Yandex. Zen is a popular search engine service that offers each user a personal selection of publications. The feed is generated automatically based on a person's search queries, their clicks, etc. But the content of "Zen" can be purposefully influenced independently, using simple settings.
What it is
Yandex Zen is a service for a personal feed of publications. News, articles, longreads, photo galleries, etc., whose content may be of interest to a specific user, are "thrown" here. The system recommends both sites visited by a person and those that are not yet familiar to him.
Zen determines the tastes of users based on their actions on the web. To do this, Yandex analyzes:
- what pages the person visits;
- what search queries he asks;
- what preferences it indicates;
- user location.
Other parameters are also taken into account - up to the time of day.
For example, if you read in Yandex a couple of news about the scandal around Mamaev and Kokorin, Zen is guaranteed to start reporting everything about the development of events. Looking for where and what coat to buy for the winter? Ads for clothing stores will certainly appear in your feed. And at the same time - many articles on fashion and style.
The service is constantly being rebuilt for the user. If he changes interests, then Zen will change the selection of its recommendations after a while. So, if you follow the KHL championship from September to April, and from May you switch to gardening, then Zen will start giving out less hockey and more articles about flowers.
From time to time, the system throws in something new. So, a Zen woman can offer articles about TV shows, even if she doesn't watch them. But, if the user does not care about the topic, "Zen" will not "load" much. Uninteresting publications will gradually stop appearing in the feed.
To take full advantage of Zen, you need to be an authorized Yandex user. And for those who use the resource from different devices, it is advisable to use one account. So "Zen" will quickly "recognize" a person and better keep up with his interests.
The content of the recommended publications is mainly popular science entertainment related to personal interests. The feed also reflects hot news. But about the spelling of vowels in the root or the drilling of exploration wells in the Arctic, there is hardly anything to come across.
Where to find
You don't have to go far for "Zen". To do this, you need to use one of the applications:
- Yandex. Browser for PC, iPhone and iPad or Android smartphones and tablets;
- Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome browsers for PC with visual bookmarks installed;
- mobile application Yandex. Zen based on Android and iOS in Yandex Launcher and Yandex.
If you use these browsers, then to go to Zen publications, just scroll down the Yandex main page. True, on the computer monitor, the recommendation tape hangs quite deep below. Therefore, "Zen" reminds of itself with a discreet notification on the right side of the screen, under the entrance to the mail. If you click on it, the page itself will scroll to the feed of publications.
You can read articles directly from the main "Yandex". Or you can click on the word "Zen" and go to the service's own site. It has its own search and services, it is easy to search for popular channels and the desired topics.
For those who need a personal feed like air, it is advisable to install Yandex Browser for PC or mobile devices. Zen is already integrated into it by default.
This makes the service more convenient. So, cards with recommendations "fall out" on the screen when you open a new tab, you don't need to scroll far. And when you open a publication, the Yandex. Zen tab automatically appears so that you can easily return to the service.
What does he look like
Zen publications are laid out on the page in the form of cards with hyperlinks. Most of them contain a picture (or a piece of video), a title, and the name of the resource. If this is an article card, then its excerpt is placed "for a seed". But to find out all the ins and outs, you have to click on the link and go to the full text.
The tape is endless: it has a beginning, but it seems that no one has finished it to the end. However, in order to find the most interesting, it is easier to update the selection. To do this, there is a button "New publications" or you can press the F5 key.
This is where the main "danger" of "Zen" lurks: by accidentally entering it, you can hang seriously and for a long time. Including on publications that are personally useless for you, because it can simply captivate …
How to setup
Fortunately, the endless stream of "Zen" can be customized so that there are no empty and annoying topics, and there are more needed ones. Although the system is able to determine the user's preferences, it cannot know everything! In addition, she needs time to study a person's needs.
How to "filter" content for yourself:
- Choose what kind of publications you want to see. Each card has “like” and “dislike” icons. Click on "like" - there will be more such publications. In this case, the system will offer you to subscribe to the media on which the article or video was published.
- Indicate what you dislike. To do this, click on "dislike". The system will ask what it is not specifically interested in: the topic / separate aspect of the topic or the resource itself. Here you can refuse such publications or block a specific channel for yourself. At this stage, you can also change your mind and not unsubscribe from anything.
- Subscribe to the channel. This can be done in the feed or directly in the publication. And also on the Zen website by opening the Channels tab - the corresponding button is easy to find at the top of the screen.
- Unsubscribe from the channel. This is done on the Zen site, where there is a Subscriptions tab. Follow the link, find the annoying channel and click "Unsubscribe". If desired, the channel can be returned to the subscription again.
Comments (1)
Registered users can leave their comments on Zen publications (except for videos and narratives). It doesn't matter if the person is subscribed to the channel or not.
You can add and delete your statements. They cannot be edited. If you want to publish comments under a pseudonym, you need to enter it in the Yandex. Passport settings. Photo for reviews is allowed to change.
How to turn off the ribbon and turn it on
Zen brings you into a sea of fascinating facts and opinions. But the abundance of interesting, but constantly distracting information can get bored. Using the Yandex browser makes it possible to disable Zen. For this you need:
- enter the "Settings" menu;
- select "Appearance settings" in the menu;
- find the option "Show in a new Zen tab - personal recommendation feed" and click "Disable".
If you then decide that deleting "Zen" was in vain, then it can be easily returned in the same way. Zen activation is also possible for those who, when installing Yandex Browser, refused this option.
Work on "Zen"
Zen also allows you to earn money by opening your channel on the service. To do this, again, you should create your own account on Yandex. It is not necessary to be a citizen of Russia.
The channel owner's income comes from displaying ads. This requires that the channel has reached a certain degree of popularity, and its publications are read to the end. The level of earnings depends on how popular the resource is.
Instructions and other information for authors can be found on the Zen website. To find it, click on your profile icon and select the "Editor" section. You can also ask your question to the site administrators.
Useful information for authors is also presented on its own Yandex. Zen channel.
