YouTube search filters update for Shorts and long-form

Creators have been yelling "separate the formats!" for years. YouTube just did something close. Search now lets people filter specifically for Shorts or for longer videos, and the "sort by views" option no longer works the way you think.

Translation: the mixed buffet of Shorts crowding every search result is getting reorganized. That's good for intent. It's risky for lazy strategy.

What happened

YouTube is rolling out updated search filters on mobile and desktop that make format choice explicit. There's a new "Type: Shorts" option, alongside Channels, Playlists, Movies, and Videos. Runtime filters also now hinge at three minutes - matching Shorts' current max length - so "short" versus "long" is cleaner under the hood.

Also, the old "Sort by view count" has been reframed as "Prioritize view count." That wording matters. It opens the door for YouTube to blend in other relevance signals even when users ask for the most-viewed, so results won't be a strict top-to-bottom view leaderboard anymore.

The goal, per YouTube's own language about these changes, is better content discovery and faster paths to what people actually want. Given Shorts' scale - over 2 billion logged-in monthly viewers and tens of billions of daily views - search needed a clearer way to separate quick hits from deep dives.

Why creators should care

This is intent sorting, not just UI fluff. People who want "how to fix X in Premiere Pro" can now easily hide Shorts and surface long-form tutorials. People hunting quick inspo can isolate Shorts. Clearer intent generally means higher satisfaction - great for watch time and for ad performance.

For monetization, long-form searches often carry stronger ad inventory (mid-rolls, higher RPMs, more session depth). If users choose "Videos" over "Shorts," your 8-20 minute content can win more qualified views and better revenue. On the flip side, Shorts filtered results could improve conversion rates for quick tips, highlights, comedy, and shopping moments because you're no longer competing with 40-minute essays for the same query.

Advertisers also benefit: format-level filtering maps to clearer intent signals. That tends to attract brand budgets that want confidence in context. More qualified traffic means better click-throughs for Shopping overlays and affiliate links, which is where many Shorts-first creators actually earn.

Stop trying to make one upload do everything. Search is literally asking viewers, "Do you want a snack or a meal?" Serve the right plate.

The mentor take

The "prioritize view count" shift is the sneaky part. If you've been coasting on an old banger's massive view total to stay atop searches, expect some reshuffling as engagement, freshness, and relevance signals weigh more. That rewards creators who keep updating topics with newer, tighter, more satisfying videos.

Three-minute Shorts are real, but that doesn't mean "more minutes = more reach." Shorter still wins when it's sharper. Use the extra time only when your idea actually needs it. Think "two-act hook + payoff," not "now with intro and outro."

If your analytics say Shorts drive discovery but long-form drives money, this update is your green light to build deliberate bridges between the two - on purpose, not by accident.

What to do next

Split your queries by intent. For each core topic, make a snackable Short (hook + answer) and a bingeable Video (clear title, chapters, tight pacing). Treat them as a pair, not duplicates.
Label for clarity, not clickbait. Put the specific task/benefit up front in titles and the first 150 characters of description. Searchers filtering for Videos want precision; Shorts searchers want speed.
Exploit the 3-minute ceiling wisely. If a Short needs more than 60-90 seconds, structure it: fast hook (0-3s), context (3-20s), build (20-80s), payoff and recap (last 10-15s). Cut anything that doesn't serve completion.
Future-proof your rankings. Refresh successful evergreen topics annually with a newer, tighter version. With "prioritize view count," recency and satisfaction can outrun legacy view totals.
Monetize the handoff. Use Shorts to qualify demand, then route to the long-form tutorial, newsletter, or product page. Pair each Short with one clear next step and measure CTR from descriptions, comments, and end screens.

Bottom line: this isn't the Shorts apocalypse. It's YouTube formalizing what viewers already feel - sometimes they want a sprint, sometimes a marathon. Build for both, on purpose, and let search do the sorting for you.