How to make a YouTube Short, from idea to upload

Short answer: to make a YouTube Short, pick an idea that already worked in your topic, write a one-line opening, film it vertically in 3 minutes or less, and edit out every pause. To upload it, tap Create in the YouTube app and choose Short or upload a video from your phone, or on a computer open YouTube Studio and choose Create, then Upload videos. After a few days, compare its views with your usual Shorts.

Most guides stop at the upload button. The upload is the easy part and takes two minutes. What decides whether anyone watches is what happens before it, the idea and the first seconds, and what you do after it, reading the result. This guide covers all of it, in the order you will do it.

What do you need to make a YouTube Short?

• A phone that films vertical video. A newer phone helps, but light matters more than the camera.
• A YouTube channel. Any Google account can create one.
• An idea with a clear promise, written in one line.
• Optional: a simple editing app, a clip-on microphone and a window for light.

Step 1: How do I find an idea for a Short?

Do not start from a blank page and do not start from the trending tab. Look for Shorts in your topic that got far more views than their own channel usually gets. A video at 10 times its channel's normal tells you the idea worked on its own, not just that the account is big. Our post on why outliers beat trends explains how to find them by hand.

Write down what made the outlier different in one line, for example "result first, then three steps". You take that shape, never the video itself. Creativital does this search for you across YouTube and Shorts in your topic, but a notepad and twenty minutes work too.

Step 2: How do I write the opening?

The opening is the most important line in a Short, because in the feed people decide in the first second or two. Lead with the result or the mistake, not with "hi" or "in this video". Then plan the first frame so it shows the result or raises a question, and add a short on-screen text for people watching with the sound off. Our post on the first 3 seconds has worked examples for each layer.

Step 3: How do I script a YouTube Short?

You rarely need a full script. A beat list is enough: one line per moment, in order. Most Shorts work with three to five beats.

Step 4: How do I film a Short?

• Hold the phone vertically. A Short has to be square or vertical, and vertical fills the screen.
• Face a window or another soft light source. Bad light makes a good phone look cheap.
• Get close to the microphone, or use a clip-on one. People forgive soft video sooner than bad sound.
• Start on the first frame you planned, not on yourself walking into shot.
• Film each beat two or three times. It is faster than reshooting later.
• Keep important things away from the bottom and right edges, where YouTube's buttons and caption sit.

Step 5: How do I edit a Short?

Use the editor in the YouTube app or any editing app you like. The rules are the same: cut the silence before your first word, cut every repeated point, add text for the key promise, and end on your last line instead of a goodbye. Keep the finished Short at 3 minutes or less. If it is longer than one minute, use music from YouTube's Shorts audio library or your own audio, because Shorts over a minute with an active copyright claim are blocked.

How do I upload a YouTube Short from my phone?

There are two ways in the YouTube app. These steps follow YouTube's Help Center; button names can shift slightly between app versions.

1. 1Tap CreateOpen the YouTube app, sign in and tap Create. Choose Short to record in the app, or choose to upload a video you already filmed and edited.
2. 2Record or pick your videoTo record, tap the capture button to start and stop. To upload, select a video with a square or vertical aspect ratio, up to 3 minutes.
3. 3Edit and tap NextAdd text, filters, music or other audio if you need them, then tap Next. The app also offers Get feedback, which gives an analysis of your hook and pacing.
4. 4Add the detailsWrite a title (up to 100 characters), set the privacy, and choose whether the video is made for kids.
5. 5PublishTap Upload Short, or Upload, to publish. You can also save a draft and finish it later.

How do I post a YouTube Short from a computer?

1. 1Sign in to YouTube StudioGo to studio.youtube.com with the account that owns the channel.
2. 2Click Create, then Upload videosThe Create button is in the top right corner.
3. 3Select your video fileIt must be up to 3 minutes long and square or vertical. YouTube then classifies it as a Short. You can upload up to 15 at once, then finish each one with Edit draft.
4. 4Fill in the detailsTitle, description, audience and any other settings, the same as for a regular upload.
5. 5Publish or scheduleIn the Visibility step, publish now or set a date and time.

Not sure when to publish? Our post on the best time to post Shorts explains why there is no universal hour and how to test your own.

What should I write in the title?

Write the promise in the words your viewer would use, as in your opening, but shorter. Titles can be up to 100 characters, but people see only the start of it in the feed, so put the result or the topic first. You do not need #Shorts: YouTube classifies the video by its length and shape.

How do I know if my Short did well?

Wait a few days, then compare its views with your channel's normal, meaning the median views of your last 20 Shorts. A Short at 2 or 3 times your median did well, even if the number looks small. Then open its analytics in YouTube Studio and look at how many people chose to view it instead of swiping away. If that share is low, the opening is the problem. If it is high but retention drops in the middle, the middle is the problem.

If you want a read before posting, run the finished video through the free check. It gives the opening a 1 to 99 score and three reasons, with no sign-up. It cannot promise views, nobody honestly can, but it catches a weak first frame before your audience does.

Questions

How do I upload a YouTube Short?

In the YouTube app, tap Create, then choose Short to record or upload a vertical video from your phone, add a title and tap Upload. On a computer, open YouTube Studio, click Create, then Upload videos, and pick a square or vertical file of up to 3 minutes.

Can I upload a YouTube Short from a computer?

Yes. In YouTube Studio click Create, then Upload videos. Any square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes is classified as a Short.

How long can a YouTube Short be?

Up to 3 minutes, for videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 in a square or vertical format.

Do I need #Shorts in the title?

No. YouTube decides whether a video is a Short by its length and aspect ratio.

Can I schedule a YouTube Short?

Yes. When you upload from YouTube Studio on a computer, the Visibility step lets you choose a date and time instead of publishing right away.

Why is my Short showing as a normal video?

Usually because it is longer than 3 minutes or wider than square. Trim it or export it in vertical format and upload it again.