Youtube -

: YouTube has fully separated the Shorts algorithm from long-form recommendations. Shorts are now ranked primarily on "swipe-through rate" and loop rate, serving as a rapid discovery mechanism that doesn't penalize a creator's main channel stats if a short underperforms.

By 2026, YouTube's recommendation system has largely moved away from rewarding raw clicks or "clickbait" in favor of . YouTube

: High-performing videos in 2026 are those that retain at least 65% of viewers past the first 30 seconds . 2. The New Creator Economy: "TV in the Living Room" : YouTube has fully separated the Shorts algorithm