YouTube Question Understanding how #shorts work???

[Avocado]

Hey everyone, I started a new channel just for shorts. I think I am doing it right. To be put in the "shorts" category and found in the youtube shorts all you have to do is tag #short in the youtube description correct? I tried to find a button that said it was a short, but couldn't find one.

 

[The Kitchen Gamer]

Hey everyone, I started a new channel just for shorts. I think I am doing it right. To be put in the "shorts" category and found in the youtube shorts all you have to do is tag #short in the youtube description correct? I tried to find a button that said it was a short, but couldn't find one. https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAvocadoShowTV

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfzB-4kuGKA

To my understanding I've had to do 1080x1920 resolution and then also in the title you've got to include #Shorts title and then it'll be on the Shorts shelf.

 

[Avocado]

So good news! My newest video is in the shorts category. I didn't have to put it in the title. However, I did add #short #shorts in the description. So maybe this is all we have to do?

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

Sorry @Avocado had to edit the link. Can't post those here.

As far as how shorts work, here are the rules:
1. The video must be less than 60 seconds.
2. The video should be in vertical format. This is not a requirement... but they perform better if its vert.
3. It should include #Shorts in the Title or Description. This is also not a requirement, but it does help YouTube to find Shorts videos and put them on the Shorts shelf for discovery.

The algorithm they use is obviously real similar to Tik Tok and Reels, they just want to plaster content out there so discovery is a little different. While the numbers are going to be really weird compared to regular videos the same basic principles apply; watchtime and CTR are the metrics by which success is determined. The one catch is that while you can and should apply custom thumbnails, SEO etc (for discovery purposes outside the Shelf) YouTube gets to pick a screen-grab for your thumbnail on the Short Shelf. You can't affect that and it is total luck of the draw.

 

[MattCommand1]

Sorry @Avocado had to edit the link. Can't post those here.

As far as how shorts work, here are the rules:
1. The video must be less than 60 seconds.
2. The video should be in vertical format. This is not a requirement... but they perform better if its vert.
3. It should include #Shorts in the Title or Description. This is also not a requirement, but it does help YouTube to find Shorts videos and put them on the Shorts shelf for discovery.

The algorithm they use is obviously real similar to Tik Tok and Reels, they just want to plaster content out there so discovery is a little different. While the numbers are going to be really weird compared to regular videos the same basic principles apply; watchtime and CTR are the metrics by which success is determined. The one catch is that while you can and should apply custom thumbnails, SEO etc (for discovery purposes outside the Shelf) YouTube gets to pick a screen-grab for your thumbnail on the Short Shelf. You can't affect that and it is total luck of the draw.

1. I always thought that Shorts MUST be vertical.
2. I also thought you MUST have the #shorts tag to "officially" be considered a Shorts video. Are you saying YT will still treat it like a Short even if it is not tagged accordingly or don't want it to? What if I simply want a short video that qualifies for normal Search & Discovery and watch time?

And regarding thumbnails, I heard you can't really choose it directly so what I did (as an experiment) was embed an image for the first second and it comes up as one of the 3 thumbnail options. I have only produced 2 shorts but the image in the first second does seem to allow to choose one as an option. However, you may be referring to something else?

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

Shorts are not required to be vertical... but a couple bigger creators (including Mr. Beast) ran tests on horizontal Shorts videos and they did not perform nearly as well. You are not required to have #Shorts in the title/description, that is simply put in place to help YouTube index them faster. In fact YouTube went back and retroactively made every video ever uploaded in vertical format that was under 60 seconds a Shorts video. 'Shorts' are really nothing more than a new category of video, but they do want the new content to be the stuff that shows up most prevalently on the shelf.

I love your idea of 'burning in' a thumbnail to the video... though YouTube will have to automatically select that shot in order for it to actually be the Shelf Thumbnail of the video. So it is still a bit of a crapshoot in that regards... but a god idea and one that I would advise you continue.

 

[MattCommand1]

Shorts are not required to be vertical... but a couple bigger creators (including Mr. Beast) ran tests on horizontal Shorts videos and they did not perform nearly as well. You are not required to have #Shorts in the title/description, that is simply put in place to help YouTube index them faster. In fact YouTube went back and retroactively made every video ever uploaded in vertical format that was under 60 seconds a Shorts video. 'Shorts' are really nothing more than a new category of video, but they do want the new content to be the stuff that shows up most prevalently on the shelf.

It doesn't surprise me that horizontal videos wouldn't perform well. The Short video viewing interface on the phone is nearly identical to TikTok (vertical).

In regards to YT retroactively going back and making every vertical video less than 60 seconds a Short, that means they EXCLUDED horizontal videos less than 60 seconds? Sorry if I am being dense here. If I want to keep it OUT of Shorts, can I make a horizontal video less than 60 seconds?

I am not saying I will not make Shorts videos again but it is clear to me that Shorts are its own category of video. I did a couple just for the experience. In my mind, the rules are very different and I want to be clear where the lines are at. I am still very much a long-form video person that wants evergreen content, SEO juice, and watch times counted.

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

It doesn't surprise me that horizontal videos wouldn't perform well. The Short video viewing interface on the phone is nearly identical to TikTok (vertical).

In regards to YT retroactively going back and making every vertical video less than 60 seconds a Short, that means they EXCLUDED horizontal videos less than 60 seconds? Sorry if I am being dense here. If I want to keep it OUT of Shorts, can I make a horizontal video less than 60 seconds?

I am not saying I will not make Shorts videos again but it is clear to me that Shorts are its own category of video. I did a couple just for the experience. In my mind, the rules are very different and I want to be clear where the lines are at. I am still very much a long-form video person that wants evergreen content, SEO juice, and watch times counted.

I don't think so... I think they included horizontal videos as well. I can't confirm that but from everything I know the only thing that really makes a video a 'Shorts' video is being under 60 seconds and I believe they re-indexed all videos under 60 seconds as Shorts.

 

[Super Cooper Hobbies]

I don't think so... I think they included horizontal videos as well. I can't confirm that but from everything I know the only thing that really makes a video a 'Shorts' video is being under 60 seconds and I believe they re-indexed all videos under 60 seconds as Shorts.

This just seems like youtube forcing their shorts more. It would be much simpler if you just had to tag #shorts for it to be a short, otherwise, if you've made short videos before, but not as a short, now they're showing up as shorts, which isn't great for the audience if its a horizontal video.

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

This just seems like youtube forcing their shorts more. It would be much simpler if you just had to tag #shorts for it to be a short, otherwise, if you've made short videos before, but not as a short, now they're showing up as shorts, which isn't great for the audience if its a horizontal video.

It doesn't force them more... aside from formatting the only thing that makes a Short video different from other videos is their eligibility for the Shorts shelf. They are simply re-categorized, and unless you are physically on the Shorts shelf looking for these videos then you are not going to get served these videos any more than you normally would have. As regular videos Shorts can not gain near as much watch time as a regular video, and are therefore not served out as much (on average) as regular videos. The Shorts shelf simply gives these videos an avenue to be seen.

 

[Kezito]

Add #shorts at the end of your title

 

[Melodet]

I think whether you put #shorts or not, YT detects it & categorizes if it's under 60 and vertical. Mine never had any #shorts and they put it in the shelf just cuz of the vert &<60.

 

[Scott C]

I have managed to get my hamster telling jokes #shorts up to about 1,000 views. It seems that after the day I post one, I get 1,000 views from 7am to 8 am EST from the Shorts Feed, and then it stops almost completely. Is anyone else seeing this pattern and know why this is happening?