- What a YouTube end screen needs before you can add one
- Adding end screens on YouTube in Studio, step by step
- Choosing an end screen element on YouTube
- Timing and placing a YouTube end screen element
- Using a template for a YouTube end screen
- Where YouTube end screens won't appear
- Removing or changing a YouTube end screen element
- Checking whether your YouTube end screens are working
- If you can't add a YouTube end screen
- Frequently asked questions
To add end screens on YouTube, open YouTube Studio on a computer, select Content, click your video, then choose Editor and End screen, add an element and click Save. The video must be at least 25 seconds long, and end screens sit in the last 5 to 20 seconds.
The last few seconds of a video are the most wasted real estate on most channels. The viewer has just finished something you made, they're warm, and then the video simply stops. An end screen is how you point them at the next thing, whether that's another video, a playlist or your subscribe button.
This is especially handy if you run a business channel, because it keeps people inside your own content instead of drifting off to whatever YouTube suggests. I've followed YouTube's own help page for every step below, so the details match what the platform says.
What a YouTube end screen needs before you can add one
According to YouTube's help page, there are a few conditions to meet first:
- End screens can only sit in the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video.
- The video must be at least 25 seconds long.
- You can add up to 4 elements on a 16:9 video. Other aspect ratios may allow fewer.
- The video can't be set as made for kids.
If a video is shorter than 25 seconds, you'll simply see no way to add one, which is the quickest explanation for the missing option.
Adding end screens on YouTube in Studio, step by step
YouTube's help page gives these steps for a computer:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Select Content from the left menu, then click the video you want to edit.
- Select Editor, then select End screen.
- Choose an element type and add it.
- Click Save.
The Studio app on a phone isn't covered by that page, so I can't give you official phone steps. If you need to set an end screen up, do it on a computer; you'll have more room to place things anyway.
Choosing an end screen element on YouTube
The platform offers several element types, and picking the right ones matters more than adding all of them. Here's what the help page lists:
| Element | What it does |
|---|---|
| Apply template | A preset group of elements that you can customise |
| Video | Your latest upload, a video YouTube picks for the viewer, or one you choose yourself |
| Playlist | A public playlist |
| Subscribe | Prompts viewers to hit subscribe |
| Channel promotion | Promotes another channel with a custom message |
| Link | An external website; YouTube says this is for YouTube Partner Program members |
My own habit is to keep it simple: one video and one subscribe button. A crowded end screen asks the viewer to make a decision, and a viewer faced with five choices often makes none.
Timing and placing a YouTube end screen element
Once an element is added, YouTube lets you fine-tune it. To change timing, drag the ends of the element's bar on the timeline, or type in exact times. To change where it sits, drag it around in the player. The help page mentions a grid with options to snap to the grid or snap to another element, which helps keep things lined up.
You can preview your work with the play button in the player. Do that before saving, and check the elements don't cover anything important in your closing shot, like a web address you've put on screen.
Using a template for a YouTube end screen
If you'd rather not build the layout from nothing, Apply template gives you a ready-made arrangement. YouTube says you can customise it afterwards, so it works as a starting point rather than a fixed design. It's the sensible route if you add end screens to lots of videos and want them to look consistent across your channel.
Pair that consistency with a recording that leaves room: speak your closing line, then leave a few quiet seconds so the elements aren't fighting with your face. If you're still preparing the video itself, my guide to uploading a video to YouTube covers the step before this one.
Where YouTube end screens won't appear
This catches people out. YouTube's help page says end screens aren't available:
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- For videos set as made for kids.
- In the YouTube Music app.
- On mobile web, except iPad mobile web.
- On 360 videos.
It also says other interactive features such as info cards and video watermarks are hidden while the end screen is showing, and that viewers can hide end screens themselves. Even a correctly built end screen may not always appear, or may look different from your design, depending on performance, device and context. So don't judge it by one viewing on one device.
Removing or changing a YouTube end screen element
To take an element out, use the delete option on it in the End screen editor, then add a different element if you like. Then click Save again so the change sticks. If you want to refresh old videos, swapping the end screen to point at your newest upload is one of the quickest updates you can make.
Checking whether your YouTube end screens are working
YouTube tells you where to look: Analytics, under the Engagement tab, using the end screen element click-through metric. If you add captions while you're in Studio, my guide to adding subtitles to a YouTube video is a handy companion.
Weak results usually points at one of two things: the end screen appears while the viewer has already left, or the element on offer isn't interesting enough. Try showing it a few seconds earlier, or pointing to a video that follows on naturally from the one they just watched.
If you can't add a YouTube end screen
- Check the video is at least 25 seconds long.
- Check it isn't set as made for kids.
- Make sure you're in YouTube Studio on a computer, then Content, then Editor.
- Check you have permission on the channel, since a viewer-level role can't edit videos.
- If the Link element is missing, remember YouTube reserves it for YouTube Partner Program members.
If you've been through all of those and the End screen option still isn't there, use the help and feedback option inside YouTube Studio to contact YouTube.
Related guides live in the YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
How long must a video be to add an end screen?
YouTube's help page says the video must be at least 25 seconds long, and the end screen can sit in the last 5 to 20 seconds.
How many elements can an end screen have?
YouTube says you can add up to 4 elements on a 16:9 video. Other aspect ratios may allow fewer.
Can I add an end screen on my phone?
YouTube's end screen help page gives steps for YouTube Studio on a computer and doesn't cover the Studio app, so a computer is the safe route.
Why isn't my end screen showing?
YouTube says end screens aren't available for made for kids videos, in the YouTube Music app, on mobile web (except iPad) or on 360 videos, and viewers can hide them.
Where can I see how my end screen is doing?
In YouTube Analytics, under the Engagement tab, using the end screen element click-through metric.
