YouTube Trends lives in YouTube Studio: sign in, select Analytics in the left menu, then click the Trends tab at the top. It shows what your audience and viewers across YouTube are searching for, including top searches, breakout videos and content gaps for Shorts, so you can pick your next video idea.
If you came here looking for a public list of what's trending on YouTube today, this is something different, and in my view more useful for a creator. The Trends tab isn't a chart of the most popular videos in the world. It's built around your own audience: what they've been searching for and watching over the last 28 days, and where viewers can't find a good answer.
That last bit is the gold. A gap is a video nobody has made well yet, and YouTube is pointing you straight at it.
How to open the Trends tab
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, select Analytics.
- From the top menu, click the Trends tab.
- Explore the trending page, or type a topic into the search bar. To keep a search for later, click Save.
Trends sits alongside the other Analytics tabs (Overview, Content, Reach, Engagement, Audience and Revenue) and works at channel level, not for one video at a time. YouTube also says it began rolling out an updated YouTube Studio from July 2026, so your Trends tab may look a little different from older screenshots.
What each card on the Trends tab tells you
| Card | What it shows | How I'd use it |
|---|---|---|
| Top searches | The top searches based on your audience and your saved searches over the last 28 days | Your shortlist of titles people are already typing |
| Breakout videos | Well-performing videos from creators similar to your channel | Proof a topic works with an audience like yours |
| Recent videos | Videos on topics your audience watched in the last 28 days, plus your saved searches | A quick read on what your viewers are into this month |
| Content gaps for Shorts | Shorts search terms tied to what your audience watched in the last 28 days | Ready-made Shorts ideas with little competition |
Searching a topic on the Trends tab
When you search a topic, YouTube adds three more views. Watched on YouTube shows popular videos viewers across YouTube are watching on that topic. Searched on YouTube shows the top searches based on your audience and your saves. And you may see an audience interest level for each search or idea.
That audience interest rating runs from very low to very high, and YouTube says it's based on videos watched over 1,000 times a week in the last 28 days. So a "very high" isn't a guess. It's a signal that plenty of people are already watching that kind of video.
Content gaps: the part most creators skip
Select Show more on Content gaps and you'll see searches where viewers may be looking for more relevant or higher quality Shorts. YouTube says a content gap happens when:
- Viewers can't find any results for their searches.
- Viewers can't find an exact match for their searches.
- Viewers can't find relevant videos, for example because the content is old or low quality.
This is where I'd spend most of my time. If people are searching for something and the best answer is old or poor, a clear, current video can win that search, even from a smaller channel. It's the same thinking I use for written content: answer the question people are asking better than anyone else has.
Why you might not see everything
Don't panic if some cards are missing. YouTube says some of the insights are currently limited to certain countries, languages and devices, and if there are no relevant videos at the moment, some sections won't show. A brand new channel with very little watch history will also have less for the tab to work with, because so much of the tab rests on what your audience watched in the last 28 days.
Trends, Inspiration and your other idea tools
You may remember the older Inspiration tab in Studio. I've explained where the Inspiration tab went separately. The Trends tab is the one grounded in search and watch behaviour, so I treat it as my evidence and everything else as brainstorming.
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Once you've picked an idea, the job moves to packaging. If you've got access, YouTube's thumbnail test lets you see which thumbnail earns the click, and your YouTube Studio dashboard shows how the new video is doing in its first days.
My verdict
The Trends tab is one of the most underused tools in YouTube Studio. Check it once a week, save the searches that fit your niche, and go straight to Content gaps for Shorts ideas. Pair a rising top search with a gap where the existing videos are old or weak, and you've got a video people are already looking for. That beats guessing every single time.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Trends tab on YouTube?
In YouTube Studio. Sign in, select Analytics in the left menu, then click Trends in the top menu. It's a channel-level tab alongside Overview, Content, Reach, Engagement, Audience and Revenue.
What does the YouTube Trends tab show?
It shows what your audience and viewers across YouTube are searching for, with cards for top searches, breakout videos, recent videos and content gaps for Shorts, mostly based on the last 28 days.
What is a content gap on YouTube?
It's a search where viewers can't find enough quality results: no results, no exact match, or only videos that are old or low quality. YouTube shows these as ideas for new content.
Why can't I see some cards on the YouTube Trends tab?
YouTube says some insights are limited to certain countries, languages and devices, and sections may not show if there are no relevant videos at the moment.
How is audience interest measured on YouTube Trends?
YouTube rates interest from very low to very high, based on videos watched over 1,000 times a week in the last 28 days.
