YouTube Shorts are now 3 minutes: what counts as a Short in 2026

Short answer: a YouTube Short can be up to three minutes long. A video uploaded on or after October 15, 2024, with a square or vertical aspect ratio and a length of up to three minutes, is treated as a Short. (YouTube Help)

Before that change, Shorts were limited to 60 seconds. Here is what the three-minute rule means in practice.

What counts as a Short

Two things decide it, according to YouTube:

1. Shape: square or vertical. A horizontal video isn't a Short, whatever its length.
2. Length: up to three minutes.

You can upload three-minute Shorts from the YouTube app and from YouTube Studio.

What about older videos?

Nothing changes for them. A video uploaded before October 15, 2024 stays a long-form video, even if it is vertical and under three minutes. It keeps earning the way long-form videos do.

Official Artist Channels have a later date: for them, the rule applies to videos uploaded on or after December 8, 2025.

The one-minute copyright rule

This is the part that catches people out. YouTube says that any Short over one minute with an active Content ID claim, of any kind, including manual claims, is blocked worldwide. It can't be played or recommended, and it can't earn money.

YouTube adds that:

• your channel isn't penalised for it;
• you can remove the claimed content, or dispute the claim if you think it is wrong;
• once the claim is resolved, the Short becomes viewable again.

Shorts of one minute or less keep the same rules as before. So if your Short uses music or clips you don't own, keeping it under a minute is the safer choice.

Should you make longer Shorts?

Three minutes is a limit, not a target. A few questions help you choose:

• Does the idea need the time? Tutorials, stories and recipes often do. A single joke or reaction usually doesn't.
• Does it use music or clips you don't own? Then stay at one minute or less (see above).
• Would it work better as a long video? If it needs chapters, or works horizontally, a regular video may suit it better.

The best way to decide is to look at what is working in your niche right now, then test both lengths on your own channel.

How viralshooter labels Shorts

On viralshooter, the Short and Long tabs split charting videos by length alone: three minutes or less is "short". We don't see a video's shape, so a horizontal two-minute video counts as short on our board even though YouTube wouldn't call it a Short. It is a length filter, not YouTube's Shorts label.

See which short videos are charting right now, or browse the charts by country.

FAQ

How long can a YouTube Short be?

Up to three minutes, for square or vertical videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024.

My vertical two-minute video from 2023 isn't a Short. Why?

Videos uploaded before October 15, 2024 stay long-form videos.

Why was my Short blocked?

If it is over one minute and has an active Content ID claim, YouTube blocks it worldwide until the claim is resolved.