3:00 · square
600 × 600 px
Length and shape fitYouTube Shorts reference
YouTube Shorts length: up to 3 minutes
YouTube Shorts length can be up to 3 minutes (180 seconds) for square or vertical videos on standard channels. Check your video with the free tool below, or let Postdom turn your website into ready-to-post Shorts in your brand and post the ones you approve.
Updated
The standard-channel rule covers uploads on or after October 15, 2024. YouTube's guidance has separate rules for Official Artist Channels and channels linked to a music Content Owner.
Free YouTube Shorts length checker
Enter your running time in seconds or m:ss, plus your width and height. The checker tells you whether to trim or reframe. It is free and nothing is uploaded.
Enter your video's duration and pixel dimensions. This checks the values you enter, not the file. Nothing is uploaded here.
Use whole seconds or m:ss. Check the exact timeline for a fractional export; do not round an over-limit export down.
Enter a duration to start, or try an example.
Channel type, upload date, music/copyright, encoding, file size and YouTube's final response are not checked.
What is the YouTube Shorts length limit?
The limit includes 3:00; 3:01 is too long. The video also has to be square or vertical: a width no greater than its height.
A landscape video needs reframing. Trimming it does not change its shape.
3:01 · vertical
600 × 900 px
Trim 1 second or more3:00 · landscape
900 × 600 px
Reframe the picture| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Maximum length | 3 minutes (180 seconds) |
| Shape | Square or vertical: width no greater than height |
| Applies to | Standard channels, for videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 |
| Full-screen export | Vertical, the shape of a phone screen |
How long can YouTube Shorts be
Up to 3 minutes. Treat that as a ceiling, not a target. Finish when the viewer has the answer or has seen the result, and cut repeated lines rather than padding to fill the time.
If the story needs more than 3 minutes, cut a self-contained excerpt or post a regular YouTube video instead.
For when to post them, see the best time to post on YouTube, which has a Shorts section, and for the steps, how to make YouTube Shorts.
YouTube Shorts size
YouTube publishes no required pixel size for Shorts. What it sets is the shape: square or vertical, with a width no greater than the height, up to 3 minutes long.
For a Short that fills the phone screen, export vertical 9:16, such as 1080 by 1920 pixels. That is a common convention, not a YouTube rule, and a square video still counts as a Short. A bigger canvas does not sharpen a blurry source, so start from the clearest footage you have.
YouTube Shorts dimensions
YouTube Shorts dimensions are set by shape, not by a pixel count: a Short must be square or vertical, with a width no greater than its height, and up to 3 minutes long on standard channels. A 1080 by 1080 square and a 1080 by 1920 vertical video both qualify.
A landscape video does not count as a Short, however short it is, so reframe it rather than trimming it. Postdom's own upload limits for YouTube are MP4 or MOV (QuickTime), up to 500 MiB (524,288,000 bytes).
YouTube Shorts requirements
Length and shape come from YouTube's guidance. Format and file size are Postdom's upload limits: MP4 or MOV (QuickTime), up to 500 MiB (524,288,000 bytes).
| Setting | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Shorts length | 3 minutes | A ceiling, not a target you need to fill. Length alone does not establish Shorts classification or publishing eligibility.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Standard-channel upload rule | Standard channels: square or vertical, up to 3 minutes, uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 | This transition applies to standard channels. Official Artist Channels and channels linked to a music Content Owner have separate guidance in the source.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Width compared with height | 1:1 (width no greater than height) | Compare width with height. The combined standard-channel shape check is available only when the ratio reference agrees with the square-or-vertical qualification.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Minimum Shorts duration | Not published | The qualification source used here does not specify a minimum. This does not mean a zero-length video is valid.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Minimum Shorts pixel resolution | Not published | No Shorts-specific minimum pixel preset is specified in the encoding source used here.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Recommended Shorts pixel resolution | Not published | No Shorts-specific recommended pixel preset is supplied by the source used here. Page examples are illustrations.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Preferred Shorts aspect ratio | Not published | The qualification source gives a square-or-vertical rule, not a separate preferred ratio.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
| Postdom video upload types | MP4 or MOV (QuickTime) | Postdom accepts these video content types. This is not an exhaustive list of formats YouTube itself supports.Source · Verified August 29, 2026. |
Evidence reference: ARCHITECTURE.md#4-data-model · Verified August 21, 2026. These HTTP declaration checks do not mean every released upload client supplies those fields.
Questions about YouTube Shorts length
What is the maximum YouTube Shorts length?
3 minutes for square or vertical videos uploaded to standard channels on or after October 15, 2024. Length and shape alone do not confirm copyright clearance or Shorts classification.
Can a YouTube Short be square?
Yes. Square counts alongside vertical, because the width is no greater than the height. Landscape needs reframing.
Is there a minimum length for a Short?
The sources used here do not state a minimum Shorts length or a required pixel size.
Why is my video not showing as a Short?
Check the exported length and shape, your channel type and upload date, and any copyright notice. Artist channels and music-linked channels follow separate guidance.
Can Postdom make YouTube Shorts for me?
Yes. Postdom turns your website into ready-to-post videos in your brand and posts the ones you approve to YouTube Shorts, on any plan. Nothing posts until you approve it.
Are YouTube Shorts three minutes now?
Yes. YouTube counts square or vertical videos up to 3 minutes as Shorts on standard channels, for videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 (YouTube Help). Artist channels follow separate guidance.
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