Short answer: Upload risk analysis scores the focal YouTube URL for sourcing/metadata risk. Copycat analysis scores other videos for similarity to that URL. Both run in one GuardMyVideos scan; Pro unlocks the detailed risk dossier.
Creators usually discover copyright problems in two different ways: a claim on something they uploaded, or a copycat siphoning views from an original. Most tools only help with one of those stories. GuardMyVideos already specialised in finding lookalike uploads. Upload risk analysis extends the same scan so you also see a percentage for the focal video itself.
Two scores, one results screen
When you paste a URL, GuardMyVideos still searches YouTube and ranks candidate copies with multi-signal similarity. Alongside that, it estimates whether the focal video's public text shows patterns that often correlate with claim sensitivity — full-episode cues, third-party clip language, reaction/replay wording, and related signals. The upload risk % is labelled separately so it is not confused with a candidate's overall similarity score. This is not a music copyright checker.
What free vs Pro shows
Free users see the percentage and a short explanation of what it measures. Detailed risk keywords, explanations, an AI summary, and safer keyword rewrites unlock on Pro. That mirrors how PDF reports and channel lookup already work: core signal free, deeper workflow on Pro.
Safer keyword rewrites (not video swaps)
When Pro unlocks detail, suggestions rewrite risky phrases in titles, tags, or descriptions into clearer, less claim-bait wording. GuardMyVideos does not recommend “safer” third-party YouTube videos to reuse — that would blur rights and oversell legal safety.
Honest limits
This is an estimate from public metadata and captions. It does not replace rights clearance, licence files, or a lawyer. Read the product guide YouTube upload risk analysis and the checklist copyright risk checker, then run a scan to see both copycat and upload risk outputs together.
Frequently asked questions
- Is upload risk the same as a high-risk copycat match?
- No. A high copycat score means another video looks similar to yours. An upload risk score estimates whether your focal URL’s own metadata and captions look copyright-sensitive for the uploader.
- Can free users see upload risk?
- Yes — the risk percentage is visible on every scan. Detailed keywords, explanations, AI summary, and safer keyword rewrites unlock on Pro.
- Does upload risk detect Content ID claims?
- No. It analyses public title, description, tags, and captions. It cannot see fingerprint matches or predict strikes, and it is not legal advice.