AltF Creator

YouTube Shorts guide: length, size and what to check

YouTube Shorts are vertical or square videos up to three minutes long. Make them 1080 x 1920 (9:16), hook the viewer in the first second, keep text out of the bottom and right edges where buttons sit, and set a 9:16 custom thumbnail from YouTube Studio on a computer if your channel is verified.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Runs in your browser
  • Limits sourced from each platform
  • No fake scores or view predictions

Shorts specs at a glance

  • Length: up to 3 minutes.
  • Shape: vertical (9:16) or square (1:1).
  • Recommended size: 1080 x 1920.
  • Thumbnail: 9:16, minimum 640 pixels tall, set from YouTube Studio on a computer.
  • Title: the same 100-character limit as long videos, but the first few words do the work.

A first-Shorts checklist

  • Start on the action, not on a logo or greeting.
  • Put captions in the centre, clear of the bottom 20% of the screen.
  • End in a way that loops naturally back to the start.
  • Link the related long video so Shorts viewers can find it.
  • Post consistently for several weeks before judging results.

Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Character limits by platform

Text limits for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Facebook
PlatformFieldLimitShown before "more"Source
YouTubeVideo title100about 70YouTube Help Center(opens in a new tab)
YouTubeDescription5,000about 157YouTube Help Center(opens in a new tab)
YouTubeTags (all combined)500-YouTube Help Center(opens in a new tab)

Limits checked November 2026. "Shown before more" is approximate and changes with screen size. X's 280 characters is for standard accounts; Premium allows longer posts.

YouTube Shorts guide: length, size and what to check: questions and answers

How long can a YouTube Short be?

Up to three minutes, in a vertical or square format.

Can I turn a long video into Shorts?

Yes. Cut the strongest moments, reframe them to 9:16 with the vertical video reframer, and keep each one standing on its own.

Creator tools and guides

Full creator studioAll seven tools, the workflow, platform limits and the tool directory.YouTube title length checkerCheck a YouTube title's length, keyword position and readability, preview it as a search result, and compare two titles. Free, in your browser.YouTube chapters generator and timestamp checkerPaste your timestamps, fix every error YouTube would reject (00:00 start, 3+ chapters, 10 seconds each) and copy a clean chapter list for your description.Hashtag cleaner and counterPaste messy tags and get clean, unique hashtags checked against each platform's rules: YouTube's 60-hashtag cap, Instagram's 30, TikTok and X caption counts.Social media character limits, with a live checkerCharacter limits for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Facebook, with a live checker that shows what appears before "more".YouTube thumbnail size and requirementsYouTube thumbnail size, minimum width, file size limit and aspect ratio from YouTube Help, plus a calculator for any canvas and crop.Video aspect ratio and crop calculatorWork out video and image sizes for any aspect ratio, see how a 16:9 frame crops to 9:16 or 4:5, and use presets for YouTube, Shorts, Reels, TikTok and more.YouTube earnings calculator (with your own RPM)Estimate YouTube ad revenue from your own RPM and views, price a sponsorship from a CPM, and work out engagement rate. No made-up averages.Upload schedule planner and content calendarPick your posting days, add a working title to each slot and export the plan to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook as an .ics file.Instagram Reels guide: size, captions and hashtagsInstagram Reels size (1080 x 1920), caption limit (2,200 characters, ~125 shown), hashtag limit (30) and a checklist, with free checking tools.TikTok caption length and hashtag guideTikTok caption limit (4,000 characters), bio limit (80), username limit (24), how hashtags count and how to write captions that get read.The video creator workflow, step by stepA practical step-by-step video creator workflow from idea to analytics, with a free AltFTool tool for each stage.

69 free creator tools on AltFTool

Focused tools for one job each, grouped by the part of the work they help with. Each tool says whether it runs in your browser or uses a server.

Video editing and files

Captions, subtitles and transcripts

Titles, thumbnails and descriptions

See all 69 creator tools

Get your channel found

Links from real, relevant sites help a channel, podcast or portfolio show up in search. These AltFTool lists are checked by hand; pick the ones that fit your niche and skip any that ask you to pay for links.

Free backlink sitesA checked list of sites where you can list a channel, podcast or portfolio.Community and social sitesProfiles and communities where a creator link is allowed.Content platformsPlatforms where you can republish or embed your work.Free directory submissionsDirectories that accept a free listing.Image promptsPrompt ideas for thumbnails and channel art.Free AI toolsFree AI tools for scripts, voice and editing.

Everything you type into AltF Creator stays in your browser. Your upload plan is saved on this device only, and nothing is sent to AltFTool or any platform.