Algorithm, Search & Distribution
Shorts feed
Also called: vertical feed, Shorts player
Viewers reach it by tapping a Short or opening the Shorts shelf, then swiping from one video to the next with nothing in between. The large majority of Shorts views arrive here, and playback begins before any still image is shown, so the opening frame has to hold attention on its own. Two things follow from that. Packaging work that pays off on long-form has little to do in this feed, and the ad money a Short earns comes from a pool shared across the whole feed, split by each creator's share of Shorts views.