How to Write YouTube Shorts Titles That Get Views
Shorts titles work differently from long-form titles. Here is where they appear, how long they should be, and patterns that work.
Published October 4, 2026
Where a Shorts title actually shows up
In the Shorts feed, most viewers decide within a second based on the video itself — the title sits small over the bottom of the screen and many people never read it. But the title matters a lot in other places: YouTube search, the Shorts shelf on the home page, your channel's Shorts tab, and the suggested list next to long videos. There, the title and thumbnail frame are all a viewer has to go on.
So a Shorts title has two jobs: be readable at a glance over the video, and make sense as a search result for someone who has never heard of you.
How long should a Shorts title be?
The limit is the same 100 characters as any YouTube video, but Shorts titles are cut much earlier: on the Shorts shelf and in the feed overlay, often after about 40–50 characters. Aim for 30–50 characters with the key words first. Run your title through the YouTube Title Checker to see where it gets cut.
Do you need #shorts in the title?
No. YouTube identifies a Short from the video itself (vertical or square, and within the Shorts length limit). Adding #shorts doesn't change how it is classified and uses up characters in a title that is already cut short. If you want hashtags, put one or two topic hashtags in the description instead.
Five patterns that work for Shorts
- •The result: "I Fixed My Posture in 14 Days"
- •The specific how-to: "Peel Garlic in 10 Seconds"
- •The mistake: "Stop Rinsing Your Rice Like This"
- •The comparison: "$5 vs $500 Headphones"
- •The question: "Why Do Cats Knock Things Over?"
Before and after: Shorts title rewrites
Before
Quick tip!! #shorts #viral #fyp
After
Peel Garlic in 10 Seconds
Why it works: The original says nothing about the video and spends its space on tags that don't help. The rewrite names the exact payoff and is fully visible even when cut.
Before
Day 47 of my fitness journey - workout update and some thoughts on progress so far
After
My Squat After 47 Days of Practice
Why it works: Shorts titles get cut early. The rewrite keeps the specific, visual result and drops everything after it.
Before
Comparing two different pairs of headphones I bought recently
After
$30 vs $300 Headphones: Can You Hear It?
Why it works: A price contrast creates instant curiosity, and the question invites people to watch to the end and comment.
Before
Cooking hack
After
Stop Rinsing Your Rice Like This
Why it works: "Cooking hack" is too vague to search for or to stop a scroll. Naming the mistake makes the viewer check whether they are making it.
Make the title and the first second agree
In the feed, the hook in the first second does most of the work. The title should match it, not repeat it word for word. If the on-screen text says "You're peeling garlic wrong", a title like "Peel Garlic in 10 Seconds" adds the payoff. If the title promises something the first seconds don't deliver, viewers swipe away, and that tells YouTube the Short isn't worth showing to more people.
Keep Shorts scripts tight too: a 30-second Short holds about 65–85 spoken words. The Script Timer checks that before you record.
Shorts title checklist
- •30–50 characters, with the key words in the first 40.
- •Says what the viewer gets: a result, a how-to, a mistake, a comparison, or a question.
- •Matches the hook in the first second of the video.
- •No #shorts and no stack of generic tags in the title.
- •Would make sense as a search result to someone who has never seen your channel.