The Rundown: What YouTube creators should expect to change in 2026

Users have already noticed changes on the platform, including the the ability to sort search results by upload date, view count, and rating, which changes discoverability. Recent data shared with Digiday from online video editing platform Kapwing shows that YouTube has already drastically cracked down on AI slop.

It’s clear that the platform is seriously shaking things up for 2026, but what does that mean for creators?

Key YouTube changes in 2026 and what they mean for creators:

• AI slop crackdown: Mohan’s blog promised the platform would “reduce the spread of low quality AI content” this year. Since AI-generated content has become more easily accessible and scalable, YouTube has been inundated with a deluge of slop videos. Those videos threaten to drown out creators, not only because of the sheer volume at which they can be produced and uploaded, but because they can mimic certain types of popular content like explainers or histories. A crackdown can ensure creators get more eyes on their work, rather than competing with churned-out slop.
• AI tool investment: YouTube may be cracking down on AI slop channels, but it is investing in its own AI tools for 2026. YouTube plans to release a feature that would allow creators to make a Short using their own likeness as well as produce games and music with a simple text prompt.
• More monetization options: The platform will introduce more monetization options for vertical streaming, which will help creators better monetize YouTube’s live services. The app will update its YouTube Shopping offerings, allowing for in-app purchases rather than redirecting people to another store — allowing creators to sell directly to their audience. The feature will mimic TikTok Shop on Shorts, and could help creators become less reliant on strictly ad revenue as a source of income.
• Tools to customize ads: Creators will get the tools to change baked-in ads (the ones embedded directly into videos) to negotiate new deals or renegotiate old ones, then swap them into their existing videos. “Creators can turn their back catalog into recurring revenue instead of letting it sit idle. This is a feature that will empower creators to create a foundation of consistent brand partnerships revenue,” head of campaign management at Mana Talent Group Michael Shoemaker told Digiday.
• More Shorts features: Mohan’s blog claims Shorts already average 200 billion daily views. The platform is expanding the feature: expect image posts to be integrated into the feed soon, making it even more like TikTok.

YouTube has already cracked down on AI-generated content:

Days after Mohan’s blog promised to clearly label AI-generated products and manage AI slop, 16 of the top 100 most subscribed slop channels were removed from the platform, according to a January 2026 study published by online video editing platform Kapwing. Those 16 channels earned billions of views, had a combined 35 million subscribers, and had estimated earnings of over $9.7 million. 

“YouTube isn’t anti-AI, they’re anti-AI slop. The real target being repetitive, low effort content that’s clearly made to game the system rather than add value,” Shoemaker said. “From my perspective, that’s a good thing for serious content creators. They’re using the same anti-spam and clickbait frameworks they’ve always had, just adapting them for AI-generated volume. I also like the push for disclosure around realistic AI content. Transparency matters, especially as AI gets harder to spot.”

Shoemaker wanted creators to know that “AI is here to stay” and that using it strategically can help them succeed. “Think of it as a tool you can deploy to scale your production, not a replacement for originality and creativity,” he said. “Above all prioritize quality when utilizing AI. Creators are deploying entire production teams, quality and authenticity remain a winning combination. Don’t let the efficiency of AI overshadow that.”

The long and short of it:

Though there are plans to add even more features to Shorts, YouTube is also investing heavily in its long-form content. The bulk of that investment is in YouTube TV, which will get more than 10 different specialized plans, and a fully customizable “multi-view” format for YouTube TV, allowing viewers to watch multiple events at the same time on a single screen.

YouTube TV includes many legacy channels like PBS, Fox, CNN, Comedy Central and Bravo, but it also includes other channels from brands like PCMAG and Gaia that are more creator-focused rather than traditional. YouTuber Ms. Rachel’s two Emmy nominations for best writing in a preschool or children’s series and best preschool, children’s or family viewing series are a testament to how the platform competes with legacy TV.

“If YouTube continues to win the TV screen, creators benefit directly because that’s where premium brand spend flows,” Shoemaker said.

As the platform continues to try to compete with streamers like Netflix and Hulu, long-form content will help prop it up. Videos more than 60 minutes are going viral on the platform, like the three-hour long Nigerian movie Mohan linked in his blog post, which was uploaded last October and currently has over 20 million views.

“Long-form and short-form serve different purposes in a creator’s strategy,” said Arthur Leopold, CEO and co-founder of creator advertising platform Agentio. “Shorts drive new-audience reach and growth; long-form builds deeper engagement and has a longer monetization tail.” According to Agentio research, YouTube video performance compounds over time: 40 percent of views and 30 percent of clicks happen more than 30 days after a video goes live — highlighting the power of long-form for creators, advertisers, and YouTube, stressed Leopold. “Smart creators are using both formats strategically, and smart brands are thinking about how each fits into their media mix,” he added.

YouTube search changes:

Though it’s not mentioned in the blog post, it seems YouTube recently removed the option for users to sort search results by upload date, view count, and rating. YouTube has said users can still find recent results for a specific search despite online reportings flagging this change.

Chris Menahan, who runs InformationLiberation, said on X that the change could “make it impossible to find breaking news from small channels with few viewers.”

The official YouTube account replied to his post, “You can still use our Upload Date filters (Today, This Week, This Month, or This Year) to find the most recent results within your search. We’ve only removed the option to *sort* search results by upload date as a part of this update.”

A YouTube spokesperson said in a statement to Digiday that an update to the search experience was driven by user feedback to “help viewers find relevant content faster.”

YouTuber Andre “Typical Gamer” Rebelo thinks this change is in line with YouTube’s ongoing algorithmic adjustments.

“I get why people notice the loss of a visible ‘Latest’ filter, but in practice, discovery on YouTube hasn’t really been chronological for a long time,” Rebelo told Digiday. “What actually drives reach now is how well the platform understands who a video is for and how viewers engage with it once it’s surfaced. Fresh uploads still matter, but relevance and momentum is what trigger actual growth.”

Uniquely you:

For creators on YouTube, these changes mean it will be critical for them to establish their long and short-form content streams, and utilize the new monetization tools wisely.

“The message feels simple: build something sustainable, not just something viral,” said Jade Beason, creator and founder of Social People Agency. “Taking content creation seriously now means having formats, a business model, and a long-term plan, and there’s never been a better time to approach it that way.”