What Is a YouTube Short and How Do You Make One

YouTube Shorts is YouTube's short-form vertical video format. Here's everything you need to know to make and publish one.

YouTube Shorts launched in 2020 as YouTube's answer to TikTok. Since then, it has become a primary growth mechanism on the platform, accounting for a significant portion of new channel subscriber growth. If you're a YouTube creator who hasn't started publishing Shorts, you're leaving one of YouTube's most effective distribution channels unused.

What Qualifies as a YouTube Short

A YouTube Short is defined by YouTube as a vertical video that is 60 seconds or under. Specifically:

• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical) is required for the Short to appear in the Shorts feed. Videos uploaded in 16:9 (horizontal) or square formats will appear as regular videos, not Shorts.
• Duration: up to 60 seconds. Videos over 60 seconds are not classified as Shorts and don't appear in the Shorts feed.
• No minimum duration. A 10-second Short is valid.

YouTube automatically classifies an uploaded video as a Short if it meets these criteria. You don't need to do anything special to designate it as a Short — the vertical format and duration under 60 seconds are what trigger the Short classification.

Where Shorts Appear on YouTube

Shorts are distributed in several places within YouTube:

• The Shorts shelf: a horizontally scrollable row of Shorts on the YouTube homepage and within certain search results pages
• The Shorts tab: on mobile, a dedicated tab (the second icon in the navigation bar) that shows a vertical-scrolling feed of Shorts, similar to TikTok's For You page
• Your channel page: Shorts appear in a dedicated "Shorts" section on your channel, separate from your regular videos
• YouTube search results: Shorts appear in regular YouTube search results for relevant queries

How to Create a YouTube Short: Three Methods

Method 1 — YouTube's in-app creation tool: in the YouTube app on mobile, tap the plus button and select "Create Short." This opens a simple camera interface that lets you record up to 60 seconds, add music from YouTube's licensed library, and publish directly. Good for creators who want to film and post natively from their phone.

Method 2 — Upload from your camera roll: film your content however you prefer, then upload it through the YouTube app or YouTube Studio on desktop. As long as the video is vertical and under 60 seconds, it will be classified as a Short. This is the method most creators use for professionally filmed or edited content.

Method 3 — Repurpose from existing YouTube content: extract vertical clips from a longer YouTube video and upload them as Shorts. This is the most efficient method for creators who already publish long-form content. Tools like Clipsy automate this process: paste your YouTube URL, receive 10 vertical clips with captions applied, upload them as Shorts.

Optimizing Your Short Before Publishing

Before publishing a Short, set these up for maximum reach:

• Title: include a relevant keyword. Keep it under 60 characters. Be specific about what the Short covers.
• Description: write 2-4 sentences describing the content. Include your primary keyword in the first sentence.
• Thumbnail: YouTube auto-selects a frame, but you can choose a specific frame. Pick one where your face is expressive or where key text is visible.
• Tags: 3-5 relevant tags. Not as important as the title, but still worth filling out.
• Audience: mark as "Not made for kids" unless the content is specifically for children (most creators should choose this).

Shorts vs. Regular Videos: Which Should You Prioritize?

Both have a role. Shorts are better for: reaching new audiences, building subscriber count, and testing topics quickly. Regular videos are better for: generating ad revenue, building deep audience loyalty, and covering complex topics that need more time.

The optimal strategy is both: publish regular long-form videos as your primary content and repurpose each one into Shorts as secondary content. This creates a content flywheel where each long-form video generates both long-form and short-form distribution simultaneously.

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