What makes a video a YouTube Short?

Square or vertical and up to 3 minutes, for videos uploaded since 15 October 2024.

What size should a YouTube Short be?

Vertical 9:16; 1080 × 1920 is the usual size.

What size is a YouTube thumbnail?

1280 × 720 (16:9), at least 640 px wide, as JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP.

How long can a YouTube video be?

Up to 12 hours or 256 GB. Over 15 minutes needs a verified account.

PaperFlight

YOUTUBE · SIZES AND SPECS

YouTube specs,
checked for 2026.

A Short is square or vertical and up to 3 minutes. Long videos run to 12 hours. Thumbnails are 1280 × 720. Every number, with its source.

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THE SHORT ANSWER

Any square or vertical video up to 3 minutes counts as a YouTube Short (uploads since 15 October 2024); 1080 × 1920 is the usual size. Long videos can be up to 256 GB or 12 hours — over 15 minutes needs a verified account. YouTube recommends MP4 with H.264 at about 8 Mbps for 1080p. Custom thumbnails are 1280 × 720. Titles take 100 characters, descriptions 5,000.

Shorts

What counts: Square or vertical · up to 3 minutesFor videos uploaded on or after 15 October 2024.
Size we recommend: 1080 × 1920 (9:16)

Long videos

Limit: 256 GB or 12 hoursWhichever comes first. Over 15 minutes needs a verified account.
File: MP4 recommendedH.264, AAC audio, the moov atom at the front.
Bitrate, 1080p: About 8 Mbps12 Mbps at 48–60 fps.
Bitrate, 4K: 35–45 Mbps53–68 Mbps at 48–60 fps.

Thumbnail

Size: 1280 × 720 (16:9)At least 640 px wide.
File: JPG, PNG, GIF or BMPKeep it under 2 MB to be safe on every upload path; guides disagree on the desktop limit.

Text

Title: 100 characters
Description: 5,000 characters

What works on YouTube.

Keep a Short under 3 minutes and vertical, or it is filed as a long video.
Write the title to stand alone — it is what search and the Shorts feed show.
Put the link and the call to action in the first lines of the description.
Turn your best slide posts into Shorts: a voice over the pages makes a 30–60 second explainer.

WITH PAPERFLIGHT

Every slide post becomes a Short, without opening an editor.

PaperFlight draws feed posts at 1080 × 1350 (4:5) and full-screen video at 1080 × 1920 (9:16).
The post's one video — the slides timed to a voiceover, with music — goes to YouTube as a Short.
The description is the post's caption, inside 5,000 characters with your sign-off.
Your AI CMO plans the week, the team writes and designs each post, and you approve — or let it publish on its own.

Start your 7-day free trial No card. Founding price $199 a month while seats last.

Questions people ask.

What makes a video a YouTube Short?: Square or vertical and up to 3 minutes, for videos uploaded since 15 October 2024.
What size should a YouTube Short be?: Vertical 9:16; 1080 × 1920 is the usual size.
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?: 1280 × 720 (16:9), at least 640 px wide, as JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP.
How long can a YouTube video be?: Up to 12 hours or 256 GB. Over 15 minutes needs a verified account.

Hire the team. Keep your mornings.

PaperFlight is an AI CMO with its own team: it plans the week, writes and designs every post in your brand — at the right size for YouTube and seven other channels — publishes it and learns from the results. 7 days free, no card.

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Last checked 6 October 2026. Platforms change their specs often and some numbers come from their developer docs rather than the app — check the help pages before you rely on one.

YouTube specs,checked for 2026.