YouTube end screens and cards
The exact end screen rules: the last 5 to 20 seconds, four elements at 16:9, a 25 second minimum video length, five cards, and where end screens never show.
End screens are YouTube's own feature, added in YouTube Studio after the upload rather than baked into the file. What you build into the video is the space they sit in, and that is the part people get wrong.
The rules
| Rule | YouTube's wording |
|---|---|
| When they can appear | The last 5 to 20 seconds of a video |
| Minimum video length | Your video has to be at least 25 seconds long to have an end screen |
| How many elements | Up to four elements for videos with standard 16:9 aspect ratio. Other aspect ratios may have a lower limit |
| Cards, separately | You can add up to 5 cards to one video |
| Where they never show | Mobile web except iPad, the YouTube Music and YouTube Kids apps, Flash videos, 360 videos, and content made for kids |
What to build into the video
Leave the last 20 seconds visually calm and keep the corners empty, because that is where YouTube will place clickable boxes over your picture. A visualizer that is still going full intensity under an end screen makes both unreadable. Fading the scene down over the final section is the whole technique.
Cards or end screens?
Cards appear during the video at a time you choose, up to five of them. End screens appear only at the end, up to four elements. Cards suit a reference partway through; end screens suit what to watch next. They are separate features with separate limits and you can use both.
What about a subscribe prompt inside the video?
That is a different thing, and it works where end screens do not: it is part of the picture, so it shows everywhere the video shows, including the places YouTube's own end screens are unavailable. See subscribe and follow props.
Common questions
How long should an end screen be?
Between 5 and 20 seconds, and nearer 20 if you are pointing at another video, because a viewer needs time to read it and decide.
Why can I not add an end screen?
The video is probably under 25 seconds, which is YouTube's stated minimum.
Why is my end screen not showing on Shorts?
End screens are a long-form feature. A Short is a different surface and does not carry them, which is another reason an in-picture prompt is the more portable option.
What size are end screen elements?
YouTube does not publish pixel sizes, because it places and scales the elements itself depending on the player. What you control is keeping that area of your picture clear.
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Last updated 2026-09-15
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