YouTube Post Size and Specs (2026)
Every YouTube limit below comes from the rules PostQuest uses to check posts before they publish. Publishing limits were last verified on .
- Main post size
- At least 2 s · Up to 4 GB
- Video
- Caption limit
- 5,000 characters
- Video thumbnail
- 3840 × 2160 px (16:9)
YouTube image and video specs
Video1 file
| Spec | Video |
|---|---|
| File size | Up to 4 GB |
| Length | At least 2 s |
| Formats | MP4, MOV, WebM |
Short1 file
| Spec | Video |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 or 1:1 |
| File size | Up to 4 GB |
| Length | Up to 3 min |
| Formats | MP4, MOV, WebM |
YouTube caption and hashtag limits
Caption limit
5,000 characters
- The caption becomes the video description.
Hashtags
60 per video
Recommended: 3–5 hashtags
- If content has more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all hashtags.
- Over-tagging can result in penalties.
Accounts that can publish
An authenticated YouTube channel.
YouTube profile and banner sizes
| Image | Size | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 3840 × 2160 px (16:9) | Minimum width 640 px. JPG or PNG, up to 50 MB from a computer or 2 MB from mobile. | YouTube Help: Add custom thumbnailsVerified October 4, 2026 |
| Shorts thumbnail | 2160 × 3840 px (9:16) | Minimum height 640 px. Same file limits as video thumbnails. | YouTube Help: Add custom thumbnailsVerified October 4, 2026 |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 px (16:9) | Minimum 2048 × 1152 px. Keep text and logos inside the 1235 × 338 px safe area. Up to 6 MB. | YouTube Help: Manage your channel brandingVerified October 4, 2026 |
| Profile picture | Square, displays at 98 × 98 px | JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG (no animated GIFs), up to 15 MB. | YouTube Help: Manage your channel brandingVerified October 4, 2026 |
YouTube specs FAQ
What size should a YouTube post be?
A YouTube video must meet these limits: length at least 2 s and file size up to 4 GB. No fixed pixel dimensions apply to this format.
What is the YouTube character limit?
YouTube captions can be up to 5,000 characters long. The caption becomes the video description.
How many hashtags can you use on YouTube?
YouTube allows up to 60 hashtags per video. Aim for 3–5. If content has more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all hashtags. Over-tagging can result in penalties.
What size is the YouTube video thumbnail?
3840 × 2160 px (16:9). Minimum width 640 px. JPG or PNG, up to 50 MB from a computer or 2 MB from mobile.
Sources
Publishing limits last verified against official API documentation. Profile sizes last verified .
More platform specs
Schedule posts that pass these checks
PostQuest validates every caption and file against these limits before a post is scheduled, so nothing fails at publish time.