YouTube sizes, specs, and posting limits

YouTube accepts video uploads, not image posts. Use 16:9 for a standard video. YouTube treats a vertical video up to 3 minutes long as a Short.

Updated July 2026

Start publishing

Read the YouTube API docs

Recommended sizes

Good defaults for YouTube

Use these sizes when you need a sensible default. The tables below cover the limits enforced by the API.

Standard video

1920×1080 (16:9)

A good Full HD target for regular YouTube uploads.

YouTube Shorts

9:16, up to 3 minutes

YouTube detects eligible vertical uploads automatically.

Maximum upload

256 GB

The API also enforces duration limits based on verification.

API limits

YouTube API specifications

Check these values in your upload validator or before an agent submits a post.

Video file limits

Accepted upload constraints for regular videos and Shorts.

Formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, 3GPP, WebM
Maximum file size: 256 GB
Maximum duration: 12 hours verified / 15 minutes unverified
Shorts classification: ≤3 minutes and vertical (9:16)

Text and metadata limits

Limits applied to the metadata sent with the video.

Title: 100 characters
Description: 5,000 characters
Tags: 500 characters total
Privacy: Public, unlisted, or private

Common publishing errors

YouTube publishing errors

Find the returned code or the closest matching failure below, then fix the cause before retrying the post.

invalidTitle (400)

The video title is empty or contains a value YouTube rejects.

Fix: Send a non-empty title of at most 100 characters and remove < or > characters.

invalidTags (400)

The video keywords do not meet YouTube’s tag rules.

Fix: Keep the combined tag value within 500 characters and remove invalid tags.

uploadLimitExceeded (400)

The channel has reached its current YouTube upload allowance.

Fix: Wait for the channel’s upload allowance to reset before trying again.

forbiddenPrivacySetting (403)

The requested public, private, or unlisted setting is not allowed for this upload.

Fix: Use a privacy status available to the channel and check channel restrictions.

channelSuspended (403)

YouTube has suspended the channel, so it will reject every upload.

Fix: Check the channel in YouTube Studio. Uploads cannot resume until YouTube removes the suspension.

insufficientPermissions (403)

The connection no longer has the scopes or channel access needed to upload video.

Fix: Reconnect the channel, approve every requested permission, and try the upload again.

Why YouTube uploads fail

An unverified API project attempts to upload a video longer than 15 minutes.
The title exceeds 100 characters or the title/description contains < or >.
An automation expects a separate Shorts endpoint instead of uploading a qualifying vertical video.

What PublishQ handles

Applies YouTube-specific titles, descriptions, tags, privacy, COPPA, and AI disclosure settings.
Lets an agent or script upload through the same public API used for other platforms.
Keeps YouTube metadata separate through per-platform post overrides.

For developers and agents

Publish to YouTube through one API

Send PublishQ the post. We check it, prepare the media, and deliver it to YouTube. You can work in the dashboard or connect through the API, CLI, or MCP server.

Start publishing

Read the implementation guide

Compare other platform limits

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about YouTube media sizes and API publishing limits.

What size should a YouTube video be?

1920×1080 at 16:9 is a good default for standard videos. Shorts should be vertical at 9:16 and no longer than 3 minutes.

What is the maximum YouTube upload size?

YouTube accepts files up to 256 GB. Verified projects can upload videos up to 12 hours; unverified projects are limited to 15 minutes.

Can PublishQ upload YouTube videos through an API or AI agent?

Use the PublishQ API to upload a YouTube video with its metadata and account destination.

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