3:00 · square
600 × 600 px
Length and shape fitYouTube Shorts length: check your video
YouTube Shorts length can be up to 3 minutes (180 seconds) for square or vertical videos on standard channels. Check your video's running time and shape below to see whether you need to trim or reframe it.
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.
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 ceiling includes 3:00; 3:01 is too long. Shape matters as well: square and vertical frames meet the shape rule, while landscape needs reframing.
3:01 · vertical
600 × 900 px
Trim 1 second or more3:00 · landscape
900 × 600 px
Reframe the picturePixel dimensions are illustrative inputs, not presets or minimums. These examples show length and shape only, not a complete copyright, classification or acceptance check.
How long should your finished edit be?
Finish when the viewer has the answer or has seen the result. A demonstration may need its setup and intermediate steps; a quick reveal may not. Do not add an intro or repeat the takeaway just to fill the allowance.
- Keep the useful part. Watch once for the story and once for the picture. Remove repeated sentences and leftover footage, but keep pauses that let the viewer see what happened.
- Check the final export. Use its actual duration and dimensions, not a rounded label. If it is too long, trim and export again. Changing the title cannot shorten the file. Then check the finished Short's full file specs before handoff.
- Choose a different cut if needed. If the story needs more than 3 minutes, make a self-contained excerpt or use a regular YouTube video. Postdom's destination here is for Shorts, not long-form publishing.
There is no evidence-backed universal engagement-duration target in the sources used here. Compare your own videos to learn which edits hold attention; see what Shorts metrics Postdom can report.
What to fix before you try again
The video is landscape
Use a square or vertical canvas. Crop only if the subject and text stay visible throughout; otherwise, fit the whole picture with padding. Do not stretch it. Check the new export, not just the editor preview.
The length and shape fit, but the video is blocked or not a Short
Read the actual upload or publishing result. Check the channel type and upload timing against YouTube's standard-channel and artist-channel guidance, then read any copyright notice. Music and claimed-content restrictions are separate from this helper; the same official guide explains them.
Which requirements are checked?
The table separates YouTube's length and shape guidance from Postdom's upload-format support. “Not published” means the cited source does not provide that specific value. It is not zero or a promise that every file works.
| 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. |
Postdom's file-size cap is separate: 500 MiB (524,288,000 bytes). This is not YouTube's provider-wide maximum. Check the exported byte size too.
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.
What is the next step once your video fits?
Finish the video in your editor, then choose your publishing method in the YouTube Shorts scheduling guide. It covers Studio and Postdom, including approvals, timing and checking the result.
Postdom publishes supplied videos to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, Facebook Reels, X, Snapchat Spotlight, Threads and Bluesky. It does not generate, trim or reframe them. An agent can submit an accepted existing video URL or already-stored media handle; a declared-value check is not a tested upload of your file.
The released MCP publish_video tool uses private visibility for YouTube Shorts. It also sends madeForKids: false and containsSyntheticMedia: true, with no tool arguments to change them. Have a person review the exact video, title, audience and disclosure before approving it. Stop if those settings do not fit. Tool permission is not human approval, and a private success is not a public release.
Read the publish_video request and result reference and YouTube Shorts destination reference. No authenticated YouTube publication was performed for this guide.
Questions before you upload
What is the YouTube Shorts length limit?
For standard channels, the rule includes 3:00 (180 seconds); 3:01 is over it. The video must be square or vertical and uploaded on or after October 15, 2024. Length and shape alone do not confirm copyright clearance, final Shorts classification or publishing acceptance.
Does a square video count, or does it have to be vertical?
Square is included alongside vertical. Width must be no greater than height: a maximum width-to-height ratio of 1:1. A landscape video needs reframing; shortening it does not change its shape.
What is the best length for a YouTube Short?
Treat 3 minutes as the maximum, not an editing target. Keep the setup, demonstration and result the viewer needs, then remove repetition. There is no evidence-backed universal engagement-duration target in the sources used here.
Is there a minimum length or required pixel size?
The cited sources do not specify a minimum Shorts duration or a Shorts-specific minimum or recommended pixel-resolution preset. This page therefore does not give you a minimum or an export preset. Positive whole-number declarations are a Postdom HTTP upload API requirement, not a published YouTube minimum.
Why might my video still not appear as a Short?
Check the exported duration and shape, the channel type and upload timing, then any copyright notice and actual publishing status. Official Artist Channels and channels linked to a music Content Owner have separate transition guidance. This helper cannot inspect the file or determine YouTube's final classification.
What file size and format can I use with Postdom?
Postdom's video-upload cap is 500 MiB (524,288,000 bytes), with MP4 or MOV (QuickTime) accepted. These are Postdom upload boundaries, not YouTube's full list of formats or provider-wide maximum. Passing length and shape checks does not check these other requirements.