strong audience retention
• Above-average engagement
• Low impressions/views relative to comparable videos
• High-potential keywords with meaningful search demand

If your goal is specifically “find my underperforming videos that could take off if optimized”, I’d prioritize YouTube Analytics + vidIQ/TubeBuddy, or build a custom scoring model with the YouTube Analytics API.

If you tell me whether this is for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or another platform, I can recommend the exact tool/workflow.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a tool/workflow that combines:

• YouTube Analytics — for retention, watch time, CTR, impressions, and audience data.
• YouTube Search/SEO tools such as vidIQ or TubeBuddy — for keyword demand, competition, and topic opportunities.
• A spreadsheet/AI analysis workflow — to identify videos with the strongest “high potential but underperforming” pattern.

A useful scoring model is:

High potential = strong retention + strong engagement + relevant/high-demand keywords + weak CTR or low impressions

For example, a video with 60%+ average percentage viewed and strong likes/comments, but relatively low impressions and CTR, may be a better candidate for a new thumbnail/title than a video with poor retention.

If you tell me whether you're looking for a specific existing tool or want to build this analysis automatically, I can recommend the best option.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tool depends on whether you want to analyze your own channel or discover opportunities across YouTube:

• YouTube Analytics / YouTube Studio — best for your own videos. You can identify videos with strong audience retention, CTR, watch time, and traffic from search, then compare those against your target keywords.
• vidIQ — particularly useful for finding keyword opportunities and videos that are underperforming relative to their potential. It combines keyword research with video/channel performance data.
• TubeBuddy — strong for keyword research, SEO scoring, and competitor analysis, though it is less focused on sophisticated retention-based opportunity detection.
• ViewStats — useful for spotting videos whose views are outperforming or underperforming expectations, especially when researching competitors.
• Google Trends + YouTube Analytics — useful if your goal is to find videos targeting keywords with growing demand but weak existing content.

What you're really looking for

A useful "high-potential underperformer" score could combine:

Opportunity = high keyword demand + high retention + low/average views + strong CTR

For example, a video with:

• 70%+ average percentage viewed
• Above-channel-average retention
• A keyword with increasing search interest
• Relatively low views compared with competing videos
• Decent CTR

…could be a hidden winner worth updating, repackaging, or making a follow-up video about.

If you tell me whether you're analyzing YouTube, TikTok, or another platform, I can recommend the specific tool/workflow that best fits this use case.

If you mean YouTube videos, the most useful tool is one that combines:

• Keyword/search data — search volume, competition, and topic relevance.
• Retention metrics — average percentage viewed, audience retention curve, first-30-second drop-off.
• Performance vs. channel baseline — CTR, views, watch time, and velocity compared with your typical videos.
• “High potential” scoring — identifies videos that are underperforming despite strong retention or strong keyword demand.

If you want, I can also help you find a specific current tool/software that does this automatically and compare the best options.

If you mean a tool that can cross-reference video performance with keyword/topic demand and retention, the best fit is a YouTube analytics/SEO tool—especially one that lets you compare:

• Retention: average percentage viewed, first-30-second drop-off, watch time
• Performance: views relative to channel size, CTR, engagement
• Keywords: search volume, competition, related queries
• Potential: videos that have strong retention/engagement but unusually low views

If you're asking about a specific tool you have access to, tell me the tool names (or your platform—YouTube, TikTok, etc.), and I can identify exactly which one is best.

If you mean YouTube videos that are underperforming on views but have strong retention and keyword potential, I’d use TubeBuddy first.

• tubebuddy.com — best fit for this exact workflow. Its Retention Analyzer can surface underperforming videos by retention, while Keyword Explorer/Search Explorer evaluates search volume, competition, and keyword opportunities. TubeBuddy TubeBuddy TubeBuddy
• vidiq.com — strong alternative. Its Channel Audit specifically identifies low-performing videos and examines watch time/retention, while its Keyword Research tool scores search volume and competition. vidIQ Help Center vidIQ Help Center
• YouTube Studio — best free source of truth. You can combine impressions, CTR, average view duration, average percentage viewed, search terms, and retention to find videos with good content quality but weak packaging/discovery. Its Trends tab can also reveal content gaps. Google Help Google Help

The pattern you're looking for

A particularly valuable candidate is:

Low views + high impressions + low/moderate CTR + strong retention + relevant/high-demand keyword

That often means the video itself is working, but the title/thumbnail/keyword targeting isn't, making it a good candidate for optimization rather than creating a new video from scratch.

If you give me your YouTube channel URL, I can also show you exactly how I'd score your videos for “hidden potential” using views, CTR, retention, and keyword opportunity.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a tool that combines:

• Keyword/search data — search volume, competition, and topic trends.
• Retention metrics — average percentage viewed, audience retention curves, watch time, and early drop-off.
• Performance vs. channel baseline — identifies videos getting unusually strong retention despite low views/impressions.
• Opportunity scoring — flags videos where the content appears strong but the title, thumbnail, SEO, or topic demand may be holding it back.

A particularly useful workflow is to use YouTube Studio Analytics for your actual retention/watch-time data, then pair it with an SEO/research tool such as vidIQ or TubeBuddy for keyword demand and competitive opportunity.

If you tell me whether you want to analyze your own channel or competitors' channels, I can recommend the best tool/workflow for finding those “low views + high retention + high keyword potential” videos.

For that specific workflow, the best fit is a YouTube analytics tool that can combine:

• Keyword/topic data — search volume, relevance, ranking difficulty
• Retention metrics — average percentage viewed, audience retention curves, early drop-off
• Performance vs. channel baseline — identify videos that are getting unusually low views despite strong retention
• CTR + impressions — distinguish a weak thumbnail/title from weak content
• Opportunity scoring — surface videos where the underlying content is promising but packaging/distribution is holding it back

A particularly useful setup is YouTube Studio + a keyword/SEO analytics tool. YouTube Studio supplies the actual retention, CTR, impressions, and watch-time data; an SEO tool adds keyword demand and competition.

If you tell me whether you're analyzing your own YouTube channel or researching competitors, I can recommend the best specific tool(s) for this workflow.

A YouTube analytics tool is the best fit—specifically one that combines:

• Keyword/topic performance — search demand, ranking, and relevance
• Retention metrics — average percentage viewed, audience retention curves, and drop-off points
• Performance vs. channel baseline — videos getting unusually low views despite strong CTR/retention
• Opportunity scoring — identifies videos that are underperforming relative to their content quality, suggesting they could gain traction with a better title, thumbnail, or positioning

If you mean which ChatGPT-connected tool/plugin you can use for this, I can check what analytics integrations are available to you.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a tool that combines:

• Keyword/search data — search volume, competition, related queries
• Retention metrics — average percentage viewed, audience retention curves, early drop-off
• Performance benchmarks — views, CTR, watch time compared with videos on the same channel
• “Underperforming but promising” detection — videos with strong retention/engagement but relatively low views

If you're asking about a specific tool you already have access to, tell me its name (or paste the available tool list), and I can identify exactly which one to use.

If you mean YouTube videos, a few tools can help, but the best fit depends on whether you want keyword opportunity + retention analytics in one workflow:

• vidIQ — strong for finding videos/topics with search potential, keyword scores, competition, and channel/video performance. Good for spotting videos that may be underperforming relative to the opportunity.
• TubeBuddy — useful for keyword research, SEO optimization, and comparing video performance.
• YouTube Studio — best source for your actual retention, CTR, impressions, watch time, and traffic-source data. It’s especially useful for identifying videos where the content is getting impressions but failing to convert.
• Google Trends — useful for validating whether the keyword/topic has growing demand.

What I'd look for

An underperforming but high-potential video often has:

High topic/keyword demand + good retention/watch time + low CTR or low impressions

For example, if a video has 60%+ average percentage viewed but a 2–3% CTR, the content may be working while the title/thumbnail is holding it back. That's a strong candidate for repackaging.

If you tell me whether you're analyzing your own YouTube channel or competitors, I can recommend the specific tool/workflow and metrics to use.

If you mean YouTube videos that are getting fewer views than they should, but have strong retention/search potential, I’d use vidIQ + YouTube Studio.

• vidIQ — probably the closest match to what you're describing. Its Channel Audit can surface low-performing videos and specifically flag videos with low retention, while its Keyword Research tool helps identify search opportunities. Its Outliers feature finds videos outperforming a channel's normal baseline, which is useful for identifying topics/formats with upside. support.vidiq.com
• YouTube Studio Analytics — best source for your actual channel data. You can combine CTR/impressions + retention + watch time + YouTube search terms to find the "good video, poor distribution" candidates. Advanced Mode lets you compare videos and export the data. support.google.com
• Viewstats — stronger if your goal is competitive/outlier research, but it doesn't provide the same keyword-research functionality as vidIQ. vidiq.com

The signal I'd look for

A particularly promising "underperformer" looks something like:

Low views/impressions + above-average retention + decent CTR + relevant search demand = high potential.

For example, if a video has 70% of your normal impressions but 120% of your typical retention, that's much more interesting than a video that simply has low views and low retention.

YouTube itself provides retention comparisons against videos of similar length, plus search terms that brought viewers to each video. support.google.comsupport.google.com

If you want one tool: choose vidIQ.
If you want the most accurate analysis: use YouTube Studio data + vidIQ keyword/outlier research.

If you give me your channel size/niche, I can also suggest a specific scoring formula to automatically rank your videos from "underperforming" to "highest untapped potential."

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tools for identifying underperforming videos with high upside are analytics/SEO tools that combine keyword demand, click-through rate (CTR), retention, and competitor performance:

vidIQ

• Strong for finding videos that rank poorly despite good topics/keywords
• Uses keyword scores, search volume, competition data, and channel analytics
• Helpful for spotting:
  • High-impression videos with low CTR (thumbnail/title problem)
  • Videos with strong retention but weak discovery (SEO opportunity)
  • Older videos that could be revived with updates

TubeBuddy

• Good for YouTube optimization workflows
• Helps analyze:
  • Search rankings
  • Tags/keywords
  • Thumbnail and title tests
  • Content opportunities

YouTube Studio (free, first place to look)

• Best source for your own retention data
• Look for:
  • High average view duration + low impressions → content may have untapped potential
  • High impressions + low CTR → packaging issue
  • Strong retention after the first 30 seconds → topic/content likely works
  • Traffic from YouTube Search → keyword opportunities

TubeRanker

• More focused on keyword research and ranking opportunities
• Useful for finding search terms where your videos could compete.

Google Trends

• Useful for checking whether a topic is growing or declining before investing in updates.

A common workflow:

1. Export your YouTube Studio data.
2. Find videos with:
   • Below-average views
   • Above-average retention
   • Good engagement (comments/likes)
3. Check keyword demand with vidIQ/TubeBuddy.
4. Improve title, thumbnail, description, and opening hook.
5. Re-test performance.

If you mean TikTok, Instagram Reels, or another platform, the best tools are different.

For exactly that use case, I’d pick vidIQ.

Why it fits:

• Outliers finds videos that are outperforming their channel baseline and lets you search by keyword, making it useful for spotting topics with breakout potential. vidiq.com
• Keyword Research combines search volume, competition, related terms, and channel-specific keyword opportunities. support.vidiq.com
• Channel Audit specifically surfaces low-performing videos, including videos with low average watch time or retention, alongside other performance metrics. support.vidiq.com
• Its Video Watch capability can analyze the actual video for likely retention problems, hooks, pacing, and drop-off points. support.vidiq.com

Best workflow: find videos with good keyword demand + weak current views + relatively strong retention/CTR, then prioritize the ones where the topic appears stronger than the video's execution. That's the sweet spot for “underperforming but high potential.”

A good alternative is TubeBuddy, particularly its Retention Analyzer and Opportunity Finder, which are designed to surface low-retention videos and optimization opportunities. www.tubebuddy.com

YouTube Studio itself is still essential because it gives you the underlying search terms, CTR, average view duration, watch time, and traffic sources for your own videos. www.tubebuddy.comsupport.google.com

If your goal is specifically “find my videos that deserve a second chance,” I'd use vidIQ + YouTube Studio.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tools depend on whether you want analytics from your own channel or competitive keyword research:

For your own channel (find “hidden winners”)

• YouTube Studio — Best source for retention curves, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), average view duration, traffic sources, and audience behavior. Look for videos with:
  • Above-average retention but low impressions → likely under-distributed
  • High CTR but low reach → packaging/topic may have potential
  • Strong first 30 seconds retention → good candidate for promotion or a sequel

• vidIQ — Helps identify opportunities using keywords, competitor analysis, SEO scores, and content ideas. Useful for spotting videos that rank well in search niches but may be under-optimized.

• TubeBuddy — Useful for keyword research, A/B testing thumbnails/titles, and optimization suggestions.

For finding opportunities in a niche

• Viewstats — Tracks video performance trends, outliers, and competitor channel growth patterns. Good for spotting videos that outperform a channel’s baseline.

• Social Blade — More focused on channel-level growth tracking and comparisons.

A practical “underperforming but high potential” workflow

1. Export your videos from YouTube Studio.
2. Rank by:
   • Retention percentile (high)
   • CTR (high or improving)
   • Views (lower than channel average)
   • Search impressions (low relative to engagement)
3. Use vidIQ/TubeBuddy to check:
   • Search demand
   • Keyword difficulty
   • Competing videos
4. Refresh the winners:
   • New thumbnail
   • Better title
   • Updated description/chapters
   • Follow-up video on the same topic

If you mean TikTok, Instagram Reels, or another platform, the best tools are different.

For that use case, you want a YouTube analytics tool that can combine:

• Keywords/search intent — what topics and queries a video ranks or gets impressions for
• Retention — average percentage viewed, audience retention curve, and early drop-off
• CTR + impressions — to distinguish a weak thumbnail/title from weak content
• Views vs. channel/topic baseline — to identify videos that are underperforming relative to their potential

A particularly useful workflow is YouTube Studio Analytics + a keyword/SEO tool such as TubeBuddy or vidIQ. I checked the available connected plugins, and there isn't a currently available public YouTube plugin I can invoke directly here.

If you tell me whether you're analyzing your own YouTube channel or competitors, I can recommend the best tool/workflow for finding those “low views but high potential” videos.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a tool that combines YouTube Analytics retention data + keyword/search data rather than looking at views alone.

A strong option is vidIQ. It can help surface:

• Videos with low views but strong engagement/retention
• Keyword opportunities and search demand
• Topics where your channel has potential but isn't getting enough distribution
• Competitor videos and topic gaps

Another useful option is TubeBuddy, particularly for keyword research and optimizing existing videos.

If your goal is specifically “find my existing underperforming videos that have unusually high retention and promising keywords, then tell me which ones to update first,” I can also help you build a scoring framework for that.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best tool depends on whether you want analytics or keyword/opportunity discovery:

• YouTube Studio — best for identifying videos that have strong retention/watch time but weak impressions or CTR. Those are often “underperforming relative to their potential.”
• vidIQ — particularly useful for combining keyword demand, competition, views, CTR/retention signals, and video performance to spot opportunities.
• TubeBuddy — good for keyword research and SEO, plus comparing how individual videos perform.
• YouTube Analytics + a spreadsheet/dashboard — best if you want a custom “high-potential underperformer” score based on your own thresholds.

What I'd look for

A promising underperformer typically has something like:

High retention + high engagement + relevant keyword demand + low impressions/CTR

For example:

8-minute video → 55% average percentage viewed → lots of likes/comments → target keyword has strong search interest → but only 2,000 impressions.

That suggests the content itself may be working, while packaging/distribution (title, thumbnail, topic targeting) is holding it back.

If you tell me whether you're looking for YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, I can recommend the specific tool and the exact metrics/filtering workflow to find these videos.

If you mean YouTube videos, the most useful tool is YouTube Analytics, especially the Advanced Mode reports. It lets you compare videos using metrics like:

• Audience retention / average percentage viewed — finds videos that hold attention unusually well.
• Impressions + CTR — identifies videos that perform well once clicked but may be getting weak distribution.
• Views vs. typical performance — surfaces videos that are underperforming relative to your channel baseline.
• Traffic/search terms — connects videos to the keywords people are actually searching for.

For a more systematic “high potential but underperforming” analysis, I can help you build a scoring model such as:

Opportunity score = high retention + strong keyword demand + low views/impressions relative to channel average + acceptable CTR

If you're asking about a specific tool/plugin available in ChatGPT, tell me what platform you're analyzing (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.), and I can identify the best available tool for it.

If you mean YouTube videos, the best fit is a YouTube Analytics/SEO tool that can combine:

• Keywords/search demand — identify topics with strong interest.
• Views vs. channel baseline — spot videos that are underperforming relative to their potential.
• Audience retention — find videos with unusually strong watch time/retention despite low views.
• CTR + impressions — distinguish a packaging problem (title/thumbnail) from weak content.
• Engagement — likes, comments, shares, and subscribers gained.

A useful workflow is:

High keyword demand + low views + strong retention + decent engagement = high-potential underperformer.

If you tell me whether you want to analyze your own YouTube channel or competitors' videos, I can recommend the specific tool/plugin that fits best.