How do I upload a YouTube Short?

Open the YouTube app, tap the + button, choose "Create a Short," then record clips in-app or tap the gallery icon to upload an existing video. Trim it, add audio, text, and captions, tap Next, add a title and set your visibility, then tap Upload. On desktop, go to studio.youtube.com, click Create then Upload video, and select a vertical clip 3 minutes or shorter — YouTube classifies it as a Short automatically based on its length and shape.

Can I upload a YouTube Short from my computer?

Yes. Go to studio.youtube.com, click Create (the camera icon) then "Upload video," and select your file. As long as the video is 3 minutes or shorter and vertical or square, YouTube treats it as a Short — there's no separate desktop button for Shorts. Add a title, description, and visibility, complete the audience checks, and click Publish. Desktop upload is handy when you edit on a computer and want to publish without moving the file to your phone.

What makes a video count as a YouTube Short?

Two things: length and shape. A video is classified as a Short automatically when it's 3 minutes or shorter (raised from 60 seconds in October 2024) and vertical or square, with 9:16 being ideal. The #Shorts hashtag is optional now — YouTube no longer needs it to classify your video. If your clip is longer than 3 minutes or horizontal, it uploads as a regular video instead. You don't toggle a setting; the format decides.

Do I need to add #Shorts when I upload?

No. The #Shorts hashtag used to help YouTube identify Shorts, but classification now runs on length and aspect ratio — a video 3 minutes or shorter and vertical or square is treated as a Short whether or not you tag it. Adding #Shorts doesn't hurt and can aid discovery slightly, but it's not required and won't turn a horizontal or over-length video into a Short. Focus on the format and the hook rather than the tag.

What's the best format to upload a YouTube Short in?

Upload a vertical 9:16 video at 1080×1920 resolution for the cleanest result in the Shorts feed. Square (1:1) and 4:5 clips also qualify as Shorts but get cropped to fit. Export the highest-quality, high-bitrate file your device allows, ideally MP4 — YouTube re-encodes every upload, so a clean source looks better after processing. Avoid re-compressing an already-exported clip, which softens the final quality.

Why did my video upload as a regular video instead of a Short?

Almost always because it broke one of the two rules: it was longer than 3 minutes, or it wasn't vertical or square (a 16:9 horizontal video uploads as a normal video). Check the length and aspect ratio of your file before uploading. If it's within 3 minutes and shaped 9:16, YouTube will classify it as a Short automatically — you don't need a special setting, and re-uploading a correctly formatted version fixes it.

How long can a YouTube Short be when I upload it?

Up to 3 minutes. YouTube raised the maximum from 60 seconds to 3 minutes in October 2024, so any vertical or square video 3 minutes or shorter qualifies as a Short. The minimum is effectively a few seconds. Just because you can use the full 3 minutes doesn't mean you should — shorter clips usually hold retention better, and retention is what drives reach. Match the length to the idea rather than filling the cap.

Grow Creator Field Notes

How to Upload a YouTube Short (2026)

Updated Jul 13, 2026

How to upload a YouTube Short in 2026 — step by step on mobile and desktop, the 3-minute limit, the 9:16 format, and how to make sure it's classed as a Short.

To upload a YouTube Short, open the YouTube app, tap the + button, choose Create a Short, record or upload your clip, add a title and details, then tap Upload. On desktop, go to studio.youtube.com, click Create → Upload video, and select a vertical video three minutes or shorter. YouTube automatically classes any video that's 3 minutes or less and vertical or square as a Short — no special setting needed.

Key takeaways

Two ways in: the mobile app (record or upload in-app) or desktop upload at studio.youtube.com.
A video becomes a Short automatically when it's 3 minutes or shorter and vertical or square (9:16) — you don't toggle anything.
Ideal format is 1080×1920, 9:16 vertical. Square (1:1) and 4:5 also qualify but get cropped in the feed.
The #Shorts hashtag is optional now — YouTube classifies by length and shape, not the tag.
Upload the highest-quality file you can so YouTube's re-encode has good source material.

How do you upload a YouTube Short on mobile?

The mobile app is the fastest path and the one most creators use. Step by step:

Open the YouTube app and tap the + (create) button at the bottom.
Tap "Create a Short." You can record clips directly with the in-app camera or tap the gallery icon to upload a video you already filmed.
Edit the clip — trim it, add audio, text, captions, filters, and adjust timing.
Tap Next, then add a title (up to 100 characters) and set your audience and visibility.
Tap Upload (or Post). Your Short publishes and appears in the Shorts feed.

If you upload an existing video, make sure it's 3 minutes or shorter and vertical or square so YouTube treats it as a Short rather than a regular video.

How do you upload a YouTube Short from a computer?

You can publish Shorts from desktop through YouTube Studio — useful when you edit on a computer:

Go to studio.youtube.com and sign in.
Click "Create" (the camera icon, top right), then "Upload video."
Select your video file. As long as it's 3 minutes or shorter and vertical or square, YouTube will classify it as a Short.
Add a title and description, choose visibility, and complete the checks (audience, etc.).
Click Publish.

There's no separate "upload a Short" button on desktop — you upload a normal video, and its length and shape decide whether it's a Short. For the exact dimensions and safe zones, see our guide to YouTube Shorts aspect ratio and size.

What makes a video count as a Short?

YouTube classifies a video as a Short automatically based on two things:

Requirement	What qualifies
Length	3 minutes or shorter (raised from 60 seconds in Oct 2024)
Aspect ratio	Vertical or square — 9:16 is ideal; 1:1 and 4:5 also qualify
#Shorts hashtag	Optional — no longer required for classification

If your video is longer than 3 minutes or is horizontal (16:9), it uploads as a regular video, not a Short. For the full picture on limits, see how long a YouTube Short can be. If you're turning existing long videos into Shorts, how to turn long videos into Shorts free walks through the clip tools.

A few things to get right before you hit upload

Uploading is easy; uploading *well* takes a moment more. Export the highest-quality file your device allows — YouTube re-encodes every upload, so a clean, high-bitrate source looks noticeably better in the feed. Write a clear, specific title, since it's often the first thing a viewer reads. And check your first three seconds: the hook decides whether your Short gets watched or swiped past, which matters far more than any upload setting. Before publishing, Reel IQ scores whether your opening lands and whether the clip is built to hold attention. Once it's live, our guide to getting more views on YouTube Shorts covers what drives distribution.

Sources

YouTube Help — upload Shorts on a computer (desktop upload steps and Short classification).
YouTube Help — understand three-minute YouTube Shorts (3-minute limit and what counts as a Short).
YouTube Creators — official Shorts creation resources (mobile creation flow and tools).

Canonical: https://growcreator.pro/blog/how-to-upload-a-youtube-short