YouTube Shorts Guide: Sizes, Hooks, and SEO for Short-Form Video
Technical specs, title formulas, and description SEO for YouTube Shorts that get views from the Shorts feed and search.
8 min read
Technical specs
Upload vertical video at 9:16, ideally 1080×1920. Keep under 60 seconds for Shorts shelf eligibility (under 3 minutes still works as Shorts in 2026 but shelf favors shorter).
Add the #Shorts hashtag in title or description — YouTube uses it as one classification signal.
Titles and descriptions
Front-load keywords in the title. “5 Budget Meal Prep Ideas” beats “You Won’t Believe These Meals.”
Descriptions can include related keywords, a brief summary, and links. First 2 lines appear above the fold on mobile.
Repurpose from TikTok and Reels
Remove platform watermarks before cross-posting — YouTube may suppress videos with TikTok logos. Resize to 9:16 if exported square.
Rewrite titles for YouTube search intent; TikTok hooks optimized for FYP do not always match YouTube search behavior.
Put this guide into practice
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