YouTube will let you build your own homepage feeds with AI prompts

“We pride ourselves on the fact that because we’ve created a home for creators, it has created all these other amazing opportunities for them,” YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan told The Wall Street Journal , asked about the platform’s rivalry with Netflix.

YouTube used its Made on YouTube event on Wednesday to announce a set of tools for viewers and creators. The one viewers will notice first is Custom Feeds. It lets people build their own homepage feeds from written prompts, such as “Evening wind down with long documentaries” or “Help me discover new DIY creators”.

Viewers can save several custom feeds to their home screen, and each one updates automatically with fresh recommendations, according to YouTube . Each feed sits in its own tab on the homepage. The feature will be available to users in the US on web, mobile and TVs soon.

YouTube is also expanding Ask YouTube into a shopping guide. Viewers can ask follow-up questions about products, including by voice on a TV. Searches for reviews can return organised video recommendations, such as a comparison table of product attributes.

For creators, YouTube is adding a conversational editing assistant to Shorts and the YouTube Create app. It uses Gemini and can trim pauses, reorder clips and sync music to the beat, the company said . Creators can still edit manually at any time.

YouTube Studio gets feedback on draft videos covering pacing, structure and storytelling. It also gets thumbnails generated to match a channel’s style. A new video A/B test will let creators try up to three different cuts to see which hook holds attention best.

YouTube is testing opt-in AI comment moderation that learns a creator’s style. Likeness detection is coming to the mobile app. Later this year, YouTube will start combining speaking voice detection with facial detection.

Shorts can now be grouped into seasons and episodes as Shorts Series, which is rolling out on web, mobile and TV. YouTube said microdramas on the platform passed 6.5 billion views in the first half of 2026. For live streamers, real-time auto-dubbing will start as a pilot in early 2027, YouTube said . “Live showdowns”, where co-hosting creators compete head to head for chats, gifts and Super Chats, arrive in 2027.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the tools arrive as Netflix signs deals with YouTube creators. They include the makers of “Ms. Rachel” and “Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs”. YouTube typically gives creators 55% of the ad revenue from their videos, rather than paying large sums upfront, according to the Journal.

YouTube has told creators considering a Netflix deal that it might be harder to set them up with brand deals, the Journal reported. “A creator’s posting strategy has implications,” Mohan told the paper. YouTube had already started funding shows directly in August to keep creators from licensing to Netflix.

On brand deals, YouTube said Ask Studio will soon help creators answer brand briefs and build pitches. Its Shopping affiliate programme will expand to 35 countries by the end of the year. YouTube also said Coachella will stream exclusively on the platform through 2030.