The Complete YouTube Shorts Size & Ratio Guide (2026)

When uploading YouTube Shorts, many creators find that their titles, kinetic captions, or visual hooks get cut off by the user interface overlays (like the thumbs up button, profile details, or sound link). To design premium Shorts that convert, you must edit with safety margins in mind.

Standard YouTube Shorts Dimensions

YouTube Shorts requires a vertical aspect ratio. The exact specifications are:

• Aspect Ratio: 9:16 vertical ratio (or 1:1 square, though vertical is highly recommended).
• Resolution: 1080 × 1920 pixels is standard. Do not upload in 4K directly as YouTube compression can cause rendering lag on mobile devices.
• Max Length: 60 seconds (including standard looping sequences).

The Unsafe Zones

Avoid placing critical visual assets, speakers' faces, or text inside the unsafe zones:

• Top 15% (approx. 290px): Reserved for search buttons, channel options, and header bars.
• Bottom 20% (approx. 380px): Reserved for channel name, subscribe buttons, descriptions, and the music track overlay.
• Right 10% (approx. 100px): Reserved for user actions (like, dislike, comment, share, and remix icons).

Keep your captions and key visual elements perfectly centered inside a 1080 × 1250 pixel safety box in the middle of your screen.