How to make a YouTube end screen

The rules YouTube sets

1. End screens can last between 5 and 20 seconds and appear in the final 20 seconds of the video.
2. Your video needs to be at least 25 seconds long to have one.
3. You can add up to four elements, and at least one must be a video or playlist.
4. Element types are Video, Playlist, Subscribe, Channel and Link. Link elements (to an approved website) are only available to channels in the YouTube Partner Program.
5. End screens aren't available on Shorts or on videos set as made for kids.

1. Edit the background into your video

Plan for the end screen while you edit, not after. Leave the final 20 seconds free of anything important — no key dialogue, no captions, no text you need people to read — because the elements will cover parts of the frame. You can use a dedicated end screen video (our YouTube End Screen is a full 20 seconds, with a circle exactly where YouTube's Subscribe element sits and two framed slots for watch-next videos), or keep talking to camera with space left around you for the elements. Either way, give viewers a reason to click: 'if you liked this, this one goes further' beats a silent fade-out.

Export at the same resolution as the rest of your video (normally 1920×1080). If the end screen is a different shape, the elements won't line up with your slots.

2. Add the elements in YouTube Studio

1. While uploading, YouTube offers an end screen on the 'Video elements' step — click 'Add' next to End screen.
2. For a video that's already up: open YouTube Studio → Content → click the video → Editor → End screen.
3. Pick a template or add elements one by one with the '+ Element' button.
4. For a Video element, choose 'Most recent upload', 'Best for viewer' (YouTube picks for each viewer) or a specific video.
5. Add a Subscribe element — it shows your channel picture and subscribes the viewer on click.
6. Drag each element over the matching slot in your background and resize it from the corners. Drag the element bars on the timeline to set when each appears.
7. Click Save.

3. Line it up so it looks designed

Elements that float randomly over your footage look like an afterthought. Elements that sit exactly inside frames you've designed for them look like a professional channel. Scrub through the end screen in the editor's preview and nudge each element until it sits neatly inside its slot. Leave a little space around the edges of the frame, as the player's controls can cover the bottom on some devices.

4. Reuse it on every upload

Once you have a layout you like, you don't need to rebuild it. In the end screen editor, choose 'Import from video' and pick a video that already has the layout — the elements are copied across in the same positions. Combined with the same end screen background on every video, your channel gets a consistent finish with about a minute of work per upload.

Common mistakes

1. Too many choices: four elements competing for attention usually perform worse than one strong video plus Subscribe.
2. Linking a random old video: 'Best for viewer' or a video that follows on from the topic is usually a better bet.
3. Elements on top of your face or text: plan the space while editing.
4. Ending the video abruptly: if the end screen is only five seconds long, many viewers will leave before they see it. Give it time.

Check the end screen report in YouTube Analytics after a few uploads to see which elements are clicked, then adjust the layout.