YouTube is updating its recommendation system to further prioritize original Shorts and reduce the reach of channels that mainly aggregate or re-upload other creators\u2019 clips without significant changes.<\/p>\n
YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie announced the change in a video<\/a> published Oct. 1 on YouTube\u2019s Creator Insider channel.<\/p>\n What Ritchie Says Doesn\u2019t Count As Original<\/p>\n Ritchie said<\/a> creators who remix another creator\u2019s clip need to add value of their own, \u201cnot just VO descriptions of what\u2019s happening on screen, minor technical edits, or template-based bulk changes.\u201d He told creators to bring their own commentary, analysis, and storytelling instead. For creators who want to put another creator\u2019s video in front of their audience, he pointed them to their channel\u2019s Posts tab, so viewers watch the original upload.<\/p>\n How This Fits With YouTube\u2019s Monetization Rules<\/p>\n YouTube already has rules on borrowed content for channels that want to earn money. Its channel monetization policies<\/a> say, \u201cIf you borrow content from someone else, you need to change it significantly to make it your own.\u201d<\/p>\n The Oct. 1 video is about recommendations and doesn\u2019t mention monetization.<\/p>\n When YouTube updated its monetization policies in July 2025, Ritchie said there were no changes to the reused content rules for clips, compilations, and reaction content. I covered that clarification<\/a> at the time.<\/p>\n How Instagram And Facebook Handle Aggregators<\/p>\n Instagram and Facebook already limit the reach of accounts built mainly on reposted content.<\/p>\n Instagram said in April<\/a> that accounts that \u201cprimarily re-upload others\u2019 work\u201d in photos and carousels would no longer be eligible for recommendations, a rule it first applied to reels in 2024. An account can become eligible again when most of its recent photos, carousels, and reels are considered original over a rolling 30-day period. Creators can check their standing and appeal from the Account Status section of their settings.<\/p>\n