How does the YouTube Trending tab work?

The YouTube Trending tab is a section on the YouTube platform that showcases a curated selection of popular and trending videos. It serves as a snapshot of what’s currently capturing the attention of viewers on the platform. The Trending tab typically features a mix of videos from various genres, creators, and topics, reflecting the diversity of content available on YouTube.

Videos that appear on the Trending tab are selected based on a combination of factors, including view count, engagement metrics (such as likes, comments, and shares), the rate of growth in views, geographical relevance, and overall viewer interest. The selection process is dynamic and may vary depending on the user’s location and viewing history.

The Trending tab provides viewers with a convenient way to discover new and popular content, stay updated on current trends, and explore videos that are gaining traction across the YouTube platform. For creators, being featured on the Trending tab can provide significant exposure and help attract a wider audience to their videos.

How does the YouTube Trending Tab work

The YouTube Trending tab isn’t just showing you the most-watched videos. It’s a curated list that aims to surface interesting and popular content for a wide audience. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

• Focus on Popularity and Novelty: Videos on Trending are a mix of both high view counts and fast-growing views. This means a video with a massive number of views might not necessarily be trending if it’s an older video. On the other hand, a brand-new video with a rapidly growing view count has a good chance of hitting the Trending list.
• Considering More Than Views: YouTube’s algorithm looks at various factors beyond just view count. Where the views are coming from (diversified vs. concentrated sources) and audience engagement (likes, comments, shares) also play a role.
• Not Personalized: Unlike your home feed, Trending is the same for everyone in a particular region (except for India, which has localized trending lists for major languages). This means you might see videos in languages you don’t understand.
• Spotlighting New Creators: The Trending tab sometimes features sections for “Creator on the Rise” or “Artist on the Rise” promoting up-and-coming YouTubers.

Overall, the Trending tab offers a snapshot of what’s hot on YouTube, giving you a chance to discover surprising viral videos alongside predictable trends from popular artists.

When is the list updated?

The YouTube trending list is updated roughly every 15 minutes. This means the rankings of the videos can change with each update. A video might move up the list if it’s gaining a lot of traction, or it could drop down if another video is seeing a bigger surge in views and engagement.

What kind of content is usually selected?

The content selected for YouTube’s Trending tab typically falls into a few categories:

• Wide Appeal: Videos that have the potential to be interesting to a large audience, regardless of their specific interests, tend to do well on Trending. This could include funny pet videos, amazing stunts, or educational explainers on current events.
• Newsworthy & Timely: Events happening around the world can spark trending videos. You might see reaction videos to major awards shows, breakdowns of important news stories, or vlogs from YouTubers who are on the scene of a big event.
• Fast-Growing & Engaging: Videos that are experiencing a sudden spike in views and engagement are strong contenders for Trending. This could be a music video from a popular artist, a new comedy sketch from a rising YouTuber, or a challenge video going viral.

The key is that the content is surprising, engaging, and captures the current zeitgeist on YouTube. While there can be exceptions, YouTube avoids featuring clickbait, misleading content, or anything that violates their community guidelines.

What kind of content is usually not on display?

The YouTube Trending tab typically avoids several types of content:

1. Clickbait & Sensationalist Content: Videos with misleading or exaggerated thumbnails and titles are a no-go for Trending. The focus is on genuine content that lives up to its description.
2. Niche or Obscure Content: Videos targeting a very specific or niche audience, or those with limited appeal, are less likely to appear on the Trending tab. This includes content that may be interesting to only a small subset of viewers.
3. Low-Quality or Spammy Content: YouTube prioritizes high-quality content that provides value to viewers. Videos with poor production quality, clickbait titles or thumbnails, or those that violate YouTube’s community guidelines are less likely to be featured on the Trending tab.
4. Older or Stale Content: The Trending tab typically highlights recent and trending videos, so older or outdated content is unlikely to appear there unless it experiences a sudden surge in popularity.
5. Controversial or Sensitive Content: YouTube may avoid featuring content that is overly controversial, divisive, or sensitive in nature on the Trending tab to maintain a positive user experience and avoid promoting potentially harmful content.
6. Content Violating Community Guidelines: Anything that goes against YouTube’s community guidelines, such as hate speech, violent content, or adult content, is strictly excluded from Trending.
7. Restricted or Mature Content: Content that is age-restricted or marked as mature is less likely to appear on the Trending tab, as YouTube aims to maintain a family-friendly environment on its platform.
8. Low Engagement Videos: Videos that have high view counts but low engagement (likes, comments, shares) might not be featured on Trending. The algorithm seems to favor content that sparks conversation and interaction.
9. Paid Promotions or Sponsored Content: While YouTube does allow sponsored content and paid promotions on the platform, videos that are primarily advertisements or sponsored content may not be featured on the Trending tab unless they also have significant organic engagement from viewers.

The YouTube Trending tab seeks to highlight popular and engaging content that appeals to a broad audience, so content that doesn’t meet these criteria may not be prominently featured.

How does YouTube select the videos?

YouTube utilizes a complex algorithm to select videos for the Trending tab. Here’s a breakdown of what we know (avoiding specifics to protect YouTube’s secret sauce):

• Multiple Data Points: It goes beyond just view count. The algorithm considers various metrics like:
  • View velocity: How quickly views are being generated (think hot streak)
  • Source of views: Are views coming from YouTube itself or external sources like social media? Diversification is a plus.
  • Engagement: Likes, comments, and shares all indicate a video is resonating with viewers.
  • Video age: Trending emphasizes fresh content alongside evergreen popular videos.
  • Channel growth: Up-and-coming creators with strong momentum might get a boost.
• Not Manual Selection (Mostly): While some reports suggested human curation in the past, the vast majority of Trending selections are algorithmic.
• Location Considered: Trending videos are specific to your region (except for India with its localized lists). This means the algorithm tailors results to what’s hot in your area.

Overall, the algorithm prioritizes videos that are:

• Generating Buzz: High view counts with a fast growth rate are a magnet for Trending.
• Broadly Appealing: Content that has the potential to interest a wide audience is more likely to be featured.
• Engaging Viewers: Videos that spark conversation and get viewers to like, comment, and share are strong contenders.

So, while the specifics of the algorithm are under wraps, these insights shed light on what kind of content gets featured on YouTube’s Trending tab.

Why My video fits the criteria but it’s not featured on the Trending tab?

There could be several reasons why your video, despite meeting the criteria for trending content, may not be featured on the YouTube Trending tab:

1. Competition: The Trending tab is highly competitive, with thousands of videos vying for a limited number of spots. Even if your video meets the criteria for trending content, it may not be featured if there are other videos with higher engagement or faster growth rates.
2. Algorithmic Factors: YouTube’s algorithms consider a wide range of factors beyond just view count and engagement metrics when selecting videos for the Trending tab. These factors may include the diversity of content, geographical relevance, and the overall quality of the video. If your video doesn’t perform well in these areas, it may not be chosen for the Trending tab.
3. Viewer Preferences: The Trending tab aims to showcase content that appeals to a broad audience and reflects current trends and interests. If your video caters to a niche audience or is on a topic that’s not currently trending, it may not be featured on the Trending tab even if it performs well in terms of engagement.
4. Content Guidelines: Your video may not be featured on the Trending tab if it violates YouTube’s community guidelines or contains content that is deemed inappropriate or controversial. YouTube has strict guidelines regarding content that can be promoted on its platform, and videos that don’t comply with these guidelines may be excluded from the Trending tab.
5. Timing: The timing of your video’s release may also play a role. If your video was released at a time when there is a lot of competition from other trending videos or if there are major events or news stories dominating the platform, it may be harder for your video to stand out and be featured on the Trending tab.

Overall, while meeting the criteria for trending content is important, there are many factors that influence whether a video is featured on the YouTube Trending tab. It’s essential to continue creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience, and staying attuned to current trends to increase the chances of your videos being featured on the Trending tab in the future.