Schedule YouTube Shorts
YouTube treats vertical videos of up to 3 minutes as Shorts. Upload that kind of clip to a YouTube post in Postika and schedule it like any other video.
YouTube Shorts publishing specs
Limits Postika checks before scheduling
| Max video length | 3 min support.google.com |
|---|---|
| Video resolution | ≤ 1080p support.google.com |
| Caption length | 5000 bytes developers.google.com |
| Hashtags | 60 support.google.com |
| Video formats | MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI, WMV, FLV, 3GPP, MPEG4 support.google.com |
Official limits from the network's documentation (checked November 5, 2026). Postika enforces its own limits where they are lower.
Step by step
- 1
Export a vertical video of 3 minutes or less, up to 1080p.
- 2
Create a post in the brand's project and select the YouTube channel.
- 3
Upload the video (one per post).
- 4
Write the text. Postika checks the 5,000-character limit.
- 5
Preview and schedule, or leave it pending approval.
What makes a video a Short
There is no special upload type for Shorts. According to YouTube's help center, a video that is vertical and up to 3 minutes long is treated as a Short and appears in the Shorts feed. Anything longer, or horizontal, is a regular video.
That is why Postika does not have a Shorts toggle: it uploads the video, and YouTube decides based on the file. If you want a Short, make sure the export is vertical and no longer than 3 minutes. YouTube's help page does not give an exact ratio, so 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 is the safe choice.
Shorts best practices
- Hook in the first second. Shorts are swiped faster than any other YouTube format.
- Keep it tight. The limit is 3 minutes, but many of the best Shorts are 20 to 60 seconds.
- Use the description lightly. Viewers rarely open it; a single line and two or three hashtags are enough. YouTube ignores all hashtags on a video that has more than 60.
- Link to the long video. Shorts work well as trailers: cut a clip from your latest long video and mention it in the description.
- Keep a schedule. A Short at the same time three days a week is easier to sustain than a daily one you abandon.
One vertical clip, three networks
The same vertical video can go to Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Mind the differences: YouTube's Shorts cap is 3 minutes, TikTok's maximum depends on the account (up to 10 minutes via the API) and Instagram's Reels go up to 15 minutes. A clip under 60 seconds works everywhere.
In Postika, select the three channels in one post, or create three posts at different times with captions adapted to each audience.
Planning Shorts with your AI
Your AI can't upload the video over MCP, but it can plan the series: titles, descriptions and the posting grid. It creates YouTube drafts on the right days; you add each video in Postika.
Prompt: "Plan 6 YouTube Shorts from our webinar transcript, one every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 17:00 for two weeks. Write a one-line description with two hashtags for each and create them as drafts."
Setup in Claude for YouTube. More on YouTube formats in the YouTube scheduler guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you schedule YouTube Shorts?
Yes. YouTube Studio can schedule them, and so can Postika: upload a vertical video of up to 3 minutes to a YouTube post and pick a date and time.
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes, according to YouTube's help center. Longer videos are treated as regular videos.
Do I need #Shorts in the title or description?
YouTube's help center classifies Shorts by orientation and length. Adding #Shorts is optional; it does not turn a horizontal or long video into a Short.
Will my Short show up as a regular video?
If it is horizontal or longer than 3 minutes, yes. Check the export before uploading.
Keep reading
- Schedule YouTube videos and ShortsSchedule YouTube videos and Shorts from a calendar shared with your other networks. Postika checks the 5,000-character description and video-only rule.
- Schedule Instagram Reels ahead of timeSchedule Instagram Reels from a calendar: upload a vertical video, write the caption and Postika publishes it at your set time through Instagram's API.
- Schedule Instagram carouselsSchedule Instagram carousel posts with up to 10 images in Postika. Order the slides, write one caption and publish at the time you set.
- Schedule TikTok photo carouselsSchedule TikTok photo carousels with up to 35 images in Postika. Upload the photos, write the caption and publish automatically at your chosen time.
- YouTube descriptions by Claude, uploads scheduled in PostikaClaude writes YouTube descriptions with chapters and links from your script or transcript; you upload the video in Postika and approve. 5,000 characters.