How to schedule YouTube Shorts, and make sure they land as Shorts
Schedule a Short in YouTube Studio like any upload. Whether it lands as a Short depends on shape and length, not #Shorts. The steps, the rules, the catches.
Short answer
Yes. In YouTube Studio on a computer, upload the video, and on the Visibility step choose Schedule and set a date, time and time zone. It stays private until then. It lands as a Short only if it is square or vertical and three minutes or less, and a Short can't be a Premiere.
How to schedule a Short in YouTube Studio
- 1Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer.
- 2Click Create, then Upload videos, and choose a square or vertical video of three minutes or less.
- 3Add the title and description, and answer Audience: whether the video is made for kids. YouTube requires an answer.
- 4On the Visibility step, choose Schedule.
- 5Set the date, time and time zone, then click Schedule.
The Short stays private until its time and then turns public on its own. YouTube's upload page takes up to 15 files at once, and if you close the window before the Visibility step, the video is saved as private rather than lost.
Can you schedule a Short in the app?
YouTube's scheduling page says you can also use the YouTube app, but it only gives the steps for a computer. The phone upload steps YouTube publishes, for both the YouTube app and the YouTube Studio app, end with an upload button and don't mention scheduling. If your app shows a Schedule option on the visibility screen, it works the same way; if not, upload from a computer.
What makes an upload a Short
| Rule | What YouTube says |
|---|---|
| Shape | Square or vertical |
| Length | Three minutes or less, for videos uploaded on or after 15 October 2024 |
| Uploaded earlier | A square or vertical video over 60 seconds uploaded before 15 October 2024 stays a regular video, even if you publish it later |
| #Shorts | Not mentioned on YouTube's Shorts pages or its hashtag page |
| Premiere | A Short can't be a Premiere |
| Copyright claim | A Short over one minute with an active copyright claim is blocked worldwide |
When a scheduled Short shows up as a regular video, check those first: too long, too wide, or uploaded as a private video before October 2024 and only scheduled now. The title, description and tag limits are on the YouTube Shorts limits page.
Does a Short need #Shorts in the title?
No YouTube page says so. YouTube's page on what counts as a Short uses only the video's shape and length, and neither its Shorts pages nor its hashtag page mentions the tag. Adding it does no harm, and some tools, PostDaily included, add it when you choose Short, but it isn't what makes the video a Short.
Thumbnails for scheduled Shorts
A custom thumbnail needs a verified channel, and phone verification is enough. In YouTube Studio, a Short's custom thumbnail can only be added on a computer, at 9:16. Since 3 November 2026, apps using YouTube's API can set one too, once YouTube has finished processing the video.
Change a scheduled Short's time
- 1In YouTube Studio, open Content, then the Shorts tab.
- 2Select the Short and open its Visibility setting.
- 3Keep it Private and pick a new date and time under Schedule, or choose Public to publish it now.
Scheduling Shorts with PostDaily
Attach a vertical video and PostDaily picks Short for you when it is three minutes or less, and warns when a Short runs longer. It asks the made-for-kids question YouTube requires, then lets you set the title, description, tags and up to 5 first comments, which publish under the Short once it is live. The same video can go to TikTok and Instagram Reels in the same post, each with its own caption, scheduled up to 12 months ahead.
PostDaily uploads the Short at the time you chose, not days early. Files are capped by plan: 25 MB on Free, 50 MB on Starter, 100 MB on Pro and 250 MB on Agency. A JPEG or PNG attached with the video becomes its thumbnail where YouTube allows one, and the Short still publishes if YouTube refuses it. Each field is explained in upload to YouTube, and how to schedule YouTube videos covers longer uploads.
YouTube Shorts scheduling questions
Can you schedule YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Upload the Short in YouTube Studio and choose Schedule on the Visibility step. It stays private until the time you set.
Can you schedule a YouTube Short on your phone?
YouTube documents the steps for a computer only. Its phone upload steps don't include scheduling, so use YouTube Studio on a computer or a scheduling app.
Do I need to add #Shorts?
No YouTube page says so. A video counts as a Short by its shape and length: square or vertical, and three minutes or less.
Can a Short be a Premiere?
No. YouTube doesn't support Premieres for Shorts, so schedule it as a normal upload instead.
Do scheduled Shorts get fewer views?
YouTube says publish time isn't known to affect a video's long-term performance. Do scheduled posts get less views? has what every network has said.
Last checked against YouTube Help and the YouTube Data API documentation.
