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YouTube cuts the reach of re-uploaded Shorts

Shorts recommendations now favour original videos and push down clips re-posted from other creators with nothing added.

By Alexandre S. , 05:40 UTC

YouTube said on Friday 2 October 2026 that it is changing how Shorts are recommended, favouring original videos and showing fewer clips copied from other channels with nothing new in them, 9to5Google reports. YouTube gave no rollout date.

Retro-futurist illustration: a striped sunset over a grid horizon under a starry sky, with a software window standing on the horizon.
Drawn by adtestbench from YouTube says Shorts recommendations won't surface unoriginal content,

Compilations and reposts can still do well if the uploader adds commentary, editing or storytelling, Android Authority reports; cosmetic changes such as templates do not make a repost original. Creators who cut clips from their own long videos are not affected. YouTube says the update gives viewers a better experience and gives creators of original work the best chance to grow.

The AI question is open. YouTube released an AI remix tool in March 2026 that lets users rework other channels’ videos, and 9to5Google notes that YouTube has not said whether remixes made with it count as original under the new rule.

For brands and agencies running Shorts, reach now depends on what each clip adds: reposted user-generated content carries the most risk, and YouTube has not said how AI remixes are treated.

Sources

  1. 9to5Google: YouTube says Shorts recommendations won’t surface unoriginal content. Checked
  2. Android Authority: YouTube is cleaning up one of the worst parts of Shorts. Checked

Alexandre S.

Alexandre S. is a creative ad strategist and copywriter with ten years' experience in digital marketing across multiple channels.

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