When your child does a search on Google Kids Space, the content is ranked and ordered based on content activity type, filters, and your child’s account settings. The Google Kids Space search feature is based on the Google Play and YouTube search features. Learn more about Google Play search and YouTube search.
How search results are ranked
Important: When relevant to your search entry, apps that are already on your device and books that you already own are displayed at the beginning of your search results and aren’t ordered or filtered.
Search results from Google Kids Space consist of a combination of content from Google Play, YouTube Kids, and existing on-device content. There are 3 content types:
- Play apps
- Play books
- YouTube Kids videos
Each app, book, or video has an associated activity type that determines the order of your search results. Some apps, like PBS Kids Video, are considered “multi-content” which means they appear in more than one activity type.
- Play: On-device apps appear first in the list, then GKS-approved results.
- Read: On-device multi-content apps appear first, then GKS-approved books, then GKS-approved multi-content apps.
- Watch: On-device multi-content apps appear first, then GKS-approved videos, then GKS-approved multi-content apps.
- Make: On-device multi-content apps appear first, then GKS-approved videos, then GKS-approved multi-content apps.
App search results on Google Kids Space
Important:
- Apps that aren’t recommended in Google Kids Space can appear in your results if the search your child enters matches apps that other users frequently search. Your child will need your approval to get apps that aren't recommended in Google Kids Space.
- You can add apps that aren’t in Google Kids Space. Apps that you install on the device are searchable and appear in search results.
- Apps that are available to PlayPass users can appear on Google Kids Space search. Learn more about Google Kids Space PlayPass.
To give you app results, Google Kids Space uses results from the Google Play Store and applies filters. Learn how Google Play ranks search results.
Google Kids Space-approved apps must:
- Be part of the Designed for Families program. Learn more about Play Families and Designed for Families Policies.
- Be part of the Teacher Approved program. Learn more about Teacher Approved apps.
In Family Link, you can use filters to:
- Block specific apps
- Block apps with ads or in-app purchases
- Block apps that don’t meet the maximum IARC rating you’ve set on Family Link
Book search results on Google Kids Space
Important: You can add a purchased book to your child’s account. Purchased books that aren’t recommended in Google Kids Space can appear in your child’s search results.
For its content, Google Kids Space sources books from Google Play Books and relies on Play Books ranking. Learn how Google Play ranks search results.
Google Kids Space-approved books must:
- Be manually selected by experts for inclusion. Selection is based on specific criteria that is similar to the criteria used in the Teacher Approved program.
- Be licensed by a publisher and fully accessible to kids.
Video search results on Google Kids Space
For its content, Google Kids Space sources videos from YouTube Kids and applies filters to provide video results. Learn more about search and ranking for YouTube Kids.
Videos that appear in Google Kids Space search results must:
- Be part of YouTube Kids
- Meet YouTube Kids quality criteria
- Be playable
- Pass a classifier review that helps remove certain content for quality reasons
- Not be blocked for quality or age-appropriateness reasons
- Not be blocked by a parent
GKS-approved videos are ordered based on a GKS-specific ranking that evaluates the:
- Search dependent score, which is related to the search entry, title, description, and channel name matches.
- Search independent scores, which are determined by:
- Freshness: Time since the video was published.
- Popularity: The total watch time.
- Quality: Internal quality scores.