YouTube is introducing a feature that lets users essentially design their own recommendation algorithm — at least in a limited sense. On Wednesday, the platform unveiled something called custom feeds, which gives people the ability to describe in plain language what kind of videos they want YouTube to surface for them.

To set one up, you enter a description into a prompt box on YouTube explaining what the feed should focus on — whether that's a specific interest or some other purpose. YouTube's examples include a feed of video podcasts for a 30-minute train commute, or one built around a particular mood, such as "relaxing commentary videos to unwind with."

The feature relies on Google's Gemini AI model to construct the feed based on your request, and once created, the feed gets pinned to the top of your YouTube home page in its own tab. Since AI powers the feed's creation, you can write lengthy, detailed descriptions covering how you want the feed curated, what should be included or left out, which content to prioritize, and more.

This move mirrors what several other social platforms have already done by giving users tools to essentially build their own algorithms through describing what they want their feeds to contain and how it should be presented. Bluesky, a decentralized social network, helped popularize this concept years ago as a way to stand apart from competitors like X. This year, Bluesky launched an AI tool called Attie that simplifies feed-building even further. Other platforms — including Meta's Threads, Instagram, X, and more recently Spotify — have rolled out their own feed-building features, many of which are also powered by AI.

YouTube sees custom feeds as a way to help users better navigate the enormous volume of videos on its platform. "One of the amazing things about being on YouTube is that the world is always at your fingertips," said Emily Moxley, VP of Product Management for Viewer AI, during a pre-brief with reporters ahead of Wednesday's Made on YouTube event, where custom feeds were publicly introduced. "There's over 20 billion videos in the YouTube corpus, so you're always one search away from a treasure trove of topics."

These new feeds won't replace YouTube's main feed, which contains all your recommendations. Rather, you'll be able to jump straight into whichever feed fits your needs when you open the YouTube app. The company said support for creating multiple custom feeds will roll out across YouTube on web and mobile starting next month.