How the YouTube Shorts Feed Really Works
YouTube Shorts operates on a radically different algorithm than traditional horizontal video. In the vertical Shorts feed, viewers swipe at lighting speed. If you fail to grab attention within 1.5 to 3 seconds, the viewer swipes away, destroying your algorithmic distribution.
1. The Two Non-Negotiable Shorts Metrics
- Viewed vs. Swiped Away Percentage: Your Short must achieve an "Inspected/Viewed" rate above 75â80%. If more than 25% swipe away before 3 seconds, distribution freezes.
- Average Percentage Viewed (APV): For 30-second Shorts, aim for 100% to 125% (meaning average viewers watch the video more than once via continuous looping).
Ineffective Hook: "Hey guys, welcome back, today I want to show you an interesting secret about editing..." (85% swipe-away)
High-Velocity Hook: "Never edit your video like this if you want views in 2026. Here is why..." (89% viewed rate, 1.4M views in 72 hours).
2. Crafting Punchy Titles and Hashtags
Shorts titles must fit within mobile screen bounds without truncation. Generate compact, viral titles under 50 characters using the Shorts Title Generator, and append trending vertical tags using our Shorts Hashtag Generator.
