YouTube Just Killed the Trending Tab How Creators Can Still Get Seen?

The Trending tab is gone. As of July 2025, YouTube quietly pulled the plug on one of its most iconic features, replacing it with personalized, AI-driven discovery feeds that focus on what you like, not what everyone’s watching.

For viewers, that means fewer viral music videos and random memes dominating their feeds. For creators? It means one thing: you can’t count on virality to get discovered anymore. If you want your videos to get seen, you’ll need to work smarter with the new algorithm.

Here’s how to stay visible in YouTube’s new world:

1. Make the Algorithm Love You

   
   

Personalized feeds mean YouTube cares less about sheer views and more about watch time, engagement, and niche relevance.

• Hook fast. The first 15 seconds are everything, pull viewers in immediately.

• Pick a lane. Niche channels thrive in personalized feeds; variety content struggles to find a core audience.

• Write like a human, search like a pro. Use titles and descriptions people actually type into Google and YouTube.

  
  

2. Use Shorts and Community to Stay Top-of-Mind

With Trending gone, YouTube is pushing creators toward features that keep people engaged.

• Shorts are getting prime placement for new audience growth, post them regularly.

• Community posts, polls, and Stories keep your channel active between uploads, signaling to YouTube that your audience is engaged.

  
  

3. Go Local (Even if You’re Global)

YouTube’s discovery feeds are getting more region-specific, favoring creators who tap into local trends and languages.

• Cover regional events, cultural topics, or trending conversations—even if your content is international.

• Add subtitles and language tags to make your videos discoverable worldwide.

   

4. Use Multiple Platforms to Drive Traffic
The days of uploading and hoping for YouTube Trending to do the work are over.

• Create once, then adapt your content into different formats for each platform.

• Share teasers or highlights on Instagram or TikTok to pull viewers toward your full YouTube video.

• Cross-promote with other creators in your niche, it still works wonders.

• Build your own audience hub (Discord, newsletter) so you can control how people find your content.

  
  

Final Thoughts

The death of the Trending tab doesn’t mean creators can’t grow, it just means the old shortcut is gone. YouTube is betting big on personalized, local, and engagement-driven discovery.

If you want to thrive, stop chasing what’s trending for everyone and start making content that feels unskippable for your audience. That’s how you win in YouTube’s new era.