YouTube has rolled out updates to its search filters to make finding content easier and more intuitive. The changes are based on user feedback and aim to simplify advanced search tools while improving how results are organised across different content formats.
One of the key updates is the addition of a dedicated Shorts filter under the Type section. This allows users to choose between Shorts and long-form videos when searching. Previously, search results often mixed both formats, which made it harder to find longer videos.
YouTube has also renamed the “Sort By” menu to “Prioritise” to better reflect how results are ranked. Within this menu, the “View count” option is now called “Popularity.” According to YouTube, this ranking considers not only views but also factors like watch time and relevance to the search query.
At the same time, YouTube has removed several filters that caused confusion. The “Upload Date – Last Hour” filter and the “Sort by Rating” option are no longer available, as they did not perform as expected. Users can still filter recent uploads using options such as Today, This week, This month, and This year.
The filter layout has also been reorganised for simplicity. Under the Type category, users can now select Videos, Shorts, Channels, Playlists, or Movies. Duration options have been refined to Under 3 minutes, 3 to 20 minutes, and over 20 minutes, while filters like Live, HD, and 4K remain unchanged.
The updated search filters are rolling out gradually across the YouTube website and mobile apps. YouTube says the goal of these changes is to deliver a faster, clearer, and more efficient search experience.