YouTube is making significant changes to its recommendation algorithm for the Shorts format, which could fundamentally alter the approach to creating short-form vertical content on the platform. These changes, according to experts, are aimed at increasing the value of original content and may make the Shorts format less attractive to creators focused on repackaging others' material.

Disabling Shorts and Lawsuits

One of the first signs of YouTube revising its policy on Shorts was the appearance of an option in the settings to completely disable this format. This feature was apparently added in response to numerous lawsuits against the platform related to recommendation algorithms, impact on the younger generation, and other claims. Giving users control over the display of Shorts can be seen as an attempt to reduce legal pressure and satisfy the demands of dissatisfied viewers.

Изменение системы подсчета просмотров

YouTube также обновил систему подсчета просмотров для Shorts, приблизив ее к стандартам других платформ. Ранее просмотром считалось даже кратковременное появление ролика на экране. Новая система, как и в случае с длинными видео, стремится учитывать "вовлеченные просмотры". Это означает, что ранее искусственно завышенные показатели просмотров на Shorts теперь отражают реальную вовлеченность аудитории, что может привести к снижению видимости контента, который ранее демонстрировал высокие, но не подкрепленные реальным интересом зрителей цифры.

Link Restrictions and Monetization

A significant blow to Shorts creators has been the introduction of a ban on placing active links in descriptions and pinned comments. The only exception is branded collaborations. This restriction makes it difficult to redirect traffic to external resources, such as Telegram channels or websites, which reduces the monetization potential of the format.

Furthermore, starting February 1, 2027, YouTube is raising the threshold for enabling monetization through Shorts. Creators will now need 20 million qualifying views in the last 90 days, which is equivalent to approximately 40 million regular views. Even if this figure is reached, to receive payouts, creators will need to accumulate at least 10 million qualifying views every 90 days. This makes monetization through Shorts an extremely challenging task for most creators.

Priority of Original Content

The key change is the update to the recommendation system, aimed at prioritizing original content. YouTube will actively limit the reach of videos that have been re-uploaded by other creators without significant changes. This means that channels specializing in aggregating or simply repackaging others' content (e.g., by adding voiceovers or minimal editing) will face a significant decrease in visibility.

YouTube recommends that creators add their own point of view, unique editing, narrative style, or analysis for content to be considered original. The use of fragments of others' videos is permissible, but only if significant value is added through authorial interpretation or reworking.

Implications for Creators

These changes call into question the advisability of using YouTube Shorts for creators who do not produce entirely original content. Experts highlight several possible development paths:

1. Cross-Platform Posting: Publishing short vertical videos created for other platforms (e.g., TikTok) on YouTube Shorts as an additional distribution channel.
2. Large-Scale Production: Large production studios with the capacity to release a high volume of high-quality original content daily can continue to successfully monetize Shorts.
3. Personal Brand: Bloggers who show their faces and create unique content can use Shorts to increase recognition and reach, but should not expect direct monetization through this format.

Creators who rely on repackaging other people's content risk facing a "shadow ban" and loss of visibility. YouTube aims to create a platform where original content created by real people dominates, which, according to the platform, will improve the quality of training data for Google's neural networks.

In the long term, YouTube will likely strive for every creator on the platform to be recognizable, to represent a "live" content creator, rather than an intermediary or an AI-generated content creator. This means increased oversight and further tightening of rules to maintain content quality and originality.