YouTube is rolling out a significant update to its search functionality, introducing new filters that give users more control over their search results. The most notable change is the ability to exclude Shorts, the platform's short-form, vertical video content, from search results. This is a major quality-of-life improvement for users seeking long-form content, such as detailed tutorials or in-depth reviews, who previously had to sift through a flood of brief clips to find what they needed.

This update is particularly timely as the platform has seen a surge in AI-generated content, making the option to filter out low-effort Shorts even more valuable. In addition to the Shorts filter, YouTube is also renaming key search features. The 'Sort By' menu will now be labeled 'Prioritize,' and the 'View Count' option is being rebranded as 'Popularity' to better reflect engagement metrics like watch time.

Finally, the platform is removing two legacy filters: 'Upload Date - Last Hour' and 'Sort by Rating,' streamlining its advanced search tools for a more modern user experience.