YouTube Shorts safe zone where text stays clear of the buttons.
On YouTube Shorts, on a 1080 x 1920 video, the interface covers about 180 pixels at the top, 390 at the bottom, with the channel, Subscribe button and title, and 120 on the right, where like, dislike, comment and share sit. Load a frame of your video and see where text stays visible.
Free, no sign-upWant the vertical clip done for you? We reframe your video to 9:16 following the speaker and add captions wherever you place them. Try it free
At 4:5 and 1:1, the app shows your video centered with bars above and below. The overlay marks only what the interface covers inside your frame.
Approximate reference, reviewed October 2026: every app moves its buttons between versions, phones and account types. Use this as a guide, not an official spec.
How to check the Shorts safe zone
- 01
Open it with Shorts selected
The overlay starts on YouTube Shorts at 9:16. Switch to 1:1 if your Short is square, or to Ad if it will run as an ad.
- 02
Load a frame of the video
Use an image or the video itself and stop at the moment with the most text: the opening title or the longest caption.
- 03
Adjust and download the overlay
Keep text away from the button column and the channel block. Download the transparent PNG overlay to check in your editor before exporting.
What is the YouTube Shorts safe zone in 2026?
On a phone, Shorts fill the whole screen, 1080 x 1920 pixels. At the top are search and the three-dot menu. On the right, top to bottom: like, dislike, comment, share, remix and the sound disc. At the bottom, the channel picture and @handle with the Subscribe button, the Short's title, the sound used and, when there is one, the link to a related video or a product.
The overlay uses margins reviewed October 2026 against recent creator measurements. The Shorts top bar is shorter than the Reels one, and the bottom block is a bit shorter than TikTok's, but it grows when the title runs to two lines.
| Part of the screen | Margin at 1080 x 1920 | What sits there |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 180 px | Search, menu |
| Right | 120 px | Like, dislike, comment, share, remix |
| Bottom | 390 px | Channel, Subscribe, title, sound, related video |
| Left | 60 px | Screen edge |
Where should captions go on YouTube Shorts?
On Shorts, captions stay visible up to about 1530 pixels high, centered and with 120 pixels clear on the right. The most comfortable spot is between 1100 and 1400 pixels, above the channel line and Subscribe. Lower down, they compete with the Short's title, which many people read before deciding to stay.
For an opening title, use the top third from about 200 pixels down, below search. The Shorts button column has five icons plus the sound disc and runs down close to the channel block, so no right-aligned text in the middle of the screen.
- Captions: centered, between 1100 and 1400 px high.
- Opening title: from 200 px down.
- Nothing important within 120 px of the right edge.
- Faces: in the center, where no button reaches.
What changes for Shorts on desktop and for square videos?
On desktop, a Short plays in a vertical column in the middle of the page, and the like, comment and share buttons sit beside the video, outside it. The channel name and title still sit over the bottom. So if you get the phone safe zone right, desktop is covered too.
Shorts take vertical or square videos up to 3 minutes long. A 1:1 Short shows centered on the phone screen with bands above and below, and only the bottom of your frame meets the channel block. Pick 1:1 in the tool to see what's still covered.
- Phone, 9:16: buttons and channel block over the video.
- Phone, 1:1: black bands; the channel block only touches the bottom of the frame.
- Desktop: buttons beside the video; channel and title on top.
What is the YouTube Shorts ad safe zone?
For ads, Google publishes a vertical 1080 x 1920 safe zone template that also covers Shorts. Measured on that template, it keeps 288 pixels at the top, 672 at the bottom, 48 on the left and 192 on the right. The bottom is much bigger than a regular Short's because an ad adds the advertiser name, the text and a call to action button.
Pick Ad (official guide) as the type of post to see those areas on your frame. According to Google Ads help, on Shorts the buttons sit over the ad and only the comments button can be turned off.
| Margin (1080 x 1920) | Regular Short | Shorts ad |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 180 px | 288 px |
| Bottom | 390 px | 672 px |
| Right | 120 px | 192 px |
| Left | 60 px | 48 px |
More than a safe zone template. Vertical clips that come out framed right.
See also
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube Shorts safe zone in pixels?
On a 1080 x 1920 frame, keep about 180 pixels clear at the top, 390 at the bottom, 120 on the right and 60 on the left. For ads, Google's vertical template asks for more: 288 at the top, 672 at the bottom and 192 on the right.
Where do captions stay visible on Shorts?
Centered, between 1100 and 1400 pixels high on a 1920 video, above the channel and the Subscribe button. At the bottom of the frame, they sit under the Short's title and the channel name.
What size should a YouTube Short be?
1080 x 1920 pixels, 9:16, fills the whole screen. Shorts also take square video, and the length limit is 3 minutes. Landscape videos go to regular YouTube.
Does the Short's title cover the video?
It covers the bottom, just above the channel name. Two-line titles reach higher. Keep titles short and place the video's captions above that block.
Is the Shorts safe zone the same as TikTok's?
Similar, not the same. TikTok has a taller bottom block, about 484 pixels, and a shorter top. Shorts has 390 at the bottom and 180 at the top. If the video goes to both, follow the larger margin on each side.
How do I use the Shorts overlay in my editor?
Download the overlay only as a transparent PNG and put it on a layer above the video, at 1080 x 1920. Keep titles and captions outside the marked areas and turn the layer off before exporting.
Shorts made from your long video. We make them.
Upload the video or paste the YouTube link. We find the best moments, reframe them to 9:16 following whoever is speaking and add animated captions where you choose, above the channel block and clear of the buttons.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.