Ever feel like your YouTube feed is hijacked by content you’d rather avoid? Whether it’s CNN, MSNBC, or CBS filling your search results and recommendations, it’s frustrating when your preferences aren’t reflected. While YouTube doesn’t offer a built-in way to block specific channels, there are ways to minimize or even exclude them from your feed.

Here’s a practical guide to help you customize your YouTube experience and keep your search results clean and relevant.

Why Remove Certain Channels from YouTube Search?

Tailoring your YouTube experience is about cutting the noise and finding the content that truly resonates with you. Excluding channels like CNN, MSNBC, or CBS can help you:

• Focus on content you actually care about.
• Avoid distractions and irrelevant recommendations.
• Improve the relevance of search results for a better overall experience.

Can You Directly Block Channels on YouTube?

Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t let you outright block channels from search results or recommendations. However, there are workarounds, including:

• Training the YouTube algorithm using built-in tools.
• Filtering searches to exclude specific terms.
• Using browser extensions to manually block channels.

Let’s explore these methods.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Reducing Unwanted Channels

1. Use YouTube’s Built-In Tools

While basic, YouTube’s own tools can help you influence what shows up in your feed over time.

• Mark Videos as “Not Interested”

  1. When you see a video from CNN, MSNBC, or CBS, click the three vertical dots next to the video title.
  2. Select Not Interested to signal to YouTube that you don’t want similar content.
  3. Repeat this action whenever these videos appear.

• Report Irrelevant Videos

  1. If a video is completely irrelevant or inappropriate, click Report.
  2. While this doesn’t block the channel, it helps refine your feed by flagging unwanted content.

2. Adjust Search Filters

Excluding specific terms or channels directly in your search queries can help refine your results.

• Exclude Channels in Search 

  Add a minus sign (-) before the channel name to filter it out. For example:

  news -CNN -MSNBC -CBS


  This filters results and prioritizes content from other sources. Note that you’ll need to do this each time you search.

3. Install Browser Extensions

For more control, browser extensions like Video Blocker or BlockTube can hide content from specific channels entirely.

• Video Blocker
  1. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Open the extension’s settings and add CNN, MSNBC, and CBS to the block list.
  3. The blocked channels will no longer appear in your search results or recommendations.
• BlockTube
  1. Install this extension to block channels, keywords, or even specific video titles.
  2. Use its advanced filtering options to tailor your feed even further.

Note: Extensions only work on desktop browsers and won’t impact the YouTube mobile app.

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Additional Tips for Managing Your YouTube Feed

If you want to go further, here are some strategies to ensure your YouTube experience stays customized:

• Curate Your Subscriptions
  Subscribe only to channels you actively enjoy and remove any that no longer interest you.
• Clear Watch and Search History
  Regularly clear your YouTube history to reset the algorithm’s influence.
  • Go to Settings > History and privacy in your account.
  • Click Clear watch history and Clear search history.
• Pause Watch History
  If you’re experimenting with new content or don’t want specific views influencing your recommendations, pause your watch history temporarily.

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Limitations of YouTube’s Blocking Methods

While these solutions are helpful, they’re not foolproof:

• Manual Effort: Filters and extensions require setup and ongoing adjustments.
• Partial Effectiveness: Some content from blocked channels may still sneak through, especially in shared playlists or trending topics.
• Desktop-Only Extensions: Tools like Video Blocker and BlockTube don’t work on the YouTube mobile app.

Despite these limitations, these methods can significantly reduce unwanted content and improve your overall experience.

FAQs About YouTube Content Blocking

Can I Block Specific Channels from Appearing on YouTube?

Not directly. However, using extensions like Video Blocker or filtering searches with - can effectively minimize their presence.

How Do I Exclude News Channels from Recommendations?

Mark their videos as “Not Interested” and clear your watch history regularly to prevent them from influencing your feed.

Will These Methods Work on Mobile?

YouTube’s built-in tools (like marking “Not Interested”) work on mobile, but browser extensions like Video Blocker are limited to desktop browsers.

Final Thoughts

Removing channels like CNN, MSNBC, or CBS from YouTube search results isn’t a one-click solution, but by combining YouTube’s tools, search filters, and browser extensions, you can create a feed that better suits your interests.

Experiment with these methods to take control of your YouTube experience and enjoy a more focused, personalized platform. Happy watching!