YouTube Video File Size and Bitrates: A Practical Guide
YouTube video file size and bitrates: recommended bitrates from 360p to 4K, the 256 GB and 12-hour upload limits, and when a bigger file is actually worth it.
Read the guideYouTube specs, explained without the folklore
Ten reference guides on the sizes, specs and limits that decide an upload: thumbnail dimensions and safe areas, banner and profile specs, Shorts covers, title length and titles that rank, description SEO, hashtag limits, compression, resizing and bitrates.
Latest guides
Newest first. Every guide answers a specific question you have to settle before an upload.
How to Compress an Image for YouTube: Keep It Under 2 MB
Compress an image for YouTube and stay under the 2 MB mobile limit without blur: JPG or PNG, the right quality setting, and how to re-export crisp text.
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YouTube Hashtag Rules: The 15-Hashtag Limit Explained
YouTube allows 15 hashtags per video, all ignored past that limit. Here is how many to actually use, where to place them, and which ones earn reach in 2026.
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YouTube Title Length: 100 Characters, 70 Visible in Search
The YouTube title limit is 100 characters, but only about 70 show in search results. Here is where to put the keyword and which title patterns work best.
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YouTube Description SEO: What Actually Helps Rankings
YouTube description SEO that works: the 5,000-character limit, chapter timestamps that build a real chapter list, keywords worth writing, and myths to ignore.
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YouTube Shorts Cover Size: 1080 × 1920 and Safe Zones
YouTube Shorts cover size is 1080 × 1920 in 9:16. Here is what the interface covers, where to place the text, and how custom Shorts thumbnails work now.
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YouTube Profile Picture Size: 800 × 800 and Circle Crop
YouTube profile picture size is 800 × 800, cropped to a circle and shown at 98 px. Here is how to design and export a channel photo that survives that crop.
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YouTube Banner Size: 2560 × 1440 and the 1546 × 423 Safe Area
YouTube banner size is 2560 × 1440, but only the central 1546 × 423 safe area shows everywhere. Here is what stays visible on TV, desktop, tablet and mobile.
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YouTube Thumbnail Size: 1280 × 720 and 3840 × 2160
YouTube thumbnail size explained: 1280 × 720, 3840 × 2160, 640 px minimum width, 2 MB mobile and 50 MB desktop limits, and the safe area that stays visible.
Read the guideEvery guide at a glance
The full index, with topic and reading time.
| Guide | Topic | Length | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Resize an Image to YouTube Sizes (Exact Pixels) | Images | 7 min | |
| YouTube Video File Size and Bitrates: A Practical Guide | Planning | 8 min | |
| How to Compress an Image for YouTube: Keep It Under 2 MB | Images | 7 min | |
| YouTube Hashtag Rules: The 15-Hashtag Limit Explained | Text | 6 min | |
| YouTube Title Length: 100 Characters, 70 Visible in Search | Text | 7 min | |
| YouTube Description SEO: What Actually Helps Rankings | Text | 8 min | |
| YouTube Shorts Cover Size: 1080 × 1920 and Safe Zones | Images | 6 min | |
| YouTube Profile Picture Size: 800 × 800 and Circle Crop | Images | 6 min | |
| YouTube Banner Size: 2560 × 1440 and the 1546 × 423 Safe Area | Images | 7 min | |
| YouTube Thumbnail Size: 1280 × 720 and 3840 × 2160 | Images | 8 min |
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