Type the question “Why is my YouTube view count frozen?” into Google and the search engine will answer with more than 1.3 million responses. It’s a frequent query from online video neophytes and usually happens moments after the uploader starts freaking out about why the view counter on his or her video has been stuck at just above the 300 mark for the last several minutes and/or hours.

The uploader isn’t imagining things. The view count on his or her video is actually on a temporary hold , but it’s all part of YouTube’s algorithm to ensure only legitimate views are added to the tally. According to the site:

Video views are algorithmically validated to be fair to both content creators and advertisers and maintain a positive user experience. This process assures that the video views are quality views and discards the low quality playbacks.