Many guides still tell creators to check YouTube's Trending page. That page no longer exists. YouTube retired the general Trending page and its Trending Now list on 21 July 2025 and pointed people to category charts instead. For creators looking for video ideas, the most useful YouTube source is now inside YouTube Studio: the Trends tab.
Where to find the Trends tab
Sign in to YouTube Studio, choose Analytics in the left menu, then select Trends at the top. YouTube has been rolling out an updated Studio design since July 2026, so the layout may look different on your channel. Some insights depend on your geography, language and device, and a section can be empty if there are no relevant videos to show. Details are in YouTube's Explore trends help page.
What the Trends tab shows
The tab is built around your audience rather than all of YouTube. Its main cards are:
- Top searches: the most-searched terms connected to your audience and your saved searches, over the last 28 days.
- Breakout videos: videos from similar creators that are performing well.
- Recent videos: videos your viewers have watched that relate to their interests.
- Content gaps for Shorts: searches where viewers may want more or better Shorts.
When you search a topic inside the tab, you also see the audience interest level (from very low to very high), what is watched on YouTube for that topic, and what is searched on YouTube.
Turning the tab into ideas
Start with repeated searches, not the biggest one
Look for searches that appear repeatedly or keep rising, rather than simply taking the largest term. A large term is usually crowded; a repeated, specific one usually reflects an unmet need.
Read breakout videos for the promise, not the copy
For each breakout video, note three things: the question it answers, the format it uses and how the audience responded in the comments. Then ask what it left unanswered. Copying the video gives viewers nothing new.
Treat content gaps as questions
A content gap means viewers are searching and not finding good enough results. Turn each gap into one precise question, for example "quiet workouts for apartment living" rather than "home workouts", and check whether you can answer it better than what exists.
Write the viewer promise before the outline
Before outlining, write one sentence: "After watching, the viewer will be able to…". If you cannot finish it, the idea is not ready.
AI suggestions need evidence
YouTube Studio has offered AI-generated idea suggestions, first through the Inspiration tab and now through Ask Studio, as YouTube began phasing out the Inspiration tab from August 2026. These suggestions can be a useful starting point, but treat them as prompts to research, not as evidence that viewers want the video. Check every suggestion against Top searches, content gaps and your own audience data.
Look outside YouTube as well
The Trends tab is strongest on what your current audience already searches for. It is weaker at showing what is starting to rise elsewhere. Wider context helps:
- Google Trending Now shows search surges by country. See our Trending Now guide.
- YouTube Charts shows category charts, such as trending music videos.
- TrendRadar shows YouTube's most-popular videos alongside Google search trends and music charts for each country. In a snapshot on 3 October 2026, 65% of the 1,750 videos across those country lists appeared in only one country, which is a reminder to check the market your audience is actually in.
Example
A home-fitness channel sees "home workouts" in Top searches. It is a huge, crowded term. In content gaps, "quiet workout for upstairs flat" appears. That is a precise promise the channel can deliver well, and it gives the video a reason to exist.
Checklist before you film
- The topic overlaps with what your audience already watches
- A content gap or repeated search supports it
- Recent videos show demand but leave a question open
- You can deliver the promise honestly in the title and thumbnail
For a complete system, read trend research for YouTube creators. For turning any trend into an original angle, see how to turn trends into content ideas.
Free on iPhone and Android
Use cross-platform context to prioritise your next video idea
TrendRadar shows rising Google searches, YouTube videos and music charts for more than 100 countries, with a plain-language explanation of why each topic is moving.
