PostEaseThe short answer
A YouTube Short is a vertical video of up to 3 minutes, watched full screen in the Shorts feed, where viewers swipe from one to the next. YouTube takes Shorts vertical, up to 1080p, with a 9:16 thumbnail. Shorts are shown to people who have never seen your channel, which makes them the cheapest way for a small channel to be found.
They are now where most views happen and where attention is shortest. Metricool’s 2026 study of 799,718 YouTube videos found Shorts views rose more than 127% on the year before, while average view duration fell to roughly 16 seconds a Short.
Short size and length
The figures, from YouTube Help:
| What | Size or limit |
|---|---|
| Short | Vertical, up to 1080p |
| Length | Up to 3 minutes |
| Shorts thumbnail | 9:16, up to 2160 × 3840 |
| Thumbnail minimum | At least 640 pixels tall |
What the 2026 data shows
Metricool compared 2025 with 2026 across 799,718 videos from 71,177 accounts. Its figures, which it says show correlation rather than cause:
| Measure | 2026 against 2025 |
|---|---|
| Shorts views | Up more than 127% |
| Share of organic views from the Shorts feed | More than 61% |
| Average view duration per Short | Down about 67%, to roughly 16 seconds |
| Small accounts (2,000 to 10,000 subscribers) | Shorts views up more than 200%, interactions up 42% |
| Best rate per Short | 2 to 4 uploads a week |
How Shorts help long videos
In the same study, channels that posted about 5 Shorts a month had long videos averaging 8,789 views, against 4,364 for channels with no Shorts. Channels posting 35 or more a month fell back to roughly the no-Shorts level. A few Shorts went with stronger long videos; a flood went with weaker ones. Use Shorts as a way in to the channel, not a replacement for it.
Making Shorts that work
Two findings shape what to make:
- Earn the first second. Sprout Social finds watching rather than swiping is the top Shorts signal, so open with the thing the Short is about.
- Keep it short. With most Shorts watched for about 16 seconds, a Short that lands its point early is watched to the end.
- Use hashtags sparingly. Metricool found Shorts with hashtags had about 10% fewer views, though nearly 9% more engagement.
- Point to a long video. A Short works as a way in; link the long video that goes deeper.
Questions
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes, according to YouTube Help. Most are watched for far less: Metricool’s 2026 study put average view duration at roughly 16 seconds a Short.
What size is a YouTube Short?
Vertical, up to 1080p, which is 1080 × 1920 pixels at 9:16. The Shorts thumbnail is 9:16 too, up to 2160 × 3840.
How many Shorts should I post a week?
Metricool found each Short performed best per post at 2 to 4 uploads a week, and channels posting about 5 a month had stronger long videos than channels posting none or dozens.
Do Shorts help a small channel grow?
Yes, in Metricool’s 2026 data: accounts with 2,000 to 10,000 subscribers saw Shorts views rise more than 200%. Shorts are shown to people who have never seen the channel.
Sources
- YouTube, Video resolution and aspect ratios, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Add video thumbnails on YouTube, checked October 2026.
- Metricool, YouTube trends 2026: what 799,718 videos tell us about views, Shorts, and watch time, July 2026.
- Sprout Social, YouTube algorithm: how it works and tips to optimize, May 2026.