YouTube to shut down popular ‘trending’ page, update monetisation policy

California (Web Desk): YouTube has announced that it will be discontinuing its popular ‘Trending’ page as part of significant changes to its Partner Program monetization policy, effective from July 15. The platform stated that these changes aim to better serve diverse communities by showing content that aligns with individual preferences.

When the Trending page was first introduced, it was easier to identify popular content since a few videos were widely viewed across the platform. However, with evolving viewer interests and the rise of various niche communities, YouTube plans to replace the single Trending page with multiple “micro-trending” charts tailored to different audiences.

In the coming weeks, the Trending page will be phased out and replaced by category-specific charts, such as trending music videos, weekly podcast shows, and movie trailers. YouTube assured users that personalized video recommendations will remain a key feature.

Additionally, reports from a technology website indicate that the updated monetization policy may limit earnings for content created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or repetitive, low-originality videos. This change could affect creators who rely heavily on templates or AI-generated content instead of original creations.