It may seem surprising to discuss a Google app, but the search experience on YouTube has always had room for improvement. At times, users found it more effective to directly search for videos on Google rather than using the YouTube platform. Despite the efforts to enhance video discovery on YouTube, some users remain unconvinced. The challenges extend beyond the interface and also affect the video recommendation algorithm.
The issue lies in the algorithm’s attempt to display videos related to a specific topic rather than the exact content users are looking for. For example, when searching for a specific ‘youtuber’, the algorithm may display videos from related creators instead of the ones directly related to the search query.
Fortunately, there is a simple trick to regain control over your YouTube search results. By adding ‘before:2025’ to your search query, you can filter out recommendations and solely focus on the search results. For instance, searching for videos from El Androide Libre would require typing ‘el androide libre before:2025’. This modification ensures that only relevant search results are displayed without any additional recommendations.
The inclusion of ‘before:’ in the search query acts as a modifier to specify the date range for the search results. This method allows users to access cleaner and more accurate search results by eliminating irrelevant recommendations. While this trick may require an annual adjustment to update the date, it guarantees a more straightforward and direct search experience.
The viral spread of this technique on social media platforms like Twitter signifies the users’ appreciation for a way to bypass the YouTube algorithm’s interference with search queries. Sometimes, all we need is a simple solution to view exactly what we’re looking for on YouTube, free from distractions and unrelated content.
