01
Export at 1080 × 1920
That's full HD vertical — the standard for phones. Higher is fine; lower still uploads but looks soft next to other Shorts.
Weak
A 720 × 1280 export from an old template
Better
1080 × 1920 at the frame rate you filmed in
YouTube Shorts size
1080 × 1920, 9:16, up to 3 minutes.Check your Short in one drop.
- Resolution
- 1080 × 1920 pixels
- Aspect ratio
- 9:16 vertical (or 1:1)
- Maximum length
- 3 minutes
- Keep text away from
- Bottom and right edges
- Formats
- MP4, MOV and others
- Frame rate
- As filmed (24–60 fps)
Setting up a channel? Pick a name with the Channel Name Generator, check your thumbnail size, and find video ideas built on real outliers.
YouTube Shorts size
Vertical, sharp, under three minutes
Shorts are vertical (9:16) or square videos up to 3 minutes long. Export at 1080 × 1920 and keep text away from the edges, where the Shorts player puts its buttons and captions.
02
Keep text out of the edges
The Shorts player overlays the title and channel at the bottom and the like/comment buttons on the right. On-screen text placed there gets covered.
Weak
Captions along the bottom edge
Better
Captions in the upper-middle third
03
Up to 3 minutes — but earn every second
Shorts can now be as long as 3 minutes. Length isn't the goal: a Short that loses viewers in the first seconds won't be shown widely, however long it is.
Weak
A 2:40 Short with a slow intro
Better
A 35-second Short that states the payoff in the first line
Rewrites are illustrative examples, not measured results.
Before you upload
- Vertical 9:16 (or square), 1080 × 1920?
- 3 minutes or shorter?
- Text clear of the bottom and right edges?
- Does the first second show what the Short is about?
FAQ
Questions
What size is a YouTube Short?+
1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16 vertical) is the standard. Square videos also count as Shorts. The maximum length is 3 minutes.
How long can a YouTube Short be?+
Up to 3 minutes. Longer vertical videos are treated as regular videos.
Why is my Short showing as a regular video?+
The usual causes are a horizontal aspect ratio or a length over 3 minutes. Drop the file above to check both.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?+
No. Your browser reads the dimensions and length locally; the file never leaves your device.