Head to the Editor for your upload in YouTube Studio (Content, then your video, then Editor), press End screen, add what you want viewers to do next and hit SAVE. Clips under 25 seconds can't have one, and whatever you add only appears during the last 5-20 seconds.
The quick route through YouTube Studio
This order comes from the YouTube help page on end screens, and it all happens in Studio on the web. If that dashboard is new to you, here's what YouTube Studio does before you start clicking around in it.
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, select Content.
- Click the title or thumbnail of the video you want to edit.
- From the left menu, select Editor.
- Select End screen.
- Choose an element: Apply template, Video, Playlist, Subscribe, Channel or Link.
- Click SAVE.
That's the whole job for one element. Repeat step 6 for each extra one before you save, because a standard 16:9 upload can hold up to four.
Timing is the bit people miss. Each element has its own timeline, so drag either end of it to choose when that element appears and when it goes. If dragging feels fiddly, type an exact time into the box beside the Delete element button instead. Whichever way you set it, the element has to sit inside the last 5-20 seconds of the video.
Picking an element for what you want viewers to do next
Six options sit behind End screen, and they aren't all open to everyone. Start from the action you're after, then choose the matching one.
| If you want viewers to | Choose |
|---|---|
| Go straight on to another upload | Video |
| Work through a series | Playlist |
| Follow you | Subscribe |
| Visit a channel | Channel |
| Leave for an outside website | Link |
| Skip the layout decisions | Apply template |
Link has a condition: it's only available if you're in the YouTube Partner Program.
With four slots on a 16:9 video, there's no need to fill them all. One clear next step is easier to act on than a crowded finish, so add a second or third element only when each one gives the viewer a different reason to click.
Videos and places that rule an end screen out
Here's the limit you wouldn't guess. Getting the steps right doesn't help if the video itself isn't eligible, and being flagged as made for kids removes the option completely, however long the upload runs.
| Situation | End screen? |
|---|---|
| Standard 16:9 upload of 25 seconds or longer | Yes, up to four elements |
| Anything shorter than 25 seconds | No |
| Video set as made for kids | No |
| 360 video | No |
| Watching in the YouTube music app | Not available |
| Watching on mobile web | Not available |
The last two rows matter when you're checking your work. If you preview from a phone browser and nothing shows, that's the viewing surface and not a mistake in your setup.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
What to check when your end screen won't behave
- End screen doesn't fit the video. Check the running time first. It has to reach 25 seconds, and a clip right on that minimum leaves very little footage outside the closing window once you stretch an element to the full 20 seconds.
- The Link option is missing. That one depends on YouTube Partner Program membership, so the other five are what you've got until you're in.
- An element shows up at the wrong moment. Go back into Editor and adjust its timeline ends, or type the time you want beside the Delete element button.
- Nothing changed after you left the editor. Open it again and make sure you clicked SAVE, as that's the final step and it's easy to skip.
- You can't add a fifth element. Four is the ceiling on a standard 16:9 video, so remove one with Delete element first.
If the player itself goes dark rather than just losing its end screen, you're dealing with something else, and the reasons a video turns black are a separate problem from anything in this editor.
Frequently asked questions
What does Apply template do?
It adds a template, which is a grouping of elements, so you aren't placing each one by hand.
Can one end screen have a Subscribe element and a video?
Yes, add them one after the other before you click SAVE, because a standard 16:9 upload has room for up to four elements.
Can I send viewers to my online shop from an end screen?
The Link element goes to an outside website, and you'll need YouTube Partner Program membership to get it. For which sites it accepts, check YouTube's help page.
Do vertical videos get four elements as well?
The four-element allowance is written for standard 16:9 uploads. If yours is a different shape, check YouTube's help page for what applies.
Will these elements appear when someone watches on a TV?
TVs aren't among the places listed as unavailable, which are the music app and mobile web. For how they behave on a particular device, check YouTube's help page.
How do I change an end screen I've already saved?
Come back through Content, pick the video and open Editor, then adjust the element and click SAVE again.
