PostEaseThe short answer
A YouTube end screen is a set of clickable elements laid over the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video. It points a viewer who has reached the end to what comes next: another video, a playlist, your subscribe button, another channel or, for channels in the YouTube Partner Program, a website.
YouTube’s Help Center describes it in one line: “End screens can be added to the last 5–20 seconds of a video. You can use them to promote other videos, encourage viewers to subscribe, and more.” You add one in YouTube Studio, in the video’s Editor, either while uploading or afterwards.
What an end screen can show
An end screen holds up to four elements on a standard 16:9 video; YouTube says other aspect ratios may have a lower limit. Each element is one of these types:
| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Video | Your most recent upload, the video YouTube picks as best for that viewer, or any public or unlisted video you choose |
| Playlist | A public YouTube playlist |
| Subscribe | A button to subscribe to your channel |
| Channel | Another channel, with a custom message |
| Link | An external website, for channels in the YouTube Partner Program |
End screen or info card
YouTube has a second way to point viewers elsewhere: info cards. Both are added in the same Editor, but they appear at different moments and behave differently. From YouTube’s Help Center:
| What differs | End screen | Info card |
|---|---|---|
| When it shows | The last 5 to 20 seconds of the video | From a start time you set, as a short teaser |
| How many | Up to four elements on a 16:9 video | Up to five cards per video |
| What it can feature | Video, playlist, subscribe, channel, link | Video, playlist, channel, link |
| External links | Partner Program channels only | Partner Program channels only |
| Made for kids | Not shown | Not shown |
Rules to know before you edit
YouTube lists several conditions on its end screens page:
- The video has to be at least 25 seconds long to have an end screen.
- End screens aren’t available on videos set as made for kids, and viewers won’t see one added earlier once a video is set that way. YouTube’s audience settings page explains why: made-for-kids content has features restricted to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and “cards or end screens” are on that list.
- Viewers can’t see them on mobile web (iPad mobile web is the exception), in the YouTube Music or YouTube Kids apps, or in 360 videos.
- Card teasers and video watermarks are hidden while the end screen shows.
- Viewers can hide end screens, and YouTube says one “may not always show, or may show differently than designed” as it adjusts them to performance, viewer behaviour, device and context.
Making one that gets clicked
YouTube’s best practices start in the edit, not in Studio: “Make sure you leave enough space and time at the end of the video for an end screen. Make sure you consider the video’s last 20 seconds when editing it.” A closing shot with room on screen, rather than talking over the elements, gives them space to land.
It also suggests featuring elements relevant to the video, asking for the click out loud with a call to action for each element, using a custom image of at least 300 by 300 pixels, and timing elements to appear at different moments rather than all at once.
To see whether it works, open the video’s Analytics in YouTube Studio and the Engagement tab: “End screen element click rate” shows how often viewers click. Across the channel, the “Top end screen element types” and “Top videos by end screen” cards compare what earns clicks.
End screens and PostEase
PostEase uploads a YouTube video at the time you schedule, with its title, description and cover. It does not add end screens or cards; add them in YouTube Studio’s Editor once the video is uploaded. When you edit in PostEase Studio, keep the last 20 seconds free of on-screen text so the elements have room.
Questions
How long does a video need to be for an end screen?
At least 25 seconds. The end screen itself can run over the last 5 to 20 seconds.
Can I link to my website from an end screen?
Only if your channel is in the YouTube Partner Program. Every channel can use video, playlist, subscribe and channel elements.
Why is my end screen not showing?
YouTube lists several reasons: the video is set as made for kids, the viewer is on mobile web or in YouTube Music or YouTube Kids, the viewer has hidden end screens, or YouTube has changed how it shows based on device and context.
What is the difference between an end screen and a card?
An end screen shows in the last 5 to 20 seconds with up to four elements. Cards appear from a time you set during the video, up to five per video, and cannot include a subscribe button.
Sources
- YouTube, Add end screens to videos, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Add info cards to videos, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Set your channel or video’s audience, checked October 2026.