What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts are short, vertical videos on YouTube, shown in a swipeable feed, designed for quick viewing on phones.

Shorts give businesses a way to reach YouTube's huge audience without making long videos. They can attract new viewers who may then discover your longer content. Because the format is quick to make, it is a good fit for tips, product demos and behind-the-scenes clips.

You can record Shorts in the YouTube app or upload vertical videos. They appear in the Shorts feed, on your channel and in search results. You can add music, text and links to related long videos. Maximum length and features change over time, so check the current rules in the app.

Hook viewers in the first moments and keep one idea per Short. Add on-screen text for silent viewers. Link Shorts to longer videos to guide people deeper into your channel. Reuse your best short videos from other networks, but avoid visible watermarks from other apps.

Example

A guitar teacher posts daily YouTube Shorts showing one quick chord trick, linking each to a full lesson.