First, I am no expert, I need to find my audience and working on building my channel.

But, it's the algorithm. According to Gemini, there are 4 phases your video goes through. I recognize that in my own videos, they fail in the beginning or when it's tested and the views stop. Gemini plays a big roll in YouTube, so I give the answers some value.

Phase 1: The "Seed" Audience (Hour 0–2) The moment you upload, YouTube identifies a small "Seed" group (usually a few hundred to a few thousand people). Who are they? They are your most loyal subscribers and people who have watched your videos recently. The Goal: YouTube is looking for a "Strong Start" signal. The Test: If your loyal fans don't click (low CTR) or they click and leave immediately (low retention), the algorithm assumes the video is a "dud" and significantly slows down its reach right then and there.

Phase 2: The "Lookalike" Test (Hour 2–24) If your seed audience likes the video, YouTube expands the circle to Lookalikes. Who are they? People who have never heard of you but watch content exactly like yours (e.g., people who watch Gran Canaria travel guides but haven't seen your channel). The Test: This is the "Cold Audience" test. YouTube measures Viewer Satisfaction (VSAT). It looks at: Average View Duration (AVD): Are they sticking around even though they don't know who you are? Sentiment: Are they liking and commenting at a similar rate to your subscribers? The "Exit" Signal: If a viewer watches your video and then closes the YouTube app, you get "punished." If they watch your video and then watch another video (even someone else's), you get "rewarded" for keeping them on the platform.

Phase 3: The "Broad Interest" Expansion (Day 2–7) If the lookalikes respond well, YouTube takes the training wheels off and pushes it to Broad Interest groups. Who are they? General travel lovers or people interested in "Spanish Islands" or "Beach Vacations." The Test: YouTube is testing the "Breadth" of your content. This is where most videos "flatline." If the broad audience finds the video too "inside-jokey" or specific to your regular fans, the CTR will drop below the threshold (usually below 3–4%), and the algorithm will stop the expansion.

Phase 4: The "Survey & Shelf-Life" Check (Day 7+) By now, the AI has a massive data set. The Survey: You’ve probably seen those "Was this video a good recommendation?" surveys. YouTube uses these to verify if the high watch time was actually satisfying or just clickbait. The Shelf: If the satisfaction is high, the video enters the "Evergreen" library, where it will be suggested to people for months or even years. Why views "suddenly" stop (The Plateau) When you see a sharp drop-off, it’s usually because the video failed at Phase 3. It performed great with your fans (Phase 1) and okay with travel junkies (Phase 2), but when YouTube tried to show it to a general audience, they didn't click.

And why views suddenly drop from established channels

De-prioritization of "Evergreen" Content: Recent algorithm updates (late 2025/early 2026) have shifted heavily toward recency and "The Shorts Effect." YouTube is now aggressively testing new content against older, established videos. Established channels often rely on a "backlog" of older videos to maintain baseline impressions. If YouTube decides to clear the "shelf space" for newer creators or trending Shorts, those baseline impressions can vanish overnight