Guide
YouTube Shorts export settings
Use a portrait master for a full-screen Short and keep the export consistent with your source. Square or vertical videos up to three minutes qualify under YouTube's current Shorts rules for new uploads; 9:16 is a useful portrait choice rather than the only accepted shape.
By LoopBatch · Checked 7 October 2026
- What you will have
- A reviewed portrait export and a record of its measurements.
- What you need
- An edited video, its original frame rate and an export menu.
- How long it takes
- One export and a full playback check; rendering time varies.
Before you start
- Confirm the final timeline duration and whether the source is standard or high frame rate.
- Review music rights, especially for Shorts longer than one minute.
Start with a practical portrait export
| Setting | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920, 9:16 |
| Container and video | MP4 with H.264 |
| Frame rate | Match the recorded frame rate |
| Audio | AAC-LC, 48 kHz |
| Colour | BT.709 for SDR |
The portrait canvas is our practical starting point. YouTube's encoding page supplies the container, codec, audio and frame-rate guidance; it covers uploads generally rather than a special Shorts-only preset.
Check eligibility separately from encoding
YouTube's current help page describes new square or vertical uploads of up to three minutes as Shorts. A wide horizontal file can encode correctly and still be the wrong shape for that classification.
Shorts over one minute with an active Content ID claim are blocked globally under the cited rule. A successful dimension check does not check music rights or resolve claims. Review that before treating the upload as ready.
Inspect the actual exported file
Watch the exported file rather than only the editor preview. Check small captions, moving edges, the opening frame and the final word of narration. Avoid forcing a higher frame rate just because the export menu offers it.
Read dimensions and duration with the checker, and enter frame rate from your editor. It does not decode the audio or verify the H.264 profile. Keep those checks in the export menu.
The steps
Choose a 9:16 portrait timeline and position the subject and captions deliberately.
Export MP4/H.264 with the source frame rate and suitable audio settings.
Select YouTube Short in the checker and review all measured limits.
Watch the complete export and review music and AI disclosure before publishing.
Check the result
- The export is square or vertical and within the intended Shorts duration.
- The audio starts and ends cleanly, and captions remain readable.
- Codec settings and rights were reviewed separately from measurement checks.
If something goes wrong
- If the video appears horizontal, check the timeline canvas as well as the export resolution.
- If a longer Short is blocked, inspect the Content ID notice; changing bitrate does not resolve a music claim.
Sources and assumptions
These sources were checked on the dates shown. Product limits and planning advice are identified separately from platform requirements.
- YouTube Help: recommended upload encoding settings, read 7 October 2026
- YouTube Help: understanding three-minute Shorts, read 7 October 2026
Common questions
Does a Short have to be 9:16?
YouTube's cited rule allows square or vertical videos. This guide recommends a 9:16 master for a portrait presentation.
Related pages
Put the plan into practice
Build a workflow you can run again.
Describe your content, review the estimate and approve the finished post before it goes out.