Shorts are YouTube's fastest discovery engine. Here's how to use them.
How the Shorts Algorithm Works
Separate from long-form. Shorts get tested in the Shorts shelf/feed based on: viewed vs swiped (most important), likes, and rewatches. Every Short gets a fair test regardless of channel size.
Best Practices
- Hook in 1 second — swipes are ruthless
- 15-35 seconds sweet spot
- Loopable endings boost rewatches
- Vertical 9:16, captions burned in
- Post 3-7 Shorts/week alongside long-form
- Repurpose TikToks/Reels (upload natively, no watermarks)
Converting Shorts Viewers
Pin a comment linking your best long video. Make Shorts that tease deeper content ("Full tutorial on my channel"). Related-video linking in Shorts now helps conversion.